Calls a loyal familiar to serve the caster.
AD&D[]
Find Familiar[]
Debuted in the Player's Handbook as a magic-user spell.
| Level: 1 | School: Conjuration/Summoning |
| Components: V, S, M (a brass brazier with charcoal and 100 gp of incense, fat, and herbs such as basil, savory and catnip) | |
| Range: 1 mile/level | Casting Time: 1-24 hours |
| Duration: Special | Saving Throw: Negates |
| Effect: A familiar | |
A familiar arrives and serves the caster loyally. The familiar has 1d3+1 hit points, an AC of 7, is remarkably intelligent, and can speak with its master. The familiar only fights for the caster in a life-or-death situation (and imps and quasits are 90% unlikely to fight if there is any risk to their own lives).
While the familiar is within 12", the familiar's hit points are added to the caster's. If a familiar is slain, the caster loses double the familiar's hit points, permanently.
To determine what familiar, if any, responds to the call, roll on the table below. Subtract 1 from the roll for every 3 levels of the caster, and if hte score is 15 or less, roll again using d16, and if a 16 is rolled, the result is final.
| d20 | Familiar | Sensory Powers |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Black Cat | Excellent night vision and superior hearing |
| 5-6 | Crow | Excellent vision |
| 7-8 | Hawk | Superior long-distance vision |
| 9-10 | Screech Owl | Night vision equals day vision; superior hearing |
| 11-12 | Toad | Wide-angle vision |
| 13-14 | Weasel | Superior hearing and olfactory power |
| 15 | Special | See Below |
| 16-20 | None | None |
If a Special familiar is indicated, the creature that responds depends on the caster's alignment. The creature is allowed a saving throw to negate the effect. If it fails, the creature becomes the caster's familiar.
- Chaotic Evil or Chaotic Neutral: Quasit. Quasits enable their masters to use all the senses (including infravision) of the quasit. If the quasit is within 1", its master also gains the quasit's magic resistance (25%), and ennables the master to regenerate 1 hp per round. The caster also gains 1 level while the quasit is within 1 mile. The caster loses a level if the quasit is farther away, and loses 4 levels if the quasit is killed. Finally, the master of a quasit can contact a lower plane once per week, similar to a commune spell, but permitting 6 questions.
- Chaotic Good, Neutral, or Neutral Good: Pseudodragon. Pseudodragons can give their magic resistance (35%) to their master if they are touching, and they can communicate what it sees and hears to its master if it is within 24".
- Lawful Evil or Neutral Evil: Imp. As a familiar, an imp can call upon the intelligence network of the arch-devils. The master is able to gain all sensory impressions of the imp (including infravision) as long as the imp is within 1 mile. Within 1", the master gains 25% magic resistance, and regenerates 1 hp per round. The caster also gains 1 level while the imp is within 1 mile. The caster loses a level if the imp is farther away, and loses 4 levels if the imp is killed. Finally, the master of an imp can contact a lower plane once per week, similar to a commune spell, but permitting 6 questions.
- Lawful Neutral or Lawful Good: Brownie. The spellcaster gains 18 Dexterity, can never be surprised, and gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws.
DM's Advice: The only thing that can remove a familiar's bond is death, and so the spell cannot simply be cast again in the hopes of gaining a better familiar (at least, not without incurring an evil alignment and the disfavor of the gods). To determine what creatures may be available for bonding, see Animal Summoning I