Mage Familiar Companions

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Reference: Forged by Dragon's Fire 84-89

  • Ignore the examples on pages 90-93, they're not necessarily built right
  • Ignore the XP chart on page 93, we haven't been using it

IMPORTANT: Familiars must be fed <level> Quintessence per week (FbDF 82). If not, they start to shrivel up and die (or more realistically wander off and find some other mage who'll feed them properly).

  • Quintessence Grazing: If a familiar does have Quint Grazing, then a Node of any level covers their needs without it coming out of the limited supply. (They nom a bit from one of the ley lines or something.)
  • Otherwise, you need a Node (+rules nodes), either personal or chantry (+rules chantry).
    • There are potentially other ways, but Node is by far the simplest.

Node 1 (1 Quint/week) supports Familiar 1 and also gives the mage full normal use of Node 1.
Node 2 (3 Quint/week) supports Familiar 1-3 and also gives the mage full normal use of Node 2.
Node 3 (6 Quint/week) supports Familiar 1-5 and also gives the mage full normal use of Node 3.

Choose Concept, Nature, Type

Stat type Baseline Freebies
Attributes 1 in each (except Appearance) plus 5/3/1 5 per dot
Abilities 7/5/3 2 per dot
Willpower 3 2 (not 1) per dot
Essence 1 1 per dot
Charms none See below
Freebies 10 per dot in Familiar Companion background

Familiars regain Essence by resting (8 hours = 1 point) or eating extra Quintessence beyond their weekly minimum (1 Quint = 1 point). (page 84)

Type Causes vulgar-with-witnesses Paradox
if seen by a sleeper?
Other notes
Animal No
Bygone Yes Quintessence Grazing free, can also learn Animal charms
Construct Only if obviously beyond mundane technology No natural healing, immune to poison and disease, Soak Lethal free
Elemental Yes Quintessence Grazing free
Undead Yes Soak Lethal and one level of Resilience free, can move their free Charisma dot to another attribute
Charm Type Charm Freebie cost Notes
General Aggravated Damage 5 1 Essence
General Armor 3/4/5 +1 vs bashing/lethal/agg, can be bought multiple times
General Bad Luck Curse 3 1 Essence; roll Willpower, each success replaces one of target's successes with a 1
General Claws/Teeth 2 Str+1 lethal, can be bought twice for both
General Countermagic 5 1 die, mage shares it if physically touching, can be bought multiple times
General Flight 2 3+Dex yards/turn
General Healing 5 heal someone else: 1 Essence for 1 bashing/lethal, 2 Essence for 1 agg
General Hide 1 take cover and remain quiet/still, +3 diff on search rolls to spot/find it
General Illuminate 1 can read by it
General Invisibility 5 1-2 Essence, lasts the scene, 1 = ends on physical/social interaction with someone besides the mage
General Large 2 +1 Bruised health level
General Luck 4 1 Essence, mage re-rolls and must accept the new result
General Paradox Nullification 5 1 per session, can be bought multiple times
General Quintessence Grazing 7 can draw 1 Quint/day from a node or 1 Quint/week scrounging, free for Bygones and Elementals
General Read and Write 1 multiple languages requires Linguistics, may be limited by its physical form
General Resilience 3 +1 Bruised health level; can be bought multiple times, up to double original health levels; one level free for Undead
General Soak Lethal 3 free for Constructs and Undead
General Soak Aggravated 2 prerequisite: Soak Lethal
General Speech 1 multiple languages other than spirit speech require Linguistics
General Speed 2 N Essence, double speed N times for scene, must rest N hours afterward
General Spirit Gossip 3 Cha/Man + Intimidation/Etiquette/etc., takes 1 turn to 1 hour
General Telekinesis 3 requires concentration (no other actions), 1 Essence per 30 pounds
General Telepathy 3 anyone in sensory range, regardless of language; no attacks or distractions
General Venom 1/3/5 reflex after successful attack; 1 per hour plus 1 per Essence spent; 1 = Stamina vs 7 or 2 levels of unsoakable bashing (1 day to heal without medical or magic care); 2 = Stamina vs 8 or 3 (3 days); 3 = Stamina vs 7 or 3 and check again next turn, repeat until you succeed or die (3 days)
Animal Darksight 2 no penalties for complete darkness
Animal Entrancement 3 1 Essence, eye contact, target resists with Willpower (diff = familiar's Willpower), target still reacts if attacked or deliberately distracted
Animal Fear 4 1 Essence per target, target resists with Willpower (diff = familiar's Willpower), fail = lose action for 1 turn and +1 diff to everything for 10 turns
Animal Night Vision 1 no penalties for low light, normal penalties for complete darkness
Animal Sharp Sense 1 allows e.g. tracking by smell
Animal Tracking 1 need resonance sample or Prime 2 Mind 2 to reproduce it, Perception + Alertness
Bygone Firebreath 5 1 Essence, cone 10 feet long by 3 wide, Dexterity + Melee, 2 levels of agg
Bygone Illusions 7 1 Essence for large rock, 3 for giant prancing dragon; Intelligence + Enigmas or physical contact to see through the illusion
Bygone Insubstantial 7 1 Essence, lasts the scene, cannot touch or be touched
Bygone Swallow 4 twice its body weight per day, must fit through its mouth, shunted into Umbra
Construct Chill Object 1 requires concentration, 1 Essence for -20 F down to freezing, max once per turn
Construct Control Electrical Systems 5 1 Essence per object, Wits + Technology
Construct Cyberpresence 3 can manifest in Digital Web (in its usual physical form) and use abilities
Construct Encryption Software 2 requires physical connection, 2 dots of Computer per Essence spent (up to double original ability), +1 diff to break in
Construct Heat Object 2 requires concentration, 1 Essence for +20 F, max once per turn
Construct Jack In 2 go online, requires cell phone signal
Construct Shock 5 1 Essence, 10 feet in straight line, Dexterity + Melee, 2 levels of agg
Elemental Create Element 3 matching its type, 5 square feet per Essence spent, duration depends on conditions
Elemental Elemental Immunity 3 matching (not opposite) its type, e.g. salamanders are immune to fire
Elemental Engulf 4 same as Swallow for Bygones
Elemental Insubstantial 7 same as Insubstantial for Bygones
Elemental Shapeshift 7 1/2/3 Essence for same size / larger / much larger, lasts the scene, cannot go against type
Undead Ancient Knowledge 3 same as Spirit Gossip but includes ghosts
Undead Fear 4 same as Fear for Animals
Undead Insubstantial 7 same as Insubstantial for Bygones
Undead Invigorate 5 +1 to an attribute per Essence spent, lasts the scene
Undead Wither 4 Dexterity + Brawl, 1 level of unsoakable bashing per Essence spent

Flaws:

  • Immobile (5)
  • Tiny (2) - smaller than a housecat; Bruised -1, Injured -1, Mauled -2, Crippled -5, Incapacitated