- This article is about the creature. For the feat, see Summon Familiar.
A familiar is a small creature that is magically linked to its owner.
Familiars are summoned creatures and can be summoned or unsummoned freely unless they are killed. They do not try to engage in combat, and usually just follow behind the master. While summoned, they grant a bonus that is roughly the equivalent of a feat. As the master advances, so do the familiars. They gain more hit points, better saving throws, and so on. They also gain evasion and spell resistance. During character creation, they can be named. They are intended to essentially be small buff totems and cool looking pets.
Familiars can be directly controlled.
If a familiar is killed, the master suffers -2 to Constitution for 8 hours and cannot summon the familiar again until he or she has rested. [1]
When you reach epic level and epic caster level your familiar becomes able to cast a spell like ability that you can pick from a list of level 1-3 spells, the list extends to level 1-8 spells if you have the Improved Familiar feat.
Bug Notes
- Controlling familiars directly gives the player character a semi-permanent Immunity: Mind Spells effect, that will remain even after the familiar is unpossessed and dismissed. Only death, rest, or dispel magic can remove it. This bug is still present as of v1.22.
- The Pig familiar is confirmed to be bugged and often will fail to summon for a small number of people. No workaround is known.
Creature types
List of Familiars
- Bat: Master gains +3 to Listen checks.
- Beetle: Master gains +1 hit point per level.
- Cat: Master gains +2 to move silently and hide checks.
- Faerie Dragon: Master gains previous familiar's ability. Faerie dragons are only available with the Improved Familiar feat and by using Bind Familiar; they cannot be chosen at character creation.
- Imp: Master gains previous familiar's ability. Imps are only available with the Improved Familiar feat and by using Bind Familiar; they cannot be chosen at character creation.
- Pig: Master gains +3 to diplomacy checks.
- Pseudo Dragon: Master gains previous familiar's ability. Psuedo dragons are only available with the Improved Familiar feat and by using Bind Familiar; they cannot be chosen at character creation.
- Rabbit: Master gains +1 bonus to all saves.
- Rat: Master gains +2 to fortitude saves.
- Snake: Master gains previous familiar's ability. Snakes are only available by using Bind Familiar; they cannot be chosen at character creation.
- Spider: Master gains +3 to bluff checks. Other types of spiders are available with Bind Familiar.
- Stirge: Master gains previous familiar's ability. Stirges are only available with the Improved Familiar feat and by using Bind Familiar; they cannot be chosen at character creation.
- Weasel: Master gains +2 to reflex saves.
The creature types will be defined in 2DA files, so the choices may be modified very easily (add/subtract).
Gameplay notes
- Obsidian has stated that familiars will not be "combat critters" in NWN2; they will not fight. The only way they can initiate an attack is by being a conduit for a touch spell from the master. [3] Familiars will actively avoid enemies and try to move away from their master during combat unless commanded to do otherwise. [4]
- Possessed familiars may not engage in conversations, but they may talk on the chat bar. [5]
- "They gain evasion and a few other abilities, but their hit points advance as the master does -- they don't have a portion of the master's hit points. Also, they do not share the benefits of spells." [7]
- Familiars will not have a collar inventory slot to accommodate magic items like a collar of spell resistance or collar of elemental protection. [8]
- Obsidian originally intended for familiars to be carried in a character's backpack, but that was changed and they're again associates like in NWN1. [9]
- There is a level 3 spell called "Enhance Familiar" that grants bonuses to a wizard's familiar (+2 to saves, attack and melee damage rolls, +2 dodge AC bonus. This spell has been cut from the game, however, it is still present in the toolset.
- Familiars can cast your divine spells but you have to tell them to cast the spells.