Improved Familiar

• Type of feat: Spellcasting
• Prerequisite: Wizard or Sorcerer
• Required for: None
• Specifics: So long as you are able to acquire a new familiar, you may choose your new familiar from a nonstandard list when you cast the bind familiar ritual. In addition, once you reach epic level your familiar becomes able to cast a spell-like ability that you can pick from a list of level 1-8 spells.

Available improved familiars:

-Beguilers (N) are smart mouselike creatures prized for their magical qualities. If threatened, they can wield small weapons in their prehensile tails.

-Bonebats (NE) are undead bats that often serve as messengers to evil clerics and wizards.

-Coures (CG) are sprite-like celestials that think of life as a carefree, exuberant dance.

-Elementals (N) are living embodiments of an elemental force, such as air, earth, fire, or water.

-Faerie dragons (CG) are small dragons fond of pranks and mischief.

-Homunculi (N) are perhaps the truest familiar of them all. They are humanoid constructs made from the mage's spirit to serve their needs.

-Imps (LE) are craven devils that often serve mages to tempt them towards evil.

-Lantern archons (LG) are the souls of good and lawful beings who are always ready to help those in need. They appear as soft, glowing spheres of light.

-Mephits (N) are living embodiments of an elemental force, such as earth, fire, or ice.

-Osquips (N) are large, hairless rats commonly found in the Underdark. They have poor eyesight, but excellent hearing.

-Pseudodragons (NG) are small, shy dragons that enjoy hunting vermin and hiding with their natural camouflage.

-Quasits (CE) are craven demons that often serve mages to tempt them towards evil.

-Shadows (NE) are undead creatures that hate all life and light. Their touch saps the strength of living creatures.

-Shadow mastiffs (NE) are massive dogs of darkness and doom that stalk the Plane of Shadow, known for their terrifying howls. They are excellent trackers.

-Stitched flesh familiars (NE) are undead creatures made out of several animals of the same type, such as cats, rats, or ravens.

-Stirges (N) are a cross between a bird, a bat, and a mosquito. They feed on the blood of larger creatures.

-Vargouilles (NE) are fiendish flying heads known for their paralyzing shriek. They are common vermin of the lower planes.

If a familiar is Lawful or Chaotic, you may only select that familiar if your alignment is Lawful/Chaotic or Neutral on the Law-Chaos scale. If a familiar is Good or Evil, you may only select that familiar if your alignment is Good/Evil or Neutral on the Good-Evil scale. For example, a pseudodragon (Chaotic Good) can be selected by Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, or Chaotic Neutral characters, while a Vargouille (Neutral Evil) can be selected by characters of any Evil or any Neutral alignment, but not by characters of Good alignments.

You must have Spell Focus Necromancy or the Undeath domain to select a stitched flesh familiar, you must have Spell Focus Transmutation to select a homunculus familiar, and you must have Spell Focus Illusion or the Darkness or Illusion domains to select a shadow or shadow mastiff familiar. Characters with at least 1 level of Shadow Adept or 3 levels of Shadow Dancer can also select shadow familiars (but not shadow mastiffs), even if they don't have Spell Focus Illusion or an appropriate domain.

• Use: Automatic