Attunable Familiars
Balancing Unique Familiars
Do your players want powerful and useful companions, regardless of their chosen class? Are you having trouble coming up with a fair way to balance a friendly pixie? Is your Warlock or Wizard bored with their mps and owls? Then the Attunable Familiar might be your answer.
The basic idea here is that, in addition to weapons, armor, and wondrous items a new Magical Object type, the Familiar Bond, is presented. Like regular magical items, the Familiar Bond comes with a rarity, allowing it to be compared to other items of a similar rank; as an example, the aforementioned friendly pixie offers similar utility to a staff of the woodlands, and so would be considered a Rare item. All Familiar Bonds require attunement, and only one may be attuned at a time.
A Familiar Bond summons a specified creature a Familiar. The Familiar follows the basic rules of Find Familiar spell unless otherwise specified by the item description. Ending attunement with the item causes the Familiar to be dismissed permanently until the item is again attuned.
Fey-Themed Familiars
Chromatic Bud
Familiar Bond, Common (requires attunement)
A multicolored rosebud, it smells different with every sniff.
After attuning to this item you gain a Chromatic Butterfly as a Familiar. If the Butterfly disappears due to being reduced to 0 hp, you lose attunement with this item. If the Butterfly dies due to a spell or effect such as Power Word Kill, this item loses its magical properties.
Blink Whistle
Familiar Bond, Uncommon (requires attunement)
A translucent silver whistle that produces a sound heard only in the Feywild.
After attuning to this item you gain a Blink Dog as a Familiar. The Blink Dog is can take the Attack Action. If the Blink Dog disappears due to being reduced to 0 hp, you lose attunement with this item. If the Blink Dog dies due to a spell or effect such as Power Word Kill, this item loses its magical properties.
Chromatic Butterfly
Tiny Fey, unaligned
- Armor Class 11 AC
- Hit Points 1
- Speed fly 20 ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 1 (-5) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 1 (-5) 10 (+4) 12 (+1)
- Senses Blindsight 10 ft
- Challenge 0 and 0 Xp
Flower Sense. The Chromatic Butterfly has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to sense flowers via scent or sight
Actions
Deliver Message. The Chromatic Butterfly may deliver a visual message lasting no longer than 12 seconds to a willing creature that it touches. The message must be conveyed telepathically by it summoner, and it can store only one such message at a time.
Sylvan Coat of Arms
Familiar Bond, Uncommon (requires attunement)
A tiny coat of arms, signifying the loyalty of a certain Fey household.
After attuning to this item you gain a Sprite as a Familiar. Your telepathic connection with the Sprite has a range of 500 ft, and as a Bonus Action you may command it to use its Reaction to Attack. If the Sprite disappears due to being reduced to 0 hp, you lose attunement with this item. If the Sprite dies due to a spell or effect such as Power Word Kill, this item loses its magical properties.
Faerie Ring
Familiar Bond, Rare (requires attunement)
A woven ring of holly and mistletoe, flowers bloom at its touch.
After attuning to this item you gain a Pixie as a Familiar. The Pixie is capable of using its innate Spellcasting abilities, which refresh with each new Dawn. If the Pixie disappears due to being reduced to 0 hp, you lose attunement with this item. If the Pixie dies due to a spell or effect such as Power Word Kill, this item loses its magical properties.
Foam Shawl
Familiar Bond, Rare (requires attunement)
The silky, foam-colored mantle of a Nereid, layered with contractual magic to prevent its former owner from stealing it back
After attuning to this item you gain a Nereid as a Familiar. The Nereid can only be summoned from a body of water at least 5 ft wide, and cannot stray more than 500 feet from this body of water without disappearing. The Nereid can take the Attack Action. As an Action you may magically disguise the Nereid as a Elf, Half-Elf, or Human, but contact with water or the use of Control Water or any of its special Actions removes the disguise. If the Nereid disappears due to being reduced to 0 hp, you lose attunement with this item. If the Nereid dies due to a spell or effect such as Power Word Kill, this item loses its magical properties.
Phantom Leash
Familiar Bond, Legendary (requires attunement)
A black leash whose end fades into the Border Ethereal.
After attuning to this item you gain a Yeth Hound as a Familiar. The Yeth Hound cannot be dismissed or resummoned while trapped in the Deep Ethereal by its Sunlight Banishment. The Yeth Hound can take the Attack Action. If the Yeth Hound disappears due to being reduced to 0 hp, you lose attunement with this item. If the Yeth Hound dies due to a spell or effect such as Power Word Kill, this item loses its magical properties.
Seal of the Archfey
Familiar Bond, Artifact (requires attunement)
A green seal engraved with glowing, ancient symbols.
After attuning to this item you gain a powerful Fey Spirit as a Familiar. When summoned the Fey Spirit takes the form of a CR 5 or lower Beast or Swarm of Beasts of your choice that you have seen. Regardless of its form, the Fey Spirit has a Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability score of 16. It's alignment is always Chaotic, though depending on the Archfey whose seal you have attuned it may be Good, Evil, or Neutral. The Fey Spirit can take the Attack Action. If the Fey Spirit disappears due to being reduced to 0 hp, you may resummon it as an Action. If the Fey Spirit dies due to a spell or effect such as Power Word Kill, this item's magical properties are suppressed until the next Dawn; during this time it is vulnerable and can be destroyed by casting Power Word Kill on the seal itself.
Variant Warlock Familiars
If the DM allows it a Pact of the Chain Warlock may replace their Pact Familiar with a Familiar Bond item. Features that would normally impact your Pact Familiar instead impact the creature summoned by the Familiar Bond.