Collection: Arcane Familiars Mythical Companions Many a wizard or other magical adventurer feels the desire for a friend to accompany them on their travels, and so some turn to small, magically-summoned creatures to live alongside them. The spell find familiar can conjure such a companion, but it is limited by the kind of familiar that can be summoned, which can only be beasts (although the familiar's form will be that of a fiend, fey, or celestial). Some employ imps in this role, which require a building friendship to retain as a companion. This collection attempts to expand on the current possibilities for familiars within 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons by presenting eight new, magical companions that can be drawn into service as familiars. Each of these creatures has its own wants and needs, its own abilities and its own distinct nature, which allows for a variety of choices that could fit with any spellcasting (or spell-less) animal friend. Obtaining one of these familiars may not be so easy as casting a spell, as some friendship is required to draw a companion from this list into the dynamic of a familiar. Each creature has its own personality, and from the information provided below, a DM can draw their own conclusions on what is necessary for their friendship. Alternatively, befriending one of these familiars may not be as complicated - but finding one may be, as many of these are scattered amongst the realms or found in locations where their natures are most evident. Bestowing Aspects Magical companions are occasionally able to bestow some of their own abilities upon their masters, allowing their humanoid friend to use these abilities just as the familiar would. All the familiar options described below have features they are able to share with their friend, as noted in the "Shared feature(s)" snippets below. Some familiars may choose to only share their abilities once the bond between them and their master has proven strong enough. Others may allow this from the beginning. Whether or not the character is required to take any steps before their companion shares their ability is up to the DM, and so abilities that are more influential on the mechanics of the game are noted with a ° symbol. More effort may be required on the part of the master before they can obtain this feature. It is suggested to only allow the use of one feature from each familiar, as to not bring the mechanics of the game out of balance. Unusual Allies Yap Demon This small, seemingly innocent creature has captured many hearts among travelers that came upon it, but hides a frighteningly sharp set of teeth amongst the soot-like, crumbly black fur that covers its body. Yap demons are supernatural, strange creatures that are hard to make heads or tails of, cognitively, because their alien appearance and mind are far removed from that of its humanoid friends - if it has any. However, yap demons are surprisingly loyal and playful once properly domesticated, although they are known to gnaw on furniture and be jealous of other pets. Shared feature(s): Spider Climb, Magic Resistance° Notes: Bond to a single creature, and suffer from attachment issues when distanced from their "person" for too long. Can be rude, aloof, or even aggressive if left without food for too long. Appears like a stringy ball of soot when sleeping. Musting Mustings are incomprehensible plant-like creatures resembling a combination of a jellyfish and a fungus, floating rather motionlessly through a seemingly never-ending lifetime. Some have argued that mustings aren't aware or conscious, but those that have bred mustings or kept these as pets know better. Beneath their unusual plant-like exterior, a musting is a highly intelligent being that is innately aware of its surroundings. Mustings are slow and deliberate, but make great companions for intellectuals whose minds are always racing. Shared feature(s): Resistance to poison (and psychic°) damage Notes: Doesn't seem to sleep, eat, or require soil to grow. Always accompanied by a small swarm of lacewing flies or mosquitoes, due to its distinct pollen-like musk. 1 : | --..|
Toadstool Drake These small, lizard-like creatures can be found scurrying around forests or glades that have a strong draconic influence, such as a lair nearby. Toadstool drakes aren't true drakes, but are a combination of dragon and plant, merging together to form a small lizard that has hard fungal growths on its back and head. These growths slowly shift color during its lifespan and are used in the drake's mating dances, and they are observed collecting rain in the cup-shaped fungi for an unknown purpose. Shared feature(s): +2 bonus to AC, Magic Resistance° Notes: Speaks an elementary form of Draconic, are curious but flighty, and live in colonies of up to thirty drakes in hollowed trees or underground tunnel systems. Taiya A cross between a koi and a salamander, taiyas are naturalborn swimmers who can sometimes be found in ponds or rivers near portals to the elemental planes. Taiyas are shy, elegant creatures with a sleek, scaled body and can naturally cast spells that form or deform the ponds and rivers that they call home. Shared feature(s): Amphibious, Innate Spellcasting° (only spells the taiya knows) Notes: Solitary creatures, only one lives in each pond, and only meets up with others of its kind during mating season. Very attuned to the waters in which they live, and always knows if its home has been tampered with or otherwise disturbed. Stone Slime There are some puddings, jellies or oozes that never grow to full size - whether their surroundings don't provide them the food they require, or whether they are otherwise impeded in growth. These "baby" oozes become stone slimes, which are barely larger than a large rat and will bond to whichever creature comes across it, provided it can feed the slime. Shared feature(s): Spider Climb, blindsight (30 ft. radius)° Notes: Lives a sedentary lifestyle, unwilling to move much, but can be coaxed into battle when necessary. Tends to hide somewhere on their master's person, such as in between the folds of clothing. Crass From all possible sources of companions domesticated by their masters, the crass is one of the most unlikely and one of the most alien of all. These snake-like creatures are covered in glistening black scales that always look somewhat wet or oily, and from the back of the skull sprouts a mane of similarly black tentacles, which moves slowly in nonexistent winds or writhes rapidly as one mass, depending on the crass' emotional state. Most unnerving about these creatures are their empty eye sockets, which emit bright white light, and their tendency to regurgitate lava from their fanged mouths. Crass' bodies are always super-heated, keeping their insides boiling and their skin burning to the touch, and those that are unfortunate enough to probe into a crass' mind find nothing but pure madness and destruction, often leaving the prober with a strange tick or neurotic habit for a long period of time. Shared feature(s): Heated Body (1d4 fire damage, may increase at higher levels), Maddened°, Magic Resistance° Notes: Can only be found in certain places where aberrations are widespread or a place that is strongly connected to an aberrant plane, such as the Far Realm, doesn't seem to sleep or be able to blink at all, prefers locations that are super-heated, no matter how high the temperatures are, and seemingly enjoys regurgitating lava and watching it burn through objects, magical or not. Shardmind It's difficult to bond to a shardmind, since its nature is so far removed from that of a humanoid. It seems conscious, and focus on consciousnesses around it, and the vibrations of the shards of stone and mineral that hover around it seem to express some type of emotion. Still, shardminds are strange creatures that don't seem to have any tie to the locations they are found in. They seemingly spawn randomly, without any trigger or any change in the locality, and their existence is much discussed, as they are considered constructs, but the nature of their construction is still unknown. It is clear that shardminds aren't made by anything known to humanoidkind, but their proclivity to still seek out the presence of other conscious creatures and their willingness to fight for the person they bond to implies a certain awareness of humanoid consciousness that cannot be denied. Shared feature(s): Immutable Form, telepathy (60 ft. range), immunity to psychic damage (or any other kind of damage)° Notes: Telepathy is limited to simple images, colors, feelings or senses, such as a picture or a smell, even though it doesn't seem to have any sensory organs besides its central "eye". Likes to chase small animals around, whether in good fun or to make the beasts scared, and once bonded, the mental state of a shardmind can be determined from the direction of spin of the shards that surround its central body, as well as the vibrations on these chunks of rock and the direction they are pointing. Pterotyr Those familiar with the chaotic nature of fey (and those that are equally chaotic) are not surprised that a popular familiar for fey-aligned humanoids is the pterotyr (plural pterotyri) - a distant cousin of the pseudodragon, but more fey than dragon. Pterotyri aren't considered to belong to the dragon family, a fact that is emphasized by its innate ability to disappear and reappear in random places in its surroundings. Additionally, the call of a pterotyr sounds more like a hyena's laugh or a playful chuckle than the roaring of dragons. Pterotyri are also notoriously difficult to catch or hit, making them small, draconic tricksters flitting about while chuckling to themselves. Shared feature(s): Fey Step, immunity to the grappled condition°, Evasion° Notes: Can climb vertical surfaces using the claws on the ends of its wings and back legs, and requires its tail for grasping trees or otherwise stabilizing its narrow body. The sack beneath its chin is only visible in females, and male pterotyri have a larger set of horn-like nubs running from the front of their nose to above their eyes, and below their chin to the edge of their jaws. Come in a variety of colors ranging from brown-golden to blueish purple. 2 collection: arcane familiars | concept and writing by dev-the-dm.tumblr.com
3 Yap Demon Small fiend (demon), chaotic neutral Armor Class 12 Hit Points 39 (6d6 + 18) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 5 (-3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) Saving Throws Dexterity +4 Damage Resistances fire, necrotic, radiant Condition Immunities charmed Senses blindsight 30ft., passive Perception 11 Languages understands Abyssal but can't speak Challenge Rating 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Magic Resistance. The yap demon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Spider Climb. The yap demon can climb difficult surfaces, such as upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Actions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 2d4 + 2 piercing damage plus 1d6 necrotic damage. Musting Small plant, unaligned Armor Class 9 Hit Points 22 (5d6 + 5) Speed fly 20 ft. (hover) STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 9 (-1) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 7 (-2) Damage Resistances poison, psychic Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, poisoned Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 12 Languages — Challenge Rating 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Actions Stinging Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 2d6 poison damage. Sweet Pollen (1/Day). The musting releases a cloud of pollen that spreads up to 10 feet in all directions. All creatures in the area must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be charmed by the musting until the end of its next turn. --..| |
4 Toadstool Drake Tiny dragon/plant, neutral good Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 28 (8d4 + 8) Speed 20 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 4 (-3) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) Saving Throws Constitution +3 Skills. Perception +4 Damage Resistances poison Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Draconic Challenge Rating 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Hybrid Nature. The toadstool drake has two creature types: dragon and plant. It can be targeted by any effect if it applies to either of its creature types. Magic Resistance. The toadstool drake has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Actions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 3 piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. Taiya Small elemental, unaligned Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 24 (7d6) Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) Damage Immunities cold, poison Senses tremorsense 30 ft. (underwater only), passive Perception 10 Languages understands Aquan but can't speak Challenge Rating 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Amphibious. The taiya can breathe air and water. Innate Spellcasting. The taiya's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: At will: friends, shape water, create or destroy water Actions Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 2 slashing damage plus 1d6 cold damage. --..| |
5 Stone Slime Tiny ooze, unaligned Armor Class 8 Hit Points 18 (4d4 + 8) Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 1 (-5) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) Damage Resistances cold Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this range), passive Perception 11 Languages — Challenge Rating 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Amorphous. The slime can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. Spider Climb. The slime can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Actions Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 2d4 acid damage. Crass Small aberration, chaotic neutral Armor Class 11 Hit Points 36 (8d6 + 8) Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) Damage Immunities fire, necrotic Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages understands Deep Speech but can't speak Challenge Rating 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Heated Body. Any creature that touches the crass or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 1d4 fire damage. Maddened. Any creature that attempts to read the crass' thoughts is immediately overcome with one type of long-term madness. Magic Resistance. The crass has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Actions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 1 piercing damage plus 2d8 fire damage. --..| |
6 Shardmind Small construct, unaligned Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 16 (3d6 + 6) Speed fly 30 ft. (hover) STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 5 (-3) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) Damage Immunities acid, cold, poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages telepathy 60 ft. Challenge Rating 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Constructed Nature. The shardmind doesn't need air, food, drink or sleep. Immutable Form. The shardmind is immune to any effect that would alter its form. Actions Multiattack. The shardmind makes two Slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 2 bludgeoning damage. Pterotyr Small fey, chaotic good Armor Class 13 Hit Points 31 (7d6 + 7) Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft., climb 10 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 17 (+3) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands Sylvan but can't speak Challenge Rating 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Evasion. If the pterotyr is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the pterotyr instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails. Flyby. The pterotyr doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach. Actions Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 2d4 + 3 slashing damage. Bonus Actions Fey Step. The pterotyr magically teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. --..| |