SYSTEM REFERENCE DOCUMENT 3.5 |
This feat allows spellcasters to acquire a new familiar from a nonstandard list, but only when they could normally acquire a new familiar.
Prerequisites: Ability to acquire a new familiar, compatible alignment, sufficiently high level (see below).
Benefit: When choosing a familiar, the creatures listed below are also available to the spellcaster. The spellcaster may choose a familiar with an alignment up to one step away on each of the alignment axes (lawful through chaotic, good through evil).
Familiar |
Alignment |
Arcane Spellcaster Level |
Shocker lizard |
Neutral |
5th |
Stirge |
Neutral |
5th |
Formian worker |
Lawful neutral |
7th |
Imp |
Lawful evil |
7th |
Pseudodragon |
Neutral good |
7th |
Quasit |
Chaotic evil |
7th |
Improved familiars otherwise use the rules for regular familiars, with two exceptions: If the creature’s type is something other than animal, its type does not change; and improved familiars do not gain the ability to speak with other creatures of their kind (although many of them already have the ability to communicate).
The list in the table above presents only a few possible improved familiars. Almost any creature of the same general size and power as those on the list makes a suitable familiar. Nor is the master’s alignment the only possible categorization. For instance, improved familiars could be assigned by the master’s creature type or subtype, as shown below.
Familiar |
Type/Subtype |
Arcane Spellcaster Level |
Celestial hawk1 |
Good |
3rd |
Fiendish Tiny viper snake2 |
Evil |
3rd |
Air elemental, Small |
Air |
5th |
Earth elemental, Small |
Earth |
5th |
Fire elemental, Small |
Fire |
5th |
Shocker lizard |
Electricity |
5th |
Water elemental, Small |
Water |
5th |
Homunculus3 |
Undead |
7th |
Ice mephit |
Cold |
7th |
1 Or other celestial animal from the standard familiar list. |
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2 Or other fiendish animal from the standard familiar list. |
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3 The master must first create the homunculus, substituting ichor or another part of the master’s body for blood if necessary. |