Familiars

Familiars in EFU have been changed to creatures that more accurately reflect the setting.

This is a list of current familiars. Some of these are completely custom for EfU, while a few others have been extensively modified for balance purposes. For familiars, please note that spellcasters need not have a familiar that shares their alignment, but deliberately picking a familiar with a diametrical opposite alignment is discouraged.

Bat

Alignment: True Neutral

The nightshrieker possesses an ability few can emulate: sonar. This allows the bat to strike with surgical precision, but it sadly lacks momentum to be of much use against big opponents. On the other hand, the sonar also grants a near perfect nightvision which is excellent for reconnaissance.

Rat

Substitutes: Panther

Alignment: True Neutral

A traditional choice for arcane spellcasters, centuries have proven the rat a faithful companion. Often Underestimated due to it's size, the rat is capable of going places and seeing things that others cannot. With proper care, it won't even smell. Very much.

Floating Skull

Substitutes: Hell Hound

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

A floating, seemingly sentient skull with it's origins shrouded in mystery. While few know much of them, most who behold them find the sight frightening and most who hear their endless ramblings find it maddening. Such a familiar is boasting material only in few and small circles.

This familiar is capable of intelligent conversation.

Monkey

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Small but insidious simians often bound to the service of sorcerers and wizards. They are known to have expert memorization abilities and a resourceful talent for tool use, but are incapable of human speech.

Gull

Substitutes: Fire Mephit

Alignment: True Neutral

Highly intelligent coastal birds that have learned to co-exist with civilization in a scavenger role. Though most people find them incredibly annoying in their endless quest for food, wizards and sorcerers who bind them find them to be extremely loyal. As long as they keep a scrap of food tucked away.

Parrot

Substitutes: Ice Mephit

Alignment: True Neutral

Although among the smarter species of birds, parrots are nevertheless more exotic as familiars, in part because of their relative rarity but as well because they tend to be overly possessive of their masters. While working with a parrot can be easy enough, working with somebody working with a parrot can be a challenge to put it mildly.

This familiar can memorize a few simple phrases, but not lead an intelligent conversation.

Chicken

Substitutes: Pixie

Alignment: True Neutral

A niche more than a practicality, the chicken can provide hours upon hours of fun for its owner and act as an excellent vessel for magical energies. Easily frightened and seemingly lacking in mental capacity, those who have gazed into the eyes of a bound chicken swear they've seen something mezmerizing in those beady little eyes.

Raven

Alignment: True Neutral

Prized for its intelligence and cunning, the classy raven remains an ever popular choice of familiar. The blue-black bird possesses an almost unmatched aptitude for learning and adapting to unique situations, and its beak makes an excellent tool both for opening clasps and plucking out eyes.

This familiar can memorize a few simple phrases, but not lead an intelligent conversation.

Snake

Substitutes: Faerie Dragon

Alignment: True Neutral

Cunning hunters, snakes are often seen as lazy due to their preference to let their prey come to them. When pressed, however, snakes are quick, agile, and many possess extremely potent venoms. In many cases, a familiar shares traits with its master, so for rotund or crafty spellcasters to have snake familiars is not uncommon.

Ooze

Substitutes: Pseudodragon

Alignment: True Neutral

These amorphous creatures resemble tiny cubes of gelatinous goo. As actual lab tools, the unique ability of oozes to absorb and assimilate nearly anything have proven especially useful over time. Unfortunately, they do not care for being handled, and many who have tried have found they have little desire to do so again.

Eyeball

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

No larger than the size of a fist in diameter, the eyeball is a particularly frightening creature to command, not surprisingly because of its resemblance to the significantly larger beholder. The many taboos surrounding these alien natured creatures means only the most eccentric people would ever consider binding one as a familiar.

This familiar is capable of intelligent conversation.