Find Familiar

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• Level: 1
• School: Conjuration
• Class: Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 hour or Ritual
• Range: 10 feet
• Components: V, S, M (burning incense worth 10+ GP, which the spell consumes)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: Bat, Cat, Frog, Hawk, Lizard, Octopus, Owl, Rat, Raven, Spider, Weasel, or another Beast that has a Challenge Rating of 0. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form (see "Monsters"), though it is a Celestial, Fey, or Fiend (your choice) instead of a Beast. Your familiar acts independently of you, but it obeys your commands.

Telepathic Connection. While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as a Bonus Action, you can see through the familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses it has.

Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the touch. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must take a Reaction to deliver the touch when you cast the spell.

Combat. The familiar is an ally to you and your allies. It rolls its own Initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can't attack, but it can take other actions as normal.

Disappearance of the Familiar. When the familiar drops to 0 Hit Points, it disappears. It reappears after you cast this spell again. As a Magic action, you can temporarily dismiss the familiar to a pocket dimension. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As a Magic action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. Whenever the familiar drops to 0 Hit Points or disappears into the pocket dimension, it leaves behind in its space anything it was wearing or carrying.

One Familiar Only. You can't have more than one familiar at a time. If you cast this spell while you have a familiar, you instead cause it to adopt a new eligible form.

Tactical Usage

Magical Companion: Find Familiar provides versatile utility through summoned creature assistance. This 1st-level conjuration spell excels at reconnaissance, spell delivery, and tactical support.

Optimal Timing: Cast as ritual for utility companion, when reconnaissance is needed, or for spell delivery in combat.

Resource Management: Uses a 1st-level spell slot or ritual casting - available from character level 1+. Permanent companion until dismissed.

Target Selection: Summons chosen familiar type within ritual casting range.

Spell Combinations

Synergistic Spells:

• Delivery Magic: Combine with touch spells for extended range delivery
• Enhancement Magic: Layer with dragon's breath to grant familiar breath weapons
• Detection Magic: Pair with detect magic through familiar's senses

Class Feature Interactions:

• Ritual Casting: Many classes can cast this without expending spell slots
• Find Steed: Higher-level summoning spells complement familiar utility
• Spell Delivery: Touch spells can be delivered through familiar connection

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple familiars can coordinate for complex reconnaissance or utility operations.

Material Component Details

Component Acquisition: 10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs burned in brass brazier during 1-hour ritual.

Component Handling: Ritual components consumed during summoning. Must be repeated if familiar dies.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different familiar forms reflect personality, magical traditions, or campaign themes.

Economic Considerations: Low initial cost for permanent magical companion with extensive utility.

Creator Notes

Encounter Balancing: Familiar provides action economy advantages, reconnaissance, and spell delivery capabilities.

NPC Usage: Wizards, warlocks, or ritual casters often have familiar companions for assistance.

Environmental Considerations: Familiar operates independently with telepathic communication within 100 feet.

Campaign Integration: Essential utility magic that provides consistent companion and tactical advantages.

Environmental Interactions

Terrain Effects: Different familiar forms excel in different environments - owls for aerial, cats for stealth, etc.

Weather Influence: Familiar affected by environmental conditions but provides weather-resistant reconnaissance.

Structural Interactions: Small size allows familiar to access areas inaccessible to party members.

Elemental Interactions: Familiar vulnerable to damage but can scout elemental hazards safely.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

Timing Questions: 1-hour ritual casting. Familiar appears permanently until dismissed or killed.

Target Limitations: Choose familiar type from available options. Only one familiar at a time.

Duration Interactions: Permanent until dismissed, killed, or replaced. Telepathic bond within 100 feet.

Mechanical Interactions: Familiar uses chosen creature's statistics. Can deliver touch spells. Shares initiative.

Alternative Applications

Non-Combat Uses: Message delivery, reconnaissance, social interaction, entertainment, or companionship.

Social Encounters: Improved social situations through cute companion, message delivery, or enhanced perception.

Exploration Applications: Scouting dangerous areas, checking for traps, accessing small spaces, or environmental monitoring.

Utility Functions: Reconnaissance, message delivery, spell delivery, social enhancement, or general utility assistance.

Related Spells

Same School: Other conjuration spells like find steed (2nd level mount), conjure animals (3rd level creature summoning), planar ally (6th level powerful ally).

Similar Effects: find steed (2nd level mount companion), animal messenger (2nd level communication), conjure animals (3rd level multiple creatures).

Progression Options: find familiar (1st level basic companion), find steed (2nd level mount), conjure animals (3rd level multiple creatures).

Complementary Magic: comprehend languages (communication enhancement), detect magic (familiar-delivered detection), dragon's breath (familiar enhancement).

Scaling Analysis

Level Progression: Remains consistently valuable throughout campaigns for utility, reconnaissance, and spell delivery.

Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots - ritual casting provides economic efficiency.

Campaign Phases: Valuable across all levels for consistent utility advantages and tactical support.

Comparative Value: Exceptional utility magic that provides permanent companion for minimal resource investment.

Narrative Flavor

Casting Description: Magical energies swirl during the hour-long ritual as you call forth a spiritual companion from celestial, fey, or fiendish realms.

Effect Manifestation: A small creature materializes as your magical familiar, bound to serve and assist through supernatural connection.

Personal Style: Different caster types attract different familiar forms - wizards prefer owls or cats, warlocks might have imps or pseudodragons.

World Integration: Represents fundamental companion magic available to many spellcasting traditions, often associated with magical apprenticeship, scholarly research, or supernatural partnerships.