Mage Familiar Companions

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)

Familiars have Health Levels. Default is 7. Taking the Tiny flaw will decrease it.

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. See yellow box above for more information.
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