A cast of strange familiarsM-U�s best friend comes in many shapes and sizesby Stephen Inniss

Experienced gamers usually regard addi-tions to a game�s rules with suspicion �and rightly so. Such additions often makeplay more complicated and time-consuming, instead of improving the experi-ence or making it more enjoyable. Thosewho have tinkered with the AD&DTM combatsystem can attest to this problem: Vexingnew details start to bog down the game. Atbest, players wonder what happened to theadventure. At worst, they forget what theadventure was. But fortunately for med-dlers, there are some parts of the AD&Dgame system that can be improved with arelatively small investment of time.

One such part is the first level magic-userspell find familiar. The results of this spellcan be very important, and once deter-mined, they are frequently referred to.Because find familiar is usually cast veryinfrequently (sometimes only once permagic-user), a more detailed version canoffer a real improvement without detractingfrom the adventure. Expansion and modifi-cation of this spell has merit in its ownright, and � as is often the case in complexconstructions like the AD&D game � thenew information can enhance other parts ofthe game, too.

Like most fantasy role-playing material,the find familiar spell has its roots outside ofthe game system. Familiars played an im-portant role in the wizardry of folklore,serving as sorcerer�s helpers, or advisingpeople with strange talents. Though somefamiliars were invisible, most were, or tookthe shape of, small animals. In Europe,particularly in England, belief in familiarswas common. The familiar was attributedto witches, thereby earning an evil reputa-tion. Elsewhere, the view of familiars wasless negative. Siberian shamans, for exam-ple, were said to employ familiars as guardsand guides to the spirit world.

Not only folklore has influenced thegame; familiars are popular in fantasyliterature as well. In recent works, one needonly think of the mage Ged�s otak (littlemonkeylike creature) in Ursula K.LeGuin�s A Wizard of Earthsea, or theunpleasant companion in Fritz Leiber�sshort story �Ill Met in Lankhmar.�

But if folklore and fantasy literatureinspired the find familiar spell, then theydidn�t provide enough inspiration. Rulesfor the spell are incomplete and unbalanced.They are incomplete in that the possibilitiesfor normal animal familiars are restricted toa few European creatures without evenencompassing the folk beliefs of that conti-nent. It seems to be assumed that a familiar

will be summoned near human habitation(where else are black cats found?) and in atemperate climate with Old World fauna.But what if a magic-user summons a famil-iar in a tropical rain forest, on a small is-land, or in the arctic? The unimaginativeresponse would be to restrict or eliminatethe chance of success. But this seems dullwhen there might be so many other possibil-ities. A number of real-world animals wouldmake good familiars in an AD&D setting,and many of these beasts were once actuallybelieved to serve as familiars.

The menagerie described below expandsand modifies the group of official AD&Dfamiliars. You may want to make furtherchanges for your campaign, but before youuse or alter this material, you should under-stand how the animals below were chosen.Subjects taken into account include: armorclass and hit points, size and combat prow-ess, adaptability, appearance and reputa-tion, and commonness.

Creatures that deviate sharply from thestandard familiar�s armor class of 7 and thestandard hit point range of 2-4 (the statisticsgiven with the spell) have been eliminatedfrom the selection below. Some flexibilityregarding these statistics is necessary, how-ever. As the spell stands, a lowly toad famil-iar becomes harder to hit than manyhumans, and just as powerful as a hawkfamiliar. We can �justify� this increase inpower by assuming the toad gained moreability when it became a familiar. A changefor the better is acceptable. A change for theworse, however, seems unlikely. No animalshould become weaker as a familiar than itwas as a normal animal. The cat, for in-stance, now has statistics in Monster Man-ual II which give it a better armor classthan 7. Since it is unlikely that only crip-pled, deficient felines respond to the findfamiliar spell, the cat — and other animalslike it � does not take a cut in AC when itbecomes a familiar. An effort has beenmade, however, to not stretch the originalspell beyond reason, so nothing smallerthan a toad or more powerful than a cat hasbeen allowed. After all, find familiar is onlya first level spell.

Restricting armor class ratings becomeseasier when one accepts that familiars areby nature small animals. In the AD&Dgame, familiars should be no bigger orheavier than a very large cat (16 poundsmaximum). There are a number of goodreasons for this. Most, if not all, traditionalfamiliars are small, and so are all of theofficial familiars. Small size is useful to acreature that serves as a guard, scout, and

spy (as described in the Players Handbook).Small animals are more easily concealed indangerous situations, and they�re easier tocarry if incapacitated; this becomes increas-ingly important as their masters rise inlevel, meeting greater hazards.

Small size may disappoint the sorcerer insearch of brawn, but familiars aren�t meantto be bodyguards. None of the normalfamiliars should be more lethal in combatthan, say, a hawk. Certainly, venomousanimals are inadmissible. The already greatrange in offensive capability within thegroup should not be increased. In any case,a physically powerful companion that servesas a magic-user�s bodyguard would beredundant. Fighters are already a wellestablished part of the game.

Though they needn�t be combat-hardy,familiars should be otherwise adaptable androbust. Without excessive protection andpreparation, familiars should be able to gowherever adventurers go: through arcticsnowfields, on board ships, across tropicdeserts, and into deep, dark caverns. Theyshould be able to survive on simple, pre-pared rations, or be able to forage for them-selves in most places. In general, theirrequirements should be rather similar tothose of humans. The familiar�s existenceshouldn�t be dependent on maintaining wetskin, for instance, or on anything elseequally unreasonable.

Perhaps the most important considerationin choosing a new familiar is its appearanceand reputation. A creature that sometimesserves as a companion of wizards in fable orfantasy is usually fit for that role in theAD&D game. Failing a reputation as afamiliar, the animal should look like itmight be found in the company of magic-users. It should be arcane, unusual, andmysterious, or have a bad or uncertainreputation (deserved or not), just as magicdoes. Nocturnal or darkly colored animals.are ideal.

Lastly, animals that are very rare or notwell known are not included. Besides re-quiring excess explanation, many rareanimals resemble more common species, sothey would simply lengthen an alreadyextensive catalog. Any name given hereappears in an ordinary dictionary.

The table on the next page can be usedfor random determination of familiars �just roll 2d20 when the spell is cast success-fully. (The official spell has a 25% failurerate, expressed as �no familiar in range,� socheck for this failure first.) If a familiarinappropriate to the locale is rolled, checkthe creature descriptions that follow to see

10 APRIL 1984

if another version of the animal would bepresent. Otherwise, just roll repeatedly untilsomething appropriate is summoned. Eachtable entry includes the following informa-tion: The required dice roll or range ofnumbers to summon that creature; thename of the creature; its movement rateand damage/attack figures; its special sen-sory powers; and its armor class, if thatfigure deviates from the standard AC of 7.

Movement and damageThe movement rates and damage values

in the table were developed with an eyetoward conformity with the AD&D systemrather than with the real world. Reducingan animal�s movement rate to a singlenumber inevitably involves judgment, sincesprints and endurance are not taken intoaccount. Determining damage per attack islikewise subjective, so the given values needa word of explanation.

The amount of damage done by a smallanimal �s attack creates a problem. On onehand, even the smallest teeth or clawsshould undeniably cause some damage, andthe AD&D world is one in which halflingscan cut down storm giants. On the otherhand, it is hard to imagine an animal assmall as a weasel seriously harming a hu-man. The combat system is scaled to hu-man sizes, so that one point of damage isconsiderable. Many ordinary humans haveonly one hit point between themselves anddeath. There are a number of ways inwhich the damage done by small animalscould be realistically quantified in theAD&D game; unfortunately, they all in-volve an increase in complexity that defeatsthe purpose of a system designed more forease of play than realism. Critical hits,fractions of hit points, damage varying withthe size of the opponent � all of these areunacceptable, so when damage occurs, theminimum amount is one hit point.

Giving a small animal the ability to inflicteven one hit point of damage can lead to allsorts of absurdities. In TSR�s module S4,The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, ordinarybats can bite for a single point of damage.Since most bats weigh less than a pound,and their teeth measure a fraction of aninch, these �super-bats� hardly approxi-mate reality. If such ordinary (but danger-ous) creatures commonly exist in theAD&D world, one can�t help wonderinghow an ordinary peasant survives. Statisticsin the table above make familiars a gooddeal more dangerous than their real-worldequivalents. This can be explained by thefamiliars� abnormal intelligence, and theirability to attack with greater ferocity andcunning than ordinary animals of theirtype. Less exceptional animals should notinflict this much damage; for ordinaryanimals, scale the damage down by 1 point.Otherwise, clerics or druids who can con-jure or summon animals will be too power-ful. I recommend the unmodified values,however, for animals that are extraordinary� the results of a reincarnate spell, forinstance, or of a druid�s shape-changing

Thirty-four familiars to find

18 Hawk, large: 1�/33�; 1-2 / 1-2 / 1;very sharp vision. AC 6.

19 Hawk, medium: 1 �/35�; / 1 / 1;very sharp vision. AC 5.

20 Hawk, small: 1 �/36 ; 1 / 1 / 1; verysharp vision. AC 5.

13 Dog: 15�; 1-3; good night vision,olfactory, and hearing.

14 Fisher: 9�; 1-2; superior olfactory,good hearing & night vision. AC 6.

15 Fox: 18�; 1-2; superior olfactory &hearing, good night vision. AC 5.

16 Gull: 6�/24�//12�; 1 pt.; sharp,wide-angle color vision.

17 Hare: 21�; nil; good wide-anglenight vision, good hearing andolfactory.

11-12 Crow: 1�/36�; 1 pt.; sharp, wide-angle color vision.

6-7 Cat, wild: 18�; 1-2 / 1-2 / 1-2 (rearclaws 1-2 / 1-2); same as domesticcat. AC 5.

8 Civet: 12�; 1-2; same as domesticcat. AC 6.

9 Coati: 12�; 1-2; superior olfactorysenses, good hearing and nightvision. AC 6.

10 Cock: 6�/15�; nil; wide anglevision.

4-5 Cat, domestic: 12�; 1-2 / 1 (rearclaws 1-2); superior night vision,good hearing and olfactory senses.AC 6.

2 Bat, large: 1�/18�; 1 pt.; superiorhearing and night vision; 50% haveecholocation.

3 Bat, small: 1�/24�; 1 pt.; superiorhearing, good night vision, echolo-cation. AC 4 in prime flying condi-tions (see text).

vision.

39-40 Special, as per spell description.

38 Weasel: 15�; 1 pt.; superior olfac-tory, good hearing and night vision.AC 6.

33 Raven: 1�/27�; 1-2; sharp wide-angle color vision. AC 6.

34 Skunk: 12�; 1 pt.; good nightvision, hearing, & olfactory.

35 Snake: 9�; 1 pt.; wide-angle vision,good hearing.

36 Squirrel: 12�; 1 pt.; sharp wide-angle vision, good hearing.

37 Toad: 3�; nil; good wide-angle nightvision.

Otter: 6 �1//8�; 1-2; superior under-water and night vision, goodolfactory.Owl, large: 1�/18�; 1-2 / 1-2; supe-rior hearing and night vision.Owl, medium: 1�/18�; 1/1; supe-rior hearing and night vision.Owl, small: 1�/18�; nil; superiorhearing and night vision.Parrot: 1�/18�; nil; wide-angle colorvision.Raccoon: 9�; 1-2; good nightvision, hearing, and olfactory.Rat: 15�; 1 pt.; superior olfactory,good wide-angle night vision, good

Monkey, small: 9�; 1 pt.; sharpcolor vision.

Monkey, large: 12�; 1 pt.; sharpcolor vision.

Lizard, small: 3�; nil; wide-anglevision.

22 Lizard, large: 6�; 1 pt.; wide-angle

21 Kinkajou: 6�; 1-2/1-2; superiornight vision, good hearing andolfactory.

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

hearing.

By necessity, a large gap in attack powerexists between those animals that inflict apoint of damage and those unable to doeven that (with damage figures of �nil�).The gap can be narrowed if the DM con-siders that an attack might not be entirelywithout effect in game terms, even if it doesno �damage.� With their abnormal intelli-gence, familiars could probably choosetender spots for their attacks, like noses,fingertips, and eyes. Such a hit would cer-tainly disrupt spell casting and even hinderfighters (-1 to hit) unless they take someaction to remove the annoyance. Those whotry to ignore a small animal�s attack riskbeing tripped up, blinded, or thrown offbalance. An opponent will find it difficult toconcentrate even on physical activity with arabbit hanging onto his thumb by its teeth,or an owl flapping in his face. However,

animals that cause no �damage� cannotslay even a helpless opponent unless ampletime is available. A hawk might kill a sleep-ing orc, but a hare couldn�t do significantdamage before its victim awoke.

Sensory abilitiesThese powers are not quantified in the

AD&D rules, but for the sake of comparisonsome attempt is made to do so here, sincethe magic-user receives sensory informationfrom his or her familiar. These notes shouldalso be useful if a druid chooses to shape-change into one of these forms to pick upextra information.

Hearing is described as either good (sig-nificantly better than human) or superior(the kind of hearing that locates the slightestsound at 50 paces). The ratings are a gener-alization, taking into account sensitivity,

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audible frequency range, and ability to BAT: Bats that are summoned as famil-locate direction. Animals with good hearing iars come in two sizes, according to mode of

life. The smaller bats have bodies rangingfrom mouse-sized to rat-sized, though theylook bigger with their wings fully spread.They are found in any climate that is tem-perate or warmer. The larger type of bat isfound in the tropics, has a wingspan ofabout five feet, and may weigh up to twopounds.

have a 10 to 20 percent better chance oflocating invisible or hidden creatures (basedon hearing alone, when it applies) thancreatures with normal hearing � depend-ing, of course, on conditions. Those withsuperior hearing will be about twice asgood.

Animals with olfactory (smelling) abilities

(and do not get the benefit of AC 4, asspecified in the table), because their wingsare lightly furred at best, and they lose heatrapidly.

The larger tropical bats are clumsier andslower in flight (class B) compared to theirsmaller brothers. Only 50% of those thatrespond as familiars will have echolocation.If this ability is present, it sometimes in-volves tongue-clicking sounds, rather thansqueaks. Tropical bats eat fruit and nuts.Like their smaller brethren, they can besinfully ugly.

CAT: This category embraces both do-mestic cats and their wild cousins, rangingin size from 5 to 16 pounds. In cities andtowns any cat summoned will be domestic,or at least once-domestic, as will 75% of thecats found in inhabited areas. All otherssummoned as familiars will be small, wildcats. Cats are found in any environmentwith the exception of arctic and subarcticuninhabited areas.

Wild cats are spotted or striped, or of asolid color with markings on ears and tail.They will resemble tigers, leopards, andlynxes in coloring. Cats of domestic originwill always be black, or at the option of theDM will have some unusual symbol in thepattern of their fur.

Domestic cats can only make one clawrake with their forepaws per attack, butwild cats can take a second swipe. Both gainrear claw strikes if a forepaw attack suc-ceeds in hitting the opponent. All cats sur-prise their prey 4 in 6 times. They aresurprised only 1 in 6 times.

Cats will eat meat of any sort, preferablyfresh. Wild ones will sometimes bring downprey as large as a lamb.

A bat's echolation is directional, so it ispossible to sneak upbehind a bat.

above the human norm should have thesame improved chances of noting hiddenenemies as those with good hearing, de-pending on circumstances and on how goodthey are at identifying scents. In addition,those with a good sense of smell can trackabout half as well as a ranger. Those withsuperior capability can track equally as wellas a ranger. The conditions under whichtracking is possible, and any informationgained by tracking, will of course differ forfamiliars and rangers, according to theirphysical and mental capabilities.

Visual ability involves several differentaspects. All animals generally have widerfields of vision than humans, but where thisis especially so it has been noted. Suchanimals should be harder to sneak up on,negating surprise in some situations. Colorvision is present only in diurnal animals,and as a general rule, diurnal animals thatare active only in dim light do not see colorwell, if at all. Animals that see well in poorlight also tend to have poor acuity, sincesharpness of vision and sensitivity to lightare opposed to one another. This meansthat animals with sharp vision will havepoorer-than-human night sight. In addition,animals with night vision will not see asclearly as a human in good light. Thoseanimals with night vision can see either one(good) or two (superior) classes better thanhuman on the following scale: daylight,twilight, full moon, half moon, starlight,and cloudy with no moon. By this roughmeasure, an owl (superior) sees as clearlyunder a full moon as a human does by day.Remember that there must be at least somelight for night vision to be effective.

If any of an animal�s sensory capabilitiesare not mentioned in the table, it is safe toassume that the creature in question has aperformance poorer or no better a human�sin that area.

Familiar descriptionsMany of the animals named in the table

represent a broad group. Even if you haveknowledge of the animal that�s listed, youshould check the description to see whatother animals may be included.

APRIL 198412

produce high-pitched squeaks (or sometimesclicks) that are reflected from their sur-roundings, creating a fairly detailed andaccurate picture of the world about them.In game terms, this ability functions in a60� radius. Although it�s not entirely logi-cal, echolocation should not give bats anextra chance of recognizing visual illusionsfor what they are. The AD&D game doesnot allow creatures with infravision a bonusfor noticing whether an illusion radiatesheat, so it must be assumed that an animalwith echolocation likewise receives no

Bats are usually some shade of brown,though they may be black or have a red oryellow tinge to their fur. Five percent ofthose summoned to be familiars are albinosas the spell preferentially selects them.

Most bats are able to navigate by sound� an ability known as echolocation. They

Coati are related toraccoons. With theirsensitive and flexiblesnouts, they can detectand root out a widevariety of foods.

bonus. In addition, note that a bat�s echolo-cation is directional, so it is possible tosneak up behind a bat.

agile in flightFor game pur-

poses, all have echolocation. They will eatinsects, or sometimes small frogs or fish oreven smaller bats. They can be fed leanmeat, preferably fresh. In cold climatessmall bats cannot fly very well or very far

Small bats are swift and(maneuverability class A).

CIVET: The animals in this category aretropical and subtropical carnivores that looksomewhat like a cross between a cat and aweasel, with the cat predominant. They areabout cat-sized, and colored much as wildcats are: with spots and stripes, or vaguecloudy markings. The category includesgenets, which differ from civets in that theylack scent glands and are sometimes tamedand used as mousers. In general, civets are

Fishers can swim well,and those living inareas with trees aregood climbers.

quite wild and shy and will not be commonnear human habitations. When this result isrolled for a familiar, a genet will be sum-moned 100% of the time in a town or city, 50% of the time in other inhabited areas,and 10% of the time in any other area.Otherwise, the resultant familiar will be acivet.

All of these animals can climb well,though their claws are not as sharp and fullyretractile as a cat�s. They are less carnivo-rous than cats, but thrive on meat. Once aweek civets (not including genets) can exudea foul musk that has the same effect onthose nearby as a troglodyte�s odor (see theMonster Manual).

COATI: These animals are related toraccoons, and are somewhat similar to themin appearance and behavior, though theyhave long, snoutlike noses and long, slendertails. They usually hold their tails straightup, perpendicular to their bodies. Coatisare native to most kinds of terrain in tropi-cal and subtropical climates. Adults weighas much as large cats. Coatis are moreterrestrial than raccoons, and though theycan manage greater bursts of speed thanraccoons, they are not as good at handlingobjects or climbing. With their sensitive andflexible snouts, they can detect and root outa wide variety of foods.

COCK: This term identifies a male birdof the group of pheasants and pheasant-likebirds that includes the common chicken.These birds are found in any temperate totropical area that offers cover. Those sum-moned to be familiars will be about the sizeof an ordinary pheasant, and jet black. Ifdomestic birds are summoned, they willrepresent one of the smaller, more agilebreeds, such as the bantam. Always intowns and cities, and 50% of the time inother inhabited areas, the summoned cockfamiliar will be domestic.

All of these birds are class C fliers andhaven�t much endurance (four rounds offlight at most). They are omnivores, butgreens and grains make up the bulk of theirdiet.

CROW: This category covers most of themedium-sized birds of the genus Corvus,including common crows, fish crows, car-rion crows, rooks, and so on � but notravens. Crows are found in any climatefrom subarctic to tropical, in all but themost barren of wastelands. They do not fearhuman habitations. They measure about1½ feet from beak to tip of tailfeathers.Crows are black, sometimes with whitemarkings. They are good mimics, and asfamiliars they can convey messages of threewords or less, though they can in no wayspeak coherently or understand language

without magical aid. Crows do well on avaried diet much like that of humans,though they enjoy insects a good deal more.They are class A fliers. During daylightconditions, they are never surprised. If acrow�s hit succeeds, it may (10% chance)blind the opponent�s eye.

DOG: In inhabited areas, the summoneddog is one of the smaller sorts � a skinnymongrel with wary eyes, the �thievish� dogof early classifications that by its appearancesupports the theory that domestic dogs carrya strain of jackal. In tropical and subtropi-cal areas away from human habitation, theanimal summoned will be a true wild dog ofappropriate size. Dogs will not be foundoutside tropical and subtropical areas unlesshuman dwellings are nearby.

Dogs of domestic origin will be black,pied, or brown with a yellow or reddishtint. Wild dogs will be brindled or plain inpattern. Those summoned to be familiarswill be the size of a large fox or small jackal,but with more powerful jaws. In packs theycan bring down deer, but these dogs takesmall game as a general rule. Wild or do-mestic, dogs will eat nearly anything,though they prefer ripe meat.

FISHER: This category encompasses allof the larger weasel-like animals, includingthe fisher, plus the larger martens and themongooses. All are similar in habits andappearance, though they aren�t close

DRAGON 13

relatives. The fisher family described hereinhabits all climates but the arctic, prefer-ring to avoid dense settlements. Mongoosesare predominantly found in tropical andsubtropical areas, while the others inhabitcooler climates.

All of these animals tip the scale at 2-16pounds. They measure 2-4 feet in length.The animals can swim well, and those livingin areas with trees are good climbers. Allare exclusively carnivorous, unlike mostanimals called �carnivores.� Some mon-gooses are exclusively diurnal, but these willnot respond to the find familiar spell.

FOX: When a fox becomes a familiar, intemperate climates it is usually of the com-mon red fox variety. Still, foxes can befound everywhere, even in the high arctic.Color of coat and shape of ears and facemay vary, but all foxes weigh between 4 and15 pounds, although their long fur and tailssometimes give them a heftier, appearance.

Foxes are swift and canny in the hunt,whether the pursuer or the pursued. Theyhave been known to outrun wolves, and fewother carnivores can match their endurance.A surprisingly good climbing ability com-plements their speed. Foxes eat meat andinsects primarily, but they will accept somevegetable matter. Like dogs, they seem toprefer a well-rotted meal.

GULL: Birds of this sort that respond tothe find familiar spell are not the ordinary

beachgoers; they�re black. In arctic waters,the summoned bird will be the dark, gull-like skua. Gull familiars always representthe larger birds in their family; small gulls,like those resembling terns, will not besummoned. Gull familiars have wingspansof 4 to 5½ feet, and measure 1½ to 2feet from beak to tail. Birds matching thisdescription exist worldwide, inhabitingareas within 50 miles of any coastline andnear any large inland body of water.

Although these familiars are skilled atflying long distances over water, they arenot particularly agile (class C fliers). Gullscan swim, but only on the water�s surface.They eat anything from worms and turnipsto carrion and snails, but their favoriteentree is fish.

HARE: The hare, with its reputation forsly tricks, is not uncommonly thought tohave magical properties. Those summonedby a magic-user are black in color, andabnormally large.

Hares are lankier and leggier than rab-bits. They can muster impressive speedover short distances, and perform prodi-gious leaps (up to 20�) at need. The animalshave no effective means of attack. They cansurvive on nearly any sort of vegetablematter, including the juicy parts of bark andtwigs. They inhabit the lands from thearctic to the tropics, but they do not live inheavy forests. Their ears are abnormallylarge, not for collecting sound, but for

radiating body heat � a necessary function,because the animals do not sweat or pant.

HAWK: The hawk family, as used here,covers the daytime raptors, from largesoaring hawks to comparatively puny spar-rowhawks. For game purposes, the birdsare classified in three groups according tosize. The first class, covering the largestbirds, includes the soaring hawks known asbuteos or buzzards, plus the largest falcons.The second class, for midsized birds, coversfalcons such as the peregrine, plus smallerbuteos, and midsized accipiters such as thecooper�s hawk. Larger kites also qualify forthe midsize class. The third class, for thesmallest birds, includes the small kites andaccipiters, as well as the smallest falcons.

The hawk group�s habitat covers theworld over, although some restrictionsapply. In subtropical and tropical areas, halfof the small and midsize hawks are kites. Inarctic areas, only the the two larger classifi-cations are present.

All hawks usually have gray or brownfeathers combined with white. Darkermarkings are predominant. Kites are gener-ally white.

Large hawks are class B fliers; midsizedand small hawks are class A. When diving,all hawks are +2 to hit, and are consideredcharging for game purposes, thus risking anasty death should an intended victimmanage to break the bird�s dive with hisspearpoint. To make a dive, the hawk must

14 APRIL 1984

have at least 60� of clearance above thetarget. If this space is available, all hawkscan dive to inflict an extra point of damagewith each of their talons, but they cannotstrike with their beaks at the end of a dive.

To capture prey, hawks use their speedand keen sight. Their prey ranges fromrabbits and pheasants to insects. If an tar-get�s eyes are unprotected, a beak attack hasa 15% chance of blinding one eye. As famil-iars, they take meat, preferably fresh, fortheir ration. Hawks are never surprised.

KINKAJOU: These are nocturnal andarboreal animals related to the raccoon.They inhabit tropical and subtropical areas.Although they move slowly on the ground,these animals are good climbers, and theyare native only to wooded areas. With theirplush brown fur, nimble paws, and prehen-sile tails, kinkajous seem rather like mon-keys. But though their hand-like paws canmanipulate objects, they do not exhibit thedexterity most monkeys do. Kinkajous areomnivores. They favor fruit and insects, butfamiliars also like meat.

LIZARD: The many types of lizards thatare suited for life as a familiar are dividedinto two categories by size: large (3-16

ronment, but all are grotesque in form. Intropical areas, half of the small lizards sum-moned will be abnormally large geckos �nocturnal lizards with very good nightvision. Geckos can ascend or descend anysurface rougher than polished glass withoutdifficulty. In tropical forested areas, 25% ofthe respondents to a find familiar summonswill be chameleons, with all the qualities oftheir larger brothers as described above.

humans are. Such an ability requires men-tal as well as physical skill, so althoughmonkeys might learn to handle simpleswitches and latches, they cannot wield toolsor weapons efficiently, even if an attempt ismade to train them.

Monkeys that are summoned to be famil-iars are primarily omnivores; some of thesmaller ones are insectivores. All can be fedfruit, nuts, vegetables, and some meat.

The appearance of smalllizards varies according totheir environment, but allare grotesque in form.

pounds) and small (2 pounds or less � stilla respectable size). Large lizards are limitedto tropical areas. Small lizards also inhabitsubtropical climates.

Lizards belonging to the smaller categoryare 1 foot or more in length; if on theshorter side, they are of great girth. Their

Large lizards are typically long and slen-der, and they can move quite rapidly for areptile. These athletic lizards can sprint at

appearance varies according to their envi-

15� for up to 2 rounds, and they swim well.This group includes the monitor lizards andthose which resemble them. If they score ahit with their jaws, they can bring theirclaws into play, and if they consequentlyscore a strike, they�ll do a further point ofdamage. In forested areas, a large chame-leon (though this animal is not usuallyconsidered part of the lizard group) willrespond to the summoning 25% of the time.A chameleon moves no faster than 3�, butin natural surroundings it can camouflageitself as well as a pseudodragon does (80%chance of success). Chameleons are goodclimbers, but slow at it. Large lizards varyin length from 2-4 feet, depending on buildand overall weight. They take prey as smallas a mouse and as large as a dove, and theywill not eat carrion.

A magic-user who summons a monkeyhas gained an extra pair of hands � twopairs, if you count the feet. But monkeysare not as proficient at manual tasks as

Large monkeys include some of the big-ger lemurs, small langurs, and others ofsimilar size. Capuchin monkeys, known fortheir work with organ-grinders, typify thisgroup. Macaques, baboons, and gibbonsare too large to serve as familiars. Of thelarge monkeys, 15% are nocturnal.

Small monkeys include marmosets, squir-rel monkeys, diurnal lemurs, and the like.Half of those summoned will be nocturnal,e.g. galagos, tarsiers, and small night mon-keys. These animals cannot distinguishcolors, but make up for it with good nightvision. All small monkeys are expertclimbers and leapers.

MONKEY: The family of monkeys in-cludes all primates of a size that�s suitablefor familiars. There are two categories:small, including those of squirrel-size orsmaller, weighing 2 pounds or less, andlarge, which weigh up to 16 pounds. Thesorts of monkeys that become familiars onlyinhabit the tropics.

Small lizards eat anything from large insectsto mice. They can be fed lean meat.

Otters aremers, andunderwater for up to 7rounds.

good swim-can remain

Although monkeys might learn to handlesimple switches and latches, they cannotwield tools or weapons efficiently.

OTTER: Otters live wherever watersupports fish and crustaceans � in streams,lakes, and swamps, and at seashores. Na-tive climates range from subarctic to tropi-cal. Otters are good swimmers, and can

remain underwater for up to 7 rounds, 5when active. In most respects, otters resem-ble their close relatives, the fishers and theweasels. Any characteristics described forthe fishers also apply to the otter, except for

DRAGON 15

Parrots climb well,using beak and claws.The arrangement oftheir toes enables themto handle objects.

climbing ability. (Otters can�t climb.) Al-though otters can grow very large, otterfamiliars never exceed 16 pounds in weight.Otters prefer crustaceans to fish, but theydo well on any meat diet.

OWL: For game purposes, owls fall intothree size categories. The largest birds growto the size of a great horned owl, mid-sizedowls are as big as barn owls, and small owlsare no larger than a screech owl. Owls livein all climates and on all sorts of terrain,except for small owls, which never inhabitthe arctic.

Most owls hunt at night, but in arctic,subarctic, and open areas, 30% of the owlsare diurnal. Diurnal owls possess the samesensory powers as hawks.

No owl has a good sense of smell. In fact,owls are so insensitive to odors that theywill hunt skunks. In the AD&D game, noteven a troglodyte�s odor affects an owl.

Owls have yellow or green eyes andfeathers of somber colors. Some arctic owlsare an exception, having bright white feath-ers with black markings. Owls are class Bfliers, but they are swift and especially agile,able to move in complete silence. Theirfeathers are soft, and can muffle the soundsof flight.

PARROT: A bird of this sort that servesas a familiar is neither brightly colored nordelicate. Instead, these are the more somberbirds of their kind: black macaws, Africangray parrots, or the kea of New Zealand,for example. They only inhabit tropical andsubtropical areas. As class B fliers, parrotsmaneuver with fair ability, but exhibit noexceptional talent. They climb well, how-ever, using beak and claws. The arrange-ment of their toes enables them to handleobjects. As familiars, they can �speak� ascrows do. They will eat fruit and nuts, aswell as some meat. Those with a predatorytendency relish fat, and at least one parrot,the kea, is said to attack young and helplesssheep.

RACCOON: These animals need nointroduction to those living in the Americas,

16 APRIL 1984

Owls are swift and especially agile, able tomove in complete silence.

manent human settlement exists there. Ratfamiliars are large, but they do not ap-proach the size of the giant rats from theMonster Manual, which seem to be as largeas a small to mid-sized dog (according tothe damage they do).

Rats are not especially fast, but theyclimb and swim very well. Given time, theycan gnaw through ropes, cords, and evenwooden barriars. They eat virtually every-thing, but treat new foods with suspicion.Of these, they�ll take nothing but the tiniestnibble. If afterwards they feel ill, they�llavoid anything with the same or a similartaste. The rat�s famed ability to avoid poi-sons stems from its habits and its good senseof smell.

A rat bite has a 10% chance of infectingthe victim with a serious disease, unless asave vs. poison is made.

Weasels measure only1 or 2 feet in length,but they are stillrenowned for theirferocity.

where they are found in all climates andterrains that are warmer than subarctic.Tropical raccoons look thinner than theirnorthern kin, but the difference is mostlyfur. Although these little, bear-like creaturesmay weigh up to 50 pounds as adults, somefull-grown specimens weigh as little as 3pounds. Those summoned to be familiarswill be no heavier than 16 pounds. Rac-coons are good swimmers and climbers.Their dextrous paws can handle simplelatches, buttons, and handles, though not aswell as a monkey�s hands would. Raccoonswelcome a wide range of foods, a fact ofwhich most farmers are well aware.

RAT: Rats and their rat-like cousins,including a few species of opossum, liveeverywhere except in some areas with arcticclimates; they�ll even invade these if a per-

RAVEN: These are large members of thecrow family. They can be found nearlyeverywhere, though they tend to avoidpopulated areas. They are usually gray orblack, and have the same vocal talents ascommon crows. Ravens are largely preda-tory, but as omnivores, they�ll eat whateveris available. Farmers commonly accusethem of harassing or killing livestock, andthey are well known for following armies.(Dead soldiers make good meals.) Likecrows, ravens are never surprised in lightedconditions, and a hit by a raven�s beak hasa 10% chance of blinding an eye.

SKUNK: These animals are common intemperate to tropical regions. Those thatbecome familiars are the size of a small cat,but they have weaker jaws than a cat. Theirfur is black with white markings. Accordingto Monster Manual II, skunks can release a1� x 1� x 1� stinking cloud of musk, whichrequires all victims in range to make asaving throw vs. poison. Those who succeedmust retreat immediately or be consideredto have failed the save. Those who fail willbe nauseated for 1-4 rounds and must re-treat and retch. Each must also save againvs. poison or also be blinded for 1-4 rounds.Normal clothing that contacts the muskmust be burned or buried. Flesh, leather,metal, etc., must be washed repeatedly forseveral days to remove the stench. (Vinegarcuts the smell in 2-3 washings.) Skunks areomnivores, and particularly relish insects.

SNAKE: Snakes that become familiarsare not the average grass snake or gartersnake; they�re large serpents up to five feetlong. These snakes inhabit temperate to

tropical areas and are typically small boasor pythons, although large individuals ofother species may be found. Snakes canmaintain top speed over very difficult ter-rain, and they�re good climbers and swim-mers. None of the snake familiars arevenomous, but all are predatory. Theygenerally eat such things as rats and frogs,though as familiars they will accept rawmeat. Once transformed to familiars, thesesnakes are immune to common clericalspells that affect their kind.

SQUIRREL: Squirrel familiars arelarge, black, and always tree-dwellers. Theyinhabit any area with trees. Squirrels areswift for their size and can ascend or de-scend rough wooden surfaces easily. Theyare excellent climbers and leapers. Likerats, they can gnaw through most organicmaterials. Squirrels eat fruit, nuts, grain,and sometimes insects.

TOAD: The lowly toad is found in anyclimate but arctic and subarctic, and it willeven inhabit desert areas, though this isuncommon. Toad familiars are 6 or moreinches long and almost as wide. The largestweigh a pound or more. Toads are usuallycovered with bumps and tubercles known as�warts,� and though most have a drabappearance, some of the tropical species arecolorful. Toads can hop up to 7�, swim well,and remain underwater almost indefinitelyif they must. They eat insects, but larger

Snakes can maintaintop speed over verydifficult terrain, andthey�re good climbersand swimmers.

WEASEL: �Weasel� is broadly used a penchant for attacking an opponent�sthroat. Except as mentioned here, theyresemble their larger relatives, the fishers.

here, as was �fisher� previously. That is,several animals are grouped under thisheading for game purposes. In subarctic tosubtropical climates, the family includesweasels and their similar-sized kin: stoats,ferrets, polecats, mink, and all the rest. Intropical areas, the term applies to thesmaller members of the mongoose clan.Members of this expanded weasel familyeven inhabit cities, where they may be keptas ratters. The ferret, in fact, is a domesticspecies. All �weasels� measure only 1 or 2feet in length, tail included, but they are

The preceding list of familiars includesmost of the world�s contemporary animalsthat would make suitable familiars in thegame. DMs may see fit to add completelyimaginary creatures as well, using the ani-mals above for comparison. Or DMs maymodify the list to accommodate other envi-ronments in which AD&D characters mayfind themselves. For example, in the age of

Adding new familiars

animals above would not be present, butmammals of badger size and smaller werepresent throughout that era. Instead of bats,there would be flying reptiles, probablyadapted to daytime flight. There might alsobe very small animals related to the dino-saurs � bipedal, with good day vision andrapid movement (15�), able to bite for up to1-3 points of damage depending on size.

If your adventure takes place away fromthe Prime Material Plane, the normalanimal-like inhabitants (if any) would prob-ably be ill-adapted to an adventurer�sneeds, even if they responded to a call.Natives of the elemental planes, for in-stance, would find conditions on the PrimeMaterial Plane uncomfortable at best.

EncumbranceSometimes a familiar must be carried.

Perhaps it is wounded or immobilized, ormaybe its master simply wants to plant arear lookout in his backpack. Whatever thereason, toting one�s familiar requires knowl-edge of its encumbrance value.

For the sake of simplicity, all small famil-iars are considered to have an �encum-brance value� of 100 gp when carried,medium and large-sized familiars 200.These values increase by 50% if the animalis �dead� weight. Included in these esti-mates are any special arrangements madefor carrying the familiar. Weasels and thelike can hide under a magician�s robes, buta cat is another matter. Certainly some sort

of protection will be required to carry eventhe most cooperative of hawks � perhaps aleather guard like falconers use.

All of the familiars in this article aresmall, so they should take little damagefrom a fall. This is because the strength oftheir bones. and flesh is greater in propor-tion to their weight than in humans. Inaddition, a familiar�s body has a greatersurface area in proportion to its weight.Therefore, it will reach terminal velocity �the point at which air resistance prevents afurther increase in falling speed � muchsooner than a human body.

Raining cats and coatis: falling damage

The upshot of all these assertions is that arat can probably survive a fall from the roofof a house (and may even be undamaged bythe experience), but a man will take damageand might not survive � and a horse wouldalmost certainly perish. Applying these lawsto the AD&D system could prove tiresome,and more complicated than it�s worth. Butsince familiars are so important to magic-users, it�s only fair to give the matter someconsideration. Small animals should receive0-3 points of damage (1d4 -1) from a fall of20 feet or less and another 1-3 points (½d6,rounded down) for each additional 20 feet,up to a maximum of 6d3.

Intelligence and deathLittle consideration has been in this

article given to what an animal gains by

becoming a familiar. It�s been mentionedthat some become hardier in combat, butthe animal may also gain intelligence. Thefind familiar spell states that animal famil-iars are �abnormally intelligent.� Even themost abnormally intelligent toad is a dulllump compared to a mouse, so it seems fairthat all normal familiars be raised to astandard level of intelligence; otherwise, itwill be a great disadvantage to have certainkinds of familiars. All familiars, then, gainan intelligence rating of 4 (the highest semi-intelligent rating), plus some limited abilityto plan for the future as humans do. Suchintelligence will be qualitatively differentfrom that of humans and demi-humans,however; these animals will not be able tolearn speech, not as a human would under-stand it, anyway.

The Players Handbook states that amagic-user loses twice the number of hitpoints possessed by his familiar if the famil-iar is ever �killed.� This is due to the tre-mendous shock caused by unnatural death� but when a familiar dies of old age, thereis no penalty to the magic-user. Unfortu-nately for the familiar, the reverse is nottrue. When a magic-user dies, for whateverreason, the familiar attached to that magic-user dies, too. This explains why familiarsare �absolutely faithful.� Indirectly causingor allowing a master to die means suicidefor a familiar; therefore, the health andwell-being of a familiar�s master should bethe creature�s utmost concern.

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