You bestow upon your familiar heightened Intelligence and special powers. This is not a true spell–and thus cannot be dispelled–instead this is a series of special processes you develop for one of your familiars. Special familiars (imps, quasits, etc.) cannot be enhanced in this way.
Each enhancement requires research that takes an amount of time and money, as shown in the Enhancement Costs table.This research requires access to a well-stocked library as well as proficiency in the Arcana skill. Each enhancement (1–8) must be completed in order and cannot be redone.
As the enhancement of a familiar continues, the familiar should develop a personality that seems almost human, displaying specific traits, likes, dislikes, opinions, habits, and foibles. Its animal qualities also develop as its personality matures. A black cat might develop discriminating and expensive tastes in food and creature comforts; a crow might become a collector of gaudy gemstones and jewelry; and an otter might develop a frolicsome personality combining a short attention span for serious matters with a love for playful pranks.
The familiar takes on some of your alignment and attitudes, though a leaning toward a neutral alignment, a holdover from its simple animal origin, will always remain. The familiar may tend to become more of an independent NPC as it is enhanced. The DM should carefully consider if relaxing the dependency of the familiar on the wizard will improve the campaign play.
Enhancement Costs
Enhancement
|
Minimum Character Level |
Time |
Cost |
| 1 |
3 |
1 day |
100 gp |
| 2 |
5 |
half workweek |
350 gp |
| 3 |
7 |
1 workweek |
2,500 gp |
| 4 |
9 |
2 workweeks |
5,000 gp |
| 5 |
11 |
4 workweeks |
7,500 gp |
| 6 |
13 |
8 workweeks |
10,000 gp |
| 7 |
15 |
12 workweeks |
15,000 gp |
| 8 |
17 |
16 workweeks |
20,000 gp |
Enhancement 1
The familiar's intellect improves, its Intelligence becomes 4 + 1d3. It can now think in your native tongue and communicate with simple sentences through your empathic link. The familiar gains one special power from Enhancement Table 1. Unless otherwise noted (or obvious), the familiar's spell abilities affect only the familiar. The familiar's spellcasting ability is Intelligence.
Enhancement 2
The familiar's Intelligence rises to 7 + 1d3. The familiar can, with patient tutoring by you, learn to communicate in other languages, up to a number of languages equal to its Intelligence modifier (minimum of one language). The acquisition of certain special powers may enable a familiar to learn languages from someone other than you. The familiar gains another special power, as determined by a dice roll. Note that stronger powers will replace weaker powers of the same general type.
| 1d10 |
Special Power |
| 1–8 |
One from Enhancement Table 1 |
| 9–0 |
One from Enhancement Table 2 |
Enhancement 3
The familiar's Intelligence improves one more time, becoming 10 + 1d2. It can now think in your native tongue and communicate with simple sentences through your empathic link. The familiar can now be tutored to read languages as well as communicate with them through the empathic link to you. The familiar acquires another special power as decided by a dice roll.
| 1d10 |
Special Power |
| 1–6 |
One from Enhancement Table 1 |
| 7–0 |
One from Enhancement Table 2 |
Enhancement 4
The familiar's Intelligence will not improve further. The familiar can now be tutored to read languages as well as communicate with them through the empathic link to you. The familiar acquires another special power as decided by a dice roll.
| 1d10 |
Special Power |
| 1–3 |
One from Enhancement Table 1 |
| 4–8 |
One from Enhancement Table 2 |
| 9–0 |
One from Enhancement Table 3 |
Enhancement 5
| 1d10 |
Special Power |
| 1–2 |
Two from Enhancement Table 1 |
| 3–4 |
Two from Enhancement Table 2 |
| 5–8 |
One from Enhancement Table 3 |
| 9–0 |
One from Enhancement Table 4 |
Enhancement 6
| 1d10 |
Special Power |
| 1–2 |
Two from Enhancement Table 2 |
| 3–5 |
One from Enhancement Table 3 |
| 5–8 |
One from Enhancement Table 4 |
| 9–0 |
One from Enhancement Table 5 |
Enhancement 7
| 1d10 |
Special Power |
| 1–3 |
One from Enhancement Table 3 |
| 4–7 |
One from Enhancement Table 4 |
| 8–0 |
One from Enhancement Table 5 |
Enhancement 8
| 1d10 |
Special Power |
| 1–2 |
Two from Enhancement Table 3 |
| 3–5 |
One from Enhancement Table 4 |
| 6–0 |
One from Enhancement Table 5 |
Enhancement Table 1
| 1d100 |
Special Power |
| 01–05 |
Dancing lights, twice per day. |
| 06–20 |
Detect magic, twice per day. The familiar cannot learn the school of magic. |
| 21–25 |
Feather fall, twice per day. |
| 26–30 |
Jump (only 1 jump), three times per day. |
| 31–40 |
Pass without trace, once per day. Only the familiar gains the benefits of the spell. |
| 41–60 |
Protection from evil and good, once per day. |
| 61–75 |
Speak with animals, twice per day. Restricted to own general family; for example, a cat could talk to any feline. |
| 76–80 |
Spider climb, once per day. |
| 81–95 |
Unseen servant, once per day. |
| 96–00 |
Familiar can detect substance, three times per day. For 10 minutes, the familiar can detect one type of metal, mineral, vegetable or other substance within 30 feet. The DM determines the type of substance. At DM's option, familiar may display an obsessive interest in the substance, and may seek and collect it at inopportune times. |
Enhancement Table 2
| 1d100 |
Special Power |
| 01–10 |
Blur, twice per day. |
| 11–20 |
Disguise self, once per day. Must still be own essential animal form, but can change color/pattern, subtle body features (black cat to siamese or manx), and size (±25%) |
| 21–25 |
Comprehend languages, once per day. Reading a written message requires Intelligence of 10. |
| 26–35 |
Detect evil and good, once per day. |
| 36–45 |
See invisibility, once per day, duration reduced to 10 minutes. |
| 46–50 |
Grease, once per day. |
| 51–60 |
Fog cloud, once per day. |
| 61–75 |
Shield, once per day. |
| 76–80 |
Speak with animals, twice per day. Restricted to own biological class; for example, a cat could talk to any mammal. |
| 81–85 |
Familiar can sense true north, three times per day. Roll a d20, on a 3–20, the familiar accurately senses true north. If wrong, the DM determines which direction the familiar calls north–for instance by rolling a d6, 1,2 east; 3,4 south; 5,6 west. |
| 86–00 |
Familiar can meld into its environment, once per day. The familiar moves into an object it can touch made of natural materials–like stone or wood–melding itself and all it's equipment into the object. Detecting the familiar's presence requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against it's spell save DC. |
Enhancement Table 3
| 1d100 |
Special Power |
| 01–10 |
Alter self, once per day, can only use the change appearance option, must transform into the form of another animal familiar. |
| 11–20 |
Animal friendship, once per day. Must be of the same family (cat/feline). |
| 21–25 |
Fly, once per day. Familiars already able to fly instead gain +50% speed. |
| 26–40 |
Invisibility, once per day; or knock, once per day (50% chance of either). |
| 41–50 |
Mirror image, once per day. |
| 51–65 |
Water breathing, once per day. |
| 66–70 |
Speak with animals, three times per day. |
| 71–80 |
Familiar can sense hostiles, three times per day. For the next minute, it knows the direction of the nearest creature hostile to it within 30 feet, but not the creature's distance from it. The familiar can sense the presence of hostile creatures that are ethereal, invisible, disguised, or hidden, as well as those in plain sight. |
| 81–85 |
Familiar can detect secrets, twice per day. The familiar knows the direction of the nearest trap or secret door within 30 feet. |
| 86–95 |
Intelligence raised to 12 + 1d2. If already as high or higher, reroll. |
| 96–00 |
Familiar gains a normal voice and can speak any language it knows. |
Enhancement Table 4
| 1d100 |
Special Power |
| 01–10 |
Blink, once per day. |
| 11–20 |
Animal friendship, once per day. Must be of the same biological class (cat/mammal). |
| 21–25 |
Nondetection, once per day. |
| 26–35 |
Hold animal, once per day. Same as hold person, but targets only beasts of Medium size or smaller. Can only target beast of same family. |
| 36–45 |
Familiar can shrink nonmagical objects, once per week. Touched object shrinks to 1/16 of normal dimensions and ca. 1/4,000 original volume and mass. Optionally, object becomes a cloth patch like those of a robe of useful items. Only affects objects <10 cubic ft. that aren’t being worn or carried. Object returns to normal if any creature other than the familiar touches it, or if the familiar decides it does. |
| 46–55 |
Knock, once per day. |
| 56–65 |
Conjure animals, once per week. Summons 8 beasts of the same species as the familiar. |
| 66–70 |
Tongues, once per day. If familiar does not have speech, reroll. |
| 71–80 |
Gaseous form, once per day. |
| 81–85 |
Glibness, once per week. Duration reduced to 10 minutes. If familiar does not have speech, reroll. |
| 86–95 |
Intelligence raised to 14 + 1d2. If already as high or higher, reroll. |
| 96–00 |
Polymorph, once per day. Like the spell except the familiar assumes a specific humanoid form. The DM decides exact details of appearance. Intelligence is retained, enhanced animal senses are lost in its humanoid form. |
Enhancement Table 5
| 1d100 |
Special Power |
| 01–10 |
Animal friendship, once per day. |
| 11–20 |
Dimension door, once per week. Up to 200 lbs. in the familiar's grasp or jaws can be taken. |
| 21–35 |
Hold animal, once per day. Same as hold person, but targets only beasts of Medium size or smaller. Can only target beast of same biological class. |
| 36–45 |
Greater invisibility, once per day. |
| 46–55 |
Stoneskin, once per week. |
| 56–70 |
Conjure animals, once per week. Limited to beasts of challenge rating 1/4 or lower, that are within the same biological family (cat/panther). |
| 71–75 |
Telekinesis, once per day. Can only manipulate objects. |
| 76–80 |
Familiar becomes very persuasive, once per day. For 10 minutes the familiar gains a +5 bonus to Charisma (Persuasion) checks–and for the duration–it can cast suggestion once. |
| 81–90 |
Intelligence raised to 16 + 1d2. Also gains proficiency with Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. |
| 91–00 |
Polymorph, once per week. Familiar assumes a specific beast of the same family (e.g. cat to leopard). Duration reduced to 30 minutes. |
* - (charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier)
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