Planar Familiar
( Planar Handbook, p. 41)[General]
When you are ready and able to acquire a new familiar, you may choose one of several nonstandard familiars.
Prerequisite
Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks, Ability to ac quire a new familiar, compatible alignment, suffi cient arcane spellcaster level,
Benefit
When choosing a familiar, you may add the following creatures to your list of options. You may choose a familiar with an alignment up to one step away from yours on each of the alignment axes (lawful-chaotic and good-evil).
| Planar Familiars | ||
|---|---|---|
| Familiar | Arcane Spellcaster Alignment | Level Required |
| Anarchic* animal<sup>1</sup> | Any chaotic | 5th |
| Axiomatic* animal<sup>1</sup> | Any lawful | 5th |
| Celestial animal<sup>1</sup> | Any good | 3rd |
| Elemental, Small<sup>2</sup> | Neutral | 5th |
| Fiendish animal<sup>1</sup> | Any evil | 3rd |
| Imp<sup>3</sup> | Lawful evil | 7th |
| Lantern archon | Lawful good | 7th |
| Mephit | Neutral | 7th |
| Quasit | Chaotic evil | 7th |
*New template; see Chapter 6: Creatures of the Planes.
1 Apply the anarchic, axiomatic, celestial, or fiendish template to any animal from the standard familiar list. Unlike other improved familiars, these creatures grant their masters the standard benefits for having an animal familiar of that type.
2 Air, earth, fire, or water elemental only.
3 Standard only. If you are using the Fiend Folio, you may use a filth imp instead.
The improved familiar is magically linked to its master in the same way as a normal familiar. The familiar uses the basic statistics for a creature of its kind, as given in the Monster Manual or this book, except as noted below.
Hit Dice: For effects that depend upon Hit Dice, use the master's character level or the familiar's normal Hit Dice total, whichever is higher.
Hit Points: Use one-half the master's total or the familiar's normal total, whichever is higher.
Attacks: Use the master's base attack bonus or the familiar's, whichever is better.
Saving Throws: For each saving throw, use the master's base save bonus (as calculated from his character level) or the familiar's, whichever is better.
Familiar Special Abilities: Use the second table in the Familiars sidebar, page 53 of the Player's Handbook, to determine additional abilities, just as you would for a normal familiar. With the exception of anarchic, axiomatic, celestial, and fiendish animals, planar familiars do not grant their masters any of the benefits that appear on the first table in that sidebar.
