New Familiars and Animal Companions
Familiars
Wizards and Sorcerers in Maugeter choose their familiar from the sixteen different kinds of mephit. Mephits have different abilities depending on their elemental type. I don't know any mephits personally, so I contacted the Wizard's School and they put me in touch with the erudite Professor Teekie, Dust Mephit Extraordinaire, who explained in detail to me what each of the mephits can do:
- Common Abilities
-Natural Armour Class bonus equal to level
-Regeneration 1/four levels
-Damage Reduction equal to level except against magic weapons - Air Mephits
Air mephits vary in appearance, but the colour of their skin is always some very pale pastel shade bordering on white. Often air mephits suffer from cyclopodia - a disorder common in "pure" air elementals, sometimes also seen in Djinni, and one which is not easily explained considering the rest of mephit physiology. The victim of cyclopodia has their legs replaced by whirlwinds, a somewhat disconcerting situation. Air mephits are in general very impatient creatures, rushing hastily from one task to another leaving each only half-finished. If you want something extremely simple done very quickly, an air mephit is a suitable choice.
Air mephit familiars are too easily distracted to lend themselves to any particular job specialisation. They are frighteningly fast, which in close combat gives them offensive and defensive bonuses.
Air mephit abilities:
-Elemental speed (Haste: +4 Dodge bonus to AC, one extra attack, increased movement speed)
-+1 Piercing damage bonus/two levels - Ash Mephits
Ash mephits are an odd sort. Like most of the negative quasielemental planes, the Plane of Ash is rather a boring place, and this has lead many of its denizens (including ash mephits) into a sort of hedonistic quest for diversion of any sort. Generally quite dismissive of the destructive urges of the fire mephits they loathe, most of the ash mephits I have encountered or heard of have lapsed into a strange macabre dilettantism, marked by dark clothing, unpleasant ceremonial trappings, mournful and depressing music and even necromancy. Those (extremely rare) ash mephits who seek gainful employment generally find their abilities suited to the gruesome work of assassination.
Ash mephit familiars use their vicious skills on their master's enemies.
Ash mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Fire
-Sneak Attack 1d6/two levels
-Vampiric Regeneration equal to level - Dust Mephits
Dust mephits are the most intelligent of mephits, concerned with scientific matters of investigation and empyricism. Our skin is light grey in colour, and when we deign to wear clothes they are normally black, the only colour which suits our tones. The topic of investigation varies from mephit to mephit, but a common theme is the life and death of mortal creatures. Dust mephits are patient, methodical creatures - those who choose to develop their martial skills normally become wizards. Dust mephits can also be found in administrative positions throughout the civilised lands, their orderly minds often rendering them superior to a mortal worker.
Dust mephit familiars use their magical prowess to supplement their master's spellcasting abilities. We are also knowledgeable creatures, and may offer insights in all manner of situations.
Dust mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Negative Energy
-+4 Deflection bonus to AC
-Can cast Magic Missile (level) times per day
-Dust mephit knowledge - Earth Mephits
Earth mephits are slow, stocky beings who can still fly despite their expansive bulk. Their skin colour varies massively - usually it corresponds to the shade of the bedrock of the Plane of Earth in the area where they were found. The low mental faculties of the earth mephit leaves it with a sort of "ignorance is bliss" attitude - everything is always fresh and interesting. Presumably this trait is very useful on the incredibly dull Plane of Earth. Earth mephits are dull-witted on the whole, but extremely strong and resilient. They make useful labourers or brute soldiers, and truth be told are usually too stupid to understand the lowliness of their position.
Earth mephit familiars have one real purpose - to stop anything dangerous approaching their master. This is a task they accomplish with no mean ability, though anything beyond this is probably asking too much.
Earth mephit abilities:
-+8 Armour bonus to AC
-+1 Bludgeoning damage bonus/two levels - Fire Mephits
Fire mephits, like just about everything else from the Plane of Fire, are cackling, destructive menaces. A fire mephit is a useful tool if you want something burned to the ground, but a dangerous risk at all other times. They are quite uncommon in civilised areas, because in general they rapidly cause some kind of disaster and are either executed or forcibly returned to the Plane of Fire. The best practical use for a fire mephit is probably as some kind of unreliable shock troop - as long as you can convince it that burning the enemy is more entertaining than burning you.
Fire mephit familiars are unsubtle in the extreme - burning things is their speciality, and woe betide you should ask them to do anything else.
Fire mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Fire
-Vulnerability to Cold
-+1 Fire damage bonus/level
-Can cast Cone: Fire (level) times per day - Ice Mephits
With semi-transparent skin and a perpetual cloud of misty, cooling air about them, ice mephits have an undeniably striking appearance. A bizarre side-effect of this is that it is now quite common to see ice mephits working in places of public alcohol consumption - they can serve patrons, cool the usually hot air and improve the ambient appearance of the location all at once. Experienced ice mephits often make a habit of helping to deal with rogue fire mephits and the effects of their destructive rampages. It is thought that this is as much to do with a form of elemental rivalry as it is to do with any sense of good will or responsibility.
Ice mephit familiars, for all their attitude, have very similar abilities to fire mephits.
Ice mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Cold
-Vulnerability to Fire
-+1 Cold damage bonus/level
-Can cast Cone: Frost (level) times per day - Lightning Mephits
Considering their status as positive quasielemental mephits, lightning mephits accord little respect. Regarded by many - particularly radiance and mineral mephits - as "fire mephits with a hint of blue", lightning mephits possess a generally similar set of skills and outlook. Expert at channelling the forces of their element, and joyful at the destruction it brings, lightning mephits are common in Kanzier (as are many things electrical), where they bask and flap about in the magical storms of the region. The electrically-retardant nature of the city, a necessity given all the Djinni activity, allows the mephits to exercise their power without causing too much property damage.
Lightning mephit familiars are powerful offensively, but can't stand up in a straight fight against melee opposition.
Lightning mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Electricity
-+1 Electricity damage bonus/level
-Can cast Cone: Shock (level) times per day - Magma Mephits
Magma mephits are an uneasy combination of the stoicism of earth and the violence of fire. Usually slow and ponderous (though not as dense as earth mephits), they are prone to explode into violent rages if strongly provoked. This tendency makes it difficult for them to find useful employment sometimes, although their relative intelligence compared with earth mephits makes them useful guards. Although not quite as powerful as earth mephits, they are unaffected by fire in the same way as fire mephits, which can make them tactically useful.
Magma mephit familiars are a compromise between the offensive power of fire mephits and the defensive strength of earth mephits.
Magma mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Fire
-Vulnerability to Cold
-+2 Armour bonus to AC
-+1 Fire damage bonus/level - Mineral Mephits
Proud and arrogant beyond their measure, mineral mephits generally consider themselves above the rest of mephitkind. The Plane of Mineral being the oh-so-fascinating place that it is, mineral mephits seem reluctant to leave and and therefore correspondingly rare here in the world. They possess few useful skills, being used to living life in a place where their food (which is coincidentally also comprises of substances of incredible value) simply lies about within easy reach. They are able to effectively channel positive energy, giving them some small ability at healing, but they counter this with the ridiculous parlance of the Plane of Mineral, driving mortals (and other mephits!) to an early grave.
Mineral mephit familiars use their healing abilities for the benefit of their unfortunate master.
Mineral mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Positive Energy
-+4 Armour bonus to AC
-Healing spells:
Level 1-6: Cure Light Wounds level/day
Level 4-9: Cure Moderate Wounds level-3/day
Level 7-12: Cure Serious Wounds level-6/day
Level 10-20: Cure Critical Wounds level-9/day
Level 13-20: Heal level-12/day - Ooze Mephits
Green, slimy and repulsive to most mortals, ooze mephits really have only one option available to them in civilised society - sewage workers. Ooze mephits seem to enjoy looking for interesting things in the refuse that mortals discard, and find the experience much more interesting than the relatively uniform (but just as disgusting) paraelemental Plane of Ooze. A curious side-effect of this isolation (even on their native plane - the Plane of Ooze is sparsely populated and receives very few visitors) is that ooze mephits often develop disciplined fighting skills (including the legendary Stunning Fist attack) that greatly resemble the monkish orders in the Rammas mountains.
Ooze mephit familiars use their disabling attacks to great advantage in combat, weakening opponents and stopping them from attacking.
Ooze mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Acid
-Monk's Wisdom bonus to AC
-On Hit: Stun (DC 14, 50% of success, 2 round duration) - Radiance Mephits
An amusing bunch, the few radiance mephits I have encountered have been united in some sort of grand mission - the eradication of undead creatures. Whilst the negative energies that empower undead creatures are indeed opposed to the positive quasielemental nature of the Plane of Radiance, the other positive quasielemental mephits do not seem to share this goal. I can only assume that it is some sort of political movement on that plane, but the radiance mephits I met were unenlightening on the subject.
Radiance mephits are effective warriors, for their part, though they are particularly effective against the undead.
Radiance mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Positive Energy
-+4 Armour bonus to AC
-Magic sword has +1 enhancement bonus vs undead/two levels
-+1 Divine damage bonus/two levels - Salt Mephits
Salt mephits are curious creatures, being generally regarded as the dullest and least interesting family of our kind. Lacking the jovial stupidity of earth mephits or the isolated discipline of ooze mephits, salt mephits are sullen creatures disinclined to conversation, self-improvement or achievement of any kind. Salt mephits can occasionally be found performing menial tasks for mortal masters, but generally prefer to remain sulking on the elemental planes. It is rumoured that salt mephits who see enough of the world development a grudging respect for it. Such mephits then begin to display a strange aptitude for the channelling of positive energy - strange because the Plane of Salt is aligned with the Negative Energy Plane.
Salt mephit familiars use their healing spells for the benefit of their master, as well as physically protecting him or her.
Salt mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Negative Energy
-+4 Dodge bonus to AC
-Healing spells:
Level 1-6: Cure Light Wounds level/day
Level 4-9: Cure Moderate Wounds level-3/day
Level 7-12: Cure Serious Wounds level-6/day
Level 10-20: Cure Critical Wounds level-9/day
Level 13-20: Heal level-12/day - Smoke Mephits
The Plane of Smoke is a harsh environment that breeds harsh inhabitants. Smoke mephits learn quickly that finding enough to eat while at the same time avoiding the predations of smokestalkers and smoke jaguars is dependent on speed and deadliness. It is no surprise that these rare few who find themselves here in the world do not abandon their stealthy ways quickly. Smoke mephits are quiet and circumspect, not given to excess of thinking or enjoyment. In combat they fight in much the same manner as a smokestalker - appearing and disappearing to make effective strikes at their opponents.
Smoke mephit familiars serve as silent and deadly assassins.
Smoke mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Fire
-Vulnerability to Cold
-Sneak Attack 1d6/two levels
-Can cast Invisibility (level) times per day - Steam Mephits
Bossy and stern, steam mephits consider themselves the lords of mephitkind, and for the most part other mephits allow them this belief. Steam mephits are rare on the mortal plane, where they tend to consider employment or servitude a situation drastically beneath them. If one of an uncharacteristically unarrogant nature were to be found, it would likely be in a hot environment, and in or working towards an overseer-like position. Steam mephits have the curious elemental property that although they are aligned with the water axis of the elemental spectrum, they possess many of the characteristics of fire elementals, including resistance to fire and vulnerability to cold. In addition, their position of assumed authority may occasionally result in other mephits capitulating to the steam mephit's demands.
Steam mephit familiars strike an offensive and defensive balance in combat, but other than their potential influence over other mephits they have no unusual abilities.
Steam mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Fire
-Vulnerability to Cold
-+4 Armour bonus to AC
-+1 Fire damage bonus/level - Vacuum Mephits
Anyone who has so much as glimpsed the Plane of Vacuum knows what an abysmally dull place is it. An infinity of absolutely nothing, not even air, broken up by the occasional tiny fragment of something, makes for an uninspiring existence. Like many of the plane's denizens, vacuum mephits who find themselves elsewhere quickly become overwhelmed with the sheer variety of sights, sounds and other sensations. This goggle-eyed attitude actually serves them surprisingly well, as their unwavering attention to everything can lead them to notice details that others, more jaded to reality, might miss. Rare and unskilled as they are, vacuum mephits find employment relatively easy, as it's easy to be good at something which is endlessly fascinating.
Vacuum mephit familiars serve their master with their remarkable attention, noticing the secret, the hidden and the stealthy alike.
Vacuum mephit abilities:
-Immunity to Sonic damage
-Keen Senses (always considered in Detect Mode)
-Skill Affinity: Spot, Listen & Search
-Spot, Listen & Search skills at level+3 - Water Mephits
Water mephits are relatively simple creatures, given over to mundane joys like swimming, putting out fires and, bizarrely, singing. Many visitors to the Plane of Water have confused the sounds of a water mephit chorus with that of merfolk, sirens or other water-dwelling creatures. Water mephits revel in the mortal plane's propensity for fire, and spend as much of their time as possible swamping fire. Some rogue individuals have even been known to team up with fire or steam mephits in order to start fires intentionally. Water mephits never lose their love of song, and any mephit that dwells too long around mortals begins to pick up snatches of magical verse that lend them abilities similar to those of a bard. In addition, a water mephit's fire retardant properties can make them a valuable companion in a magical world dominated by pyromaniacs.
Water mephit familiars support their master with supposedly inspirational music.
Water mephit abilities:
-50% resistance to Fire
-Bard Song
-Shortbow
Animal Companions
Druids in Maugeter hold sway over all nature, not just animals, and so druids can choose from a list of animals and fey as a companion. Sadly the Emberwilde druids aren't returning my phone calls, so information on them is far scarcer than for mephits.
- Bat
Bats are fast animals which inflict painful, bleeding wounds on your enemies. - Duskhound
Said to foretell coming deaths, the duskhound brings doom with its howl. - Falcon
Fast and deadly, the falcon uses its talons to tear at your foes. - Pixie
Keeping to the rear, pixies fire their bows and can cast a small number of spells. - Rat
Rats attack with diseased bites. - Raven
The raven's beak is devastating when it can target a weak point. - Will-o'-the-wisp
The will-o'-the-wisp attacks with an array of confusing and disrupting spells. - Wolfhound
Loyal and deadly, the wolfhound attacks with its powerful jaws.