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BEST CREATURES FOR FAMILIARS
PC Sorcerers often have difficulty picking an appropriate
subject to be a familiar. GMs often have difficulty in quickly
assigning reasonable familiars for NPC's. Therefore, I have
grouped the various possibilities into five categories, from best
to worst. Within a category, the creatures are listed
alphabetically and the names of the most common familiars are
capitalized. An asterisk marks creatures with INT usually 7 or
greater.
All creatures listed need only the addition of INT, except
as noted. The notes are keyed by number and listed below.
Other things being equal, a sorcerer should choose a
creature from the highest category in which any creature is
available. This listing assumes that the sorcerer is land-based,
and either a human from a horse-riding culture or a troll.
If your character's society uses animals other than horses
as mounts, that animal would replace Horse in category C.
If your sorcerer is a dwarf, then he probably will take some
dwarven construct as a familiar.
If your sorcerer is a seafarer, then his preferences should
run as follows (with notes explained below): Nereid* (2),
Succubus* (1), Sea Serpent, Plesiosaur, Undine (6), Sylph (6),
Whale* (12), Sea Hawk, Ghost* (7), Bat, Crocodilian, Shade (6),
Wraith* (10), Magic Spirit* (7), Walktapus (1), Shark, Octopus,
Intellect Spirit (7), other spirit (11), Manatee.
A List (the very best, but rarely obtainable): Charnjibber* (1),
Crimson Bat* (1, 2, 13, 20), Dream Dragon*, Headhanger* (1),
Jolanti/intelligent* (5), Nymph* (2), Succubus* (1, 18), Vampire*
(1, 3); also, a human, morokanth, or awakened herd animal with
Fix Intelligence cast on it*
B List: Baboon/unintelligent, Bandersnatch (4), Basilisk (1),
Chimpanzee*, Cockatrice (1), Gorilla*, Gulper (13), Herd Man,
Hoon*, Jolanti/normal (17), Roc (13, 20), SHADOW CAT, Stoorworm*
(1)
C List: Amphisboena (16), BAT, Brown Bear, Bull, Catoblepas (1),
Chonchon* (9), DOG, Elemental (6), Fox, Ghost* (7), Ghoul* (1,
3), most Giant Arthropods (especially BEES and WASPS), Griffin*
(12, 13, 14), HAWK, Hellion* (8), Hippogriff* (13, 14), HORSE,
Hydra/lesser (1, 16), Lamia* (1, 3), Lion (13), Magic Spirit*
(7), Manticore* (12), Mummy* (3), Panther, Polar Bear (4),
Python, Redcap* (1, 5), Rubble Runner, Sabretooth (13), Skybull
(13, 14), Tiger (13), Two-Headed Dragonsnail (1, 16), Wolf,
Wraith* (10), Zebra
D List: Alticamelus (14), Baluchithere (13), Behemoth (4, 13),
Bison (14), Bolo Lizard (14), Cliff Toad, Crocodilian, Deer,
Demi-bird (14), Dinosaurs (13), Dragonsnail (1), Elephant (13,
14), Impala (14), Intellect Spirit (7), Lesser Hydra (1), Ostrich
(14), Rhino (14), Rock Lizard, Sable Deer (14), Skeleton (17),
Titanothere (13), Tusker (14, 19), Walktapus (1), Zombie (17);
any small, inoffensive creature, such as a BIRD or CAT
E List: Gorp (1, 15), any spirit not named above (11), any plant
or inanimate object (needs six characteristics)
1: creature tainted with chaos--available only to Boristi
(maybe), Galvosti (maybe), Brithini, Lunars, and chaotics; NOTE:
a chaos feature beneficial to the sorcerer will bump the creature
up to a higher level of desirability (POW x 1 chance for Ghoul,
Gorp, Hydra, or Headhanger; POW x 3 for Stoorworm; 1D3 features
for Dragonsnail)
2: needs STR, CON, and SIZ only (no permanent body)
3: needs POW only (no soul)
4: non-Gloranthan
5: needs CON only
6: needs CON, INT, & DEX
7: needs STR, CON, SIZ, & DEX
8: needs STR, CON, POW, & DEX
9: needs STR, CON, SIZ, & POW
10: needs STR, SIZ, POW, & DEX
11: needs STR, CON, SIZ, INT, & DEX
12: only available if this creature is unintelligent in your
world
13: warning: extremely large appetite
14: requires specialized Ride skill to be used as a mount
15: needs STR, INT, & DEX (arguably, though, a gorp only needs
INT, since it has STR and DEX of zero--if so, it should be in
category D), but how does the sorcerer touch it?
16: it is arguable that each heads' INT must be increased
17: needs CON, INT, & POW
18: needs SIZ only
19: only friendly to Tusk Riders
20: get real! You could also include the Mother of Monsters and
several other monsters and terrors in this category. As with the
recipe for Bear Stew (first kill a bear), the first problem is
getting the spell Dominate Roc/ Dominate Crimson Bat/ Dominate
Mother of Monsters.