Familiar Rules

This is a return to the older way of familiars.  If you choose a familiar, you are bound to these rules.

Initial casting

• Requires d8 days to bond
• Target must be willing to form the bond.  Normal creatures have the Int raised by 4, with a minimum of 8 INT no matter what.
• Mage loses -1 CON that forms the bond between the two beings.  Note: This lost CON is returned if the familiar dies or under certain circumstances later.

After the bond is formed, the following benefits are gained:

• Both of you gain basic empathy when touched and within 5ft of one another.
• You can share a single sense (chosen when bonded, e.g, sight, smell, etc.) between the two of you.  Its unidirectional at this point, so when one is seeing, the other cannot.
• Each of you can sense the other's health.
• Familiar provides is equivalent attribute bonus to yours to determine magic benefits from your class, e.g., mage would gain any benefits the familiar provides to INT.
• Familiar can take over the maintenance of any spell you have already cast or give the maintenance back to you.

LEVEL 3 

• Shared empathy and shared senses range extends to one mile.
• Non-native familiars become "naturalized" to your realm.
• A shared sense is be-directional, e.g., both see the same thing if desired, one overlaying the other or completely eclipsing if desired.
• Familiar can finish casting any spell you begin or being a spell and pass it to you. 
• Familiar can provide advantage on a single mage-related skill check or spell casting once per day.

LEVEL 5 

At this juncture, you must choose a path to take with the familiar.

Icon

In this path the familiar becomes a representation, or icon of power for you.  The bonds between you loosen at a personal level and connect more on an arcane and magical one.

• At 5th level, the familiar returns the -1 CON lost from the initial bonding.  It becomes ethereal and more sensed than physically present.  It provides advantage on a rolls with spells once per turn but when not present you are disadvantaged with spells.
• At 7th level, you gain the benefit of Eldritch dodge when the familiar is present.  This provides a percent change equal to your INT to dodge a magic spell cast at you as a target or in an area you are within.
• At 9th level, your iconic familiar affects the area around you so powerfully that magic outside of your own can fail in your presence.  Magic cast within your level x 5ft is considered disadvantaged (Authoritative strength). 
• At 11th level, familiar becomes an icon of one type of magic, permanently adjusting its form to be formed of this power.  It becomes immune to this power and provides resistance to the same to the Mage.
• At 15th level, familiar shares its immunity with the mage.  
• If present when the Mage employs a spell of its power type, it gains advantage and +4 on all rolls.
• If the familiar or mage is attacked by this power type, the familiar can absorb the spell instead.  The spell is considered stored and can be used at half the original castor level.

Gestalt

On this path, you and the familiar slowly blend into one single being that is combined into two bodies.

• At 5th level, the familiar returns the -1 CON lost at the initial bonding.  When one of your would drop below zero HP, the other takes the HP damage instead, as long as you are touching or within 5ft of one another.
• At 7th level, you can take on a non-transformational aspect of the familiar, such as communication, detection, senses or some similar talent.  
• At 9th level, you can take on one aspect of the familiar or employ one of its powers as if they were your own.
• Empathic bond upgrades to Telepathic bond.
• At 11th level, you and the familiar can merge into a single form if desired, combining the powers of both of you into one.  This gestalt merge contains the highest attributes and bonuses of both creatures.
• At 15th level, you become one complete being across two bodies.  As long as one of you exists, so does the other.  If one body is destroyed, it can be recreated (see GM).

Ritual

On this path the familiar takes on a symbolic representation that forms a geometric formation centered on you and it.  This ritual grows in strength and power as you and the familiar level.

• At 5th level, the familiar becomes a level 1 Mage.  Their spells come from your spell list initially but they can gain, gather and create their own spells at this point.  They gain 10% of the experience you gain when you adventure together.
• At 7th level, if you both cast the same spell simultaneously, you can combine your bonuses and have advantage to have the spell succeed.
• Familiar is considered to have access to all the same teamwork related skills as the Mage.
• At 9th level, you and the familiar can define two spells that work synergistically with one another.  When one is cast, the second is immediately cast as well.  Both of you must be able to cast the spells listed but any number of synergistic spells can be defined.  Mechanically, this is a single roll that will fire off two spells one the same initiative count.
• At 11th level, familiar and you can spread spell effects to one another.  
• A spell cast on one can affect the other and vice versa -- just not both unless in the description of the spell.
• A spell cast by you can begin from the familiar or vice versa.
• At 15th level, once per day you can designate any spell that will gain completely be regenerated after cast.  This also occurs any time you make a critical success (20) on a d20 roll when casting a spell as well.

Basics of Familiar strategies:

• direct combat (damage, combat maneuvers, flanking buddy)
• battlefield control (dropped objects)
• touch spell delivery
• scout/messenger
• magic (spells, SLAs, UMD)
• transport (people, equipment)
• bonuses (conferred abilities, skill assists)

Potion List

Core potion list for Thoraz to use with his special ability.  Some potions impact Thoraz's power for more than a single day.  Those are noted appropriately.

• Alcoholic Influence — This potion turns any other liquid into strong alcohol.  Each potion type defines what alcohol it becomes.  The change is permanent and renders the liquid into the typed alcohol without harmful effects.
• Animal Friendship — acts exactly like the spell.  Lasts one hour.
• Armor — three types are well known. AC 13, AC 14, and AC 15.  AC cannot drop below these values once drank.  Lasts one hour.
• Attribute Enhancement — replaces giant strength, nimbleness, etc.  Each type adds +2, +4, +6 or +8 to any single attribute for one hour.
• Berserker  — Imbiber gains advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls for 10 turns, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn.
• Breathing — Provides the ability to breath in an element, e.g., water, lava, airless, etc.
• Clairvoyance — Exactly like the spell.  Lasts one hour.
• Clear — all ongoing magical or non-magical effects incurred from food, drink, potions or poisons, good or bad, are removed.
• Climbing — Can climb at a speed equal to your normal movement speed.  Lasts one hour
• Competence — Imbiber of this potion performs all class functions as if they were 5 level higher.  The reverse of this potion, incompetence, suffers a -5 level penalty.
• Contagion — Imbiber of this drink immediately contracts d6+6 diseases.
• Diminution — Shrink to one half your normal dimensions and one-eighth your normal weight.  Reduces STR -1 and lasts one hour.
• Dragon Breath — Gain the Breath Weapon capability of a dragonborn (choose type).  You can use it twice before the effect fades.  Must be used within an hour of drinking.
• Edibility — This sweet smelling potion can make anything edible, though not necessarily tasty, that it comes into contact with, be it a slime a stone or whatever.  Only works on material items and the substance becomes food which is nourishing and capable of being digested by all.
• Flying — Can fly at a speed equal to your normal move for one hour.
• Gaseous Form — identical to the spell.  Lasts one hour.
• Growth — Double in all dimensions and eight time in weight.  Lasts one hour.
• Healing — heals a percent of HP damage and comes in light (10%), medium (30%), serious (50%) and critical (75%) varieties.  
• Inspiration — Imbiber gains a +5 bonus on any single roll (works once).
• Invisibility — Like the spell.  Lasts one hour or until dispelled.
• Mana  — Immediately regain one expended spell slot (or mana) of any spell (your choice) up to 6th level.  If the spell you choose is higher than your linked attribute bonus, you take 3d6 HP of mental damage from the effort.
• Relaxed Comfort — Clears the mind, providing advantage on concentration, meditation, and similar checks.
• Reversion — When imbibed or splashed on a person (to hit required), it causes all magic-induced abilities, permanent or temporary, to vanish for 24 hours.  This includes supernatural class abilities or abilities gained from magic items or one-use items as well.
• Resistance — Gain resistance to one type of damage for one hour.  Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant or thunder.
• Revival — When imbibed, this becomes a powerful or awakening power that negates unconsciousness and paralysis. Each application lasts for 24 hours.
• Sea Spirits — Alcohol of salted oceans, that makes the imbiber a friend to living beings of the oceans.  They see them as the same race, in a favorable light unless otherwise acted upon.  Also, drinker can swim at their normal movement rate and breath underwater natively.
• Speed — Acts exactly the haste spell.  Lasts for one hour.
• Vision — Each single variation of this potion provides a single vision type.  low-light vision, dark vision, spirit vision, etc.
• Vitality — Removes exhaustion and cures any disease or poison immediately upon imbibing.

These potions "stun" your ability for a month (30 days) after use.

• Health — Permanently raises your HP by d6+2 towards your maximum HP.  If you have reached max HP already, it adds +1 HP to your maximum.
• Life Everlasting — This potion permanently adds one year to your lifespan and rolls back your physical maturity by one year at the same time.  
• Liquid Luck — All checks you make for 24 hours are made with advantage and all checks or attacks made against you are disadvantaged. 

Noble House - StrongDream

StrongDream

The StrongDream family is a blessed/cursed line of Aile that have a non-standard power of dream weaving.  They have been assassins, spies and sentries for Aile since they stormed Realmsgate and made it their own.

Since the wars ended over a hundred years ago, the family has been quiet, slowly expanding its numbers and acquiring land and a power base outside of Aile territories.  

In 326 NY, the StrongDream line suffered a terrible loss, as the majority of their family was slowly lost in the dream worlds.

In 329 NY, Jyaichi StrongDream, the only last dream powered member of the house, burned out his higher dream powers to find a way to rescue his family lost in the dreamworlds, especially his young sister Elessah.  This led him to finding Nendra and the Perfect Five (their group).

Restrictions:  

• Cannot own land, except for that of their manor, in Aile territories.  
• Cannot take on subordinate or branch houses.  
• Cannot take on a position of power in the city or territorial structure.

Power Base

• Covert operations.  An unspoken secret among the noble houses.

Notable People

• Jyaichi StrongDream (current head).  His mother and father, Caroline and Tindinus, are non-dream powered.  They run the house in his stead though officially he is the head of the household.
• Rykor StrongDream Missing in Dream) - Rykor is Jyaichi's uncle.  He fought with and chased after the dream beings that stolen away Elessah on 4 Sren 329 NY.  He never returned from the chase.
• Karol StrongDream (Missing in Dream) - Karol is Brim's twin brother.  He is the researcher of the family, finding and recording knowledge taken from dreams.  He disappeared with Brim while looking for Korga on 9 Vinus 327 NY.
• Elessah StrongDream Missing in Dream) -- Elessah is Jyaichi's younger sister.  She was barely 4 years old when she was stolen from the house by dream creatures.
• Brim StrongDream (Missing in Dream) - Brim is Karol's twin brother.  He is a cartographer of the family, mapping the dream worlds.  He disappeared with Karol while looking for Korga on 9 Vinus 327 NY.
• Korga StrongDream (Missing in Dream) - Korga is Jyaichi's uncle.  He is the assassin of the family and was trained to slay the enemies of the Aile through their dreams.  He slipped into the Dreamworld to train and was lost on 8 Vindus 327 NY.
• Favalsieray Strong Dream (Missing in Dream) -  Favalsieray is Jyaichi's oldest brother.  He is the messenger and traveler of the family.  He can convey messages across great distances or travel through dream with other people or supplies.  He took a message to someone near Silent Lake next to the Great Rift and never returned.  He was the first lost -- going missing on 2 Veiled 326 NY.

Noble House - Kammertin

Kammertin

Fallen house.  Destroyed on the Day of Bells when the noble house was found in collusion with Jarl and Adrilan Empire demonic envoys.  It was sanctioned by the Temple of MOM and called out by the Head Magistrate of Anyelnore.  After they failed to show the token of their noble house (prevented by plot from the players and NPCs), the house was attacked on all fronts, from the battlefields to the city.

They fell before the night ended, their entire bloodline and all kin slain to the soul.

Power Base

• Military Equipment - While once in the top 3 suppliers to the Legions, their business has been taken over and pillaged by other noble houses.

Notable People

• Maolin Kammertin (deceased) -- head of the house.  Was slain by Malongogong for the treacherous murder of his daughter.
• Friendo Kammertin (deceased) -- Only member of the young generation.  Was slain by plot (unknown agency).
• Callosh Kammertin (deceased) - Was slain by Jarl in 322 NY

Found Magic

The list of magic spells found by your researcher while working in the StrongDream library.

Each game week, this list has a 15%+ (2 x Level) of the researcher of adding 1-2 spells to this list.  If you add researchers, the highest level among them is used in the formula and each one thereafter only adds (1/2 x level)% to the chance of discovery.

Cantrips

• Arcane Attraction
• Awake!
• Hesitate

Level 1

• Autosymbolism
• Dust Armor
• Fast Swamp
• Fire Shell
• Lethargy
• Microsleep
• Putrefaction Whirlpool
• Shadow Cluster
• Sharp Spike
• Vector Throw

Level 2

• Goetten's Glassy Pearls
• Hammer, Axe and Arrow
• Omnidirectional Shield
• Sand Double

Level 3

• Halo Effect

**** Cantrip ****

Arcane Attraction: Evocation cantrip

Casting time: 1 action
Range: 15 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: InstantaneousArcane energies lash out to drag your target closer to you. A Medium or smaller creature in range that you can see must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target is pulled to the closest unoccupied space adjacent to you. If there is not an open space beside you, the target bumps into whatever blocks its path, and takes 1 bludgeoning damage if it would otherwise not take damage from touching that obstacle. If a creature is adjacent to you and fails its save, it takes 1 bludgeoning damage.

Awake!: Enchantment cantrip

Casting time: 1 action

Range: One sleeping, living being within 50 ft

Components: V, S

Duration: one night

Bring one living being from the deepest sleep to full awareness.  

Hesitate: Enchantment cantrip

Casting time: 1 action

Range: one target, within 15 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Cause target to lose 10 points on their initiative.  If they have already gone, they are unaffected.

**** Level 1 ****

1st Level Enchantment/Charm

Autosymbolism 

Casting time: 1 hour

Range: Within 5 ft of a sleeping, living being

Components: V, S

Duration: One Night

Requires the caster to sit with the single living being and guide them through a series of intensive dreams that leads them to a breakthrough.  Each night a being is in this state, they gain 1 XP.

1st Level Enchantment/Charm

Dust Armor 

Casting time: 1 action

Range: self

Components: V, S, M

Duration: See below

Dust motes fly over and cover you, providing a +2 (aura) AC.  Water removes the dust armor but otherwise remains in place until dismissed or 1 hour per level elapses.

1st Level Enchantment/Charm

Fast Swamp

Casting time: 1 action

Range: 30 ft

Components: V, S, M

Duration: 1 round/level

Castor designates an area of earth, loose stone, soil, etc, anything of similar mix:  5 ft x 5 ft x 2 ft (deep) that becomes marshy and thick, very like soft mud.  Anything in the area sinks as if in soft mud and is considered at half movement when moving through or attempting to get out of the area.  When the duration ends, anything that has fallen into the mud stays in that position while the area returns to its previous consistency.

1st Level Enchantment/Charm, Evocation

Fire Shell

Casting time: 1 action

Range: self

Components: V, S, M

Duration: 1 round/level

Castor wraps self in a crunchy, heated shell that shatters into burning shards if broken.  Each HP of damage inflicted on the castor creates d3 shards, each doing 1 HP damage and lights flammables on fire.  Breaks into max 3 shards per level.  Each shard will light at least one item on fire.

1st Level Enchantment/Charm, Evocation

Lethary

Casting time: 1 action

Range: 50 ft 

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 round

One target looses their DEX bonus to initiative.

1st Level Enchantment/Charm

Microsleep

Casting time: 1 action (attack roll required)

Range: touch

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 round

Places a living being into a complete sleep for four rounds, which counts as a short rest.

1st Level Enchantment/Charm

Putrefaction Whirlpool

Casting time: 1 action 

Range: 50 ft

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 round/level

Castor designates a location that forms a whirling pool of greenish, fulsome gas.  This gas expands to fill a 10 ft cube.  any living being in the gas suffers a poison attack that saps -1 STR for every round within it.  The STR loss effect lasts 2-3 days or until dispelled.  If STR is reduced to zero (0), the target dies.

1st Level Enchantment/Charm

Shadow Cluster

Casting time: 1 action 

Range: touch

Components: V, S

Duration: see below

Castor or one person they touch gathers shadows until they are completely hidden, providing an effective take 20 for hiding.  Any movement breaks the effect.  Does not work on inanimate objects or items.

1st Level Evocation

Sharp Spike

Casting time: 1 action 

Range: touch

Components: V, S

Duration: immediate

Works exactly like magic missile (c.f.) except requires a successful roll to hit and also pins the target in place (immobile) on the turn its hit.  Only affects size Large or smaller creatures.

1st Level Enchantment/Charm

Vector Throw 

Casting time: 1 action

Range: see description

Components: V, S

Duration: immediate

May throw one item that can be held completely in one-hand, up to a mile distant.  Its flight cannot be controlled, e.g., it stays on the vector you cast it unless it strikes something. If it hits something, it strikes with STR 18.

**** Level 2 ****

2nd Level Evocation

Goetten’s Glassy Pearls 

Casting time: 1 action

Range: 50 ft

Components: V, S, M

Duration: see below.

Castor can call forth one pearl plus an additional pearl every 2 levels (3, 5, 7, etc.).  Pearls must be designated as offensive or defensive upon casting.  One set, this mode cannot be changed.  Defensive pearls intercept attacks made at the caster, inflicting their damage on any living being that comes within a 10ft range of the caster and attacks them.  No save is provided, as they strike when the attacker does.  Offensive Pearls can be directed at one or more targets and requires a Dex save to avoid.

Each pearl is actually a tiny diamond fleck that is moving at such speeds that it forms a whitish “pearl” effect.  All possible pearls are summoned at the beginning of the spell and swim around the head and shoulders of the caster.   The more pearls present around the caster, the faster they move and present at threat.   If 2 pearls are present, each pearl will inflict d4 HP damage.  If 3 pearls are present, this damage is d6 HP and lastly, if 4 or more pearls are present, the damage is d8 per pearl.

3 GP fleck of diamond dust is required for each pearl.  Pearls last 3 turns per caster level or until used.  Multiple castings can be in effect and their pearl counts stack

2nd Level Enchantment/Alteration

Hammer, Axe, and Arrow

Casting time: 1 action

Range: 50 ft

Components: V, S, M

Duration: 1 hour/level

Castor touches one weapon and conveys to it the power to shift its damage type between piercing (arrow), slashing (axe) or bashing (hammer) as a free action once per turn.  The wielder of the weapon employs this power once temporarily enchanted. 

2nd Level Enchantment/Charm

Omnidirectional Shield 

Casting time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S

Duration: 3 rounds/level

Repulses physical attacks that do HP damage from any direction, negating the damage done, as long as the total HP damage from a single attack is not greater than the wizard's level and the amount of attacks in a round are also not greater than the wizard's level.

2nd Level Enchantment/Charm

Sand Double

Casting time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S,M

Duration: 3 rounds/level

Creates a copy of the castor made of sand.  It is capable of holding conversations and has scent.  It moves stiffly and can clearly be seen to be made of sand.  In shadow or disguised, it can pass as human.  If it comes into contact with water or liquid it dissolves immediately.

**** Level 3 ****

3rd Level Enchantment

Halo Effect

Casting time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S

Duration: see below

Caster links this spell with another 1st or 2nd level spell that normally has designated target (single or many) at a range and converts the spell to one that acts with a halo effect, e.g., in radius 10 ft around the caster.  The spell chosen loses half its normal power (affects all bonuses that boost the spell) and the effect must be designated as occurring while enter, exiting or staying within the halo.  Please note, the spell doesn’t change the original duration so instantaneous spells still go off the same way.  For example, Magic Missile, if converted to a halo effect “staying within” halo, would hit everyone within 10ft of the caster and end immediately (its normal duration).  Color Spray, however, if set to “enter” would affect anyone that turn that entered the 10ft radius around the caster.