Summon Familiar
Spell, Black Magic, level 1
Summons a minor demon, minor devil or animal-shaped familiar spirit that serves indefinitely. Necromancers choose the type; dabblers roll on a table. Castable once per year.
From the book
Calls a familiar to the caster's side: a minor demon, a minor devil, or a familiar spirit that takes the shape of an animal. A necromancer may summon whichever kind of familiar they want, but those who only dabble in black magic must roll percentile dice to see what answers.
On the table, familiar spirits cover 01-65 (a disembodied spirit, rat, bat, owl, wolf, raven, or most often a black cat), minor devils 66-85 (grimalkin or shadow cats, an alastor or evil genius, or an imp), and minor demons 86-00 (a gremlin or manes).
Whatever arrives serves faithfully for as long as the caster wishes. The caster can send it away at any time, but the spell itself can only be cast once a year.
At a glance
- Familiar table (d%)
- Familiar spirits: Disembodied Spirit 01-02, Rat 03-06, Bat 07-10, Owl 11-14, Wolf 15-20, Raven 21-30, Black Cat 31-65. Minor devils: Grimalkin (Shadow Cats) 66-70, Alastor (Evil Genius) 71-80, Imp 81-85. Minor demons: Gremlin 86-90, Manes 91-00.
- Duration
- Indefinite, until dismissed
- Limit
- May only be cast once per year
- Special
- Necromancers may choose a specific familiar; other casters must roll
- Save
- None
- Spell type
- Non-variable
A scene
Elowen has studied the black arts only as a sideline to her sorcery, so she cannot choose what answers her summons. She hopes for an owl. She lights the candles in her tower above the Straits of Ys, speaks the words she will not be allowed to speak again for a year, and waits. What climbs out of the smoke is a gremlin: gray, knobbly and grinning, already chewing on her best quill. It will serve her faithfully until she tires of it. She suspects that could take a while.