Liberate Familiar Ritual

[sigurd]

What is the appropriate XP cost to cleanly grant freedom to your familiar?


I'm thinking a number equal to 25% of your existing level cost would give enough oomph to grant independence for your familiar. I don't mind if this is not a popular ritual :). This reflects that the growing power of the familiar.

The familiar loses any necessary link to the caster. It receives the caster's expected lifespan and keeps any abilities not tied specifically to the caster. ie. If it can talk or move faster or has any personal feats.

The caster can no longer sense anything special about the creature or cast spells over it or through it in any special way. They're sort of like a divorced couple with a good, bad, or indifferent relationship.

The caster is then free to take another familiar. For a further xp penalty the caster can offer to undo the ritual at a later date, subject to DM approval. The familiar cannot switch masters - it has become a magical creature.



What do people think about the balance.


Sigurd

[Set]

Given how incredibly easy it is for the nature-loving hippy druids and rangers to scare up a new critter (24 hours. Doesn't matter if you killed and ATE your old companion*...), I don't think it's unbalanced at all to allow a Sorcerer or Wizard to tell his Familiar to 'fly, be free!' and then be able to call up a new one a day later.

At worst, I'd allow the Sor/Wiz to take damage equal to half of his hit points (not-so-coincidentally equal to the hit points he 'granted' the familiar, while it was bound to him) and sever the connection. An XP loss would, IMO, be just plain mean. He could heal up, perhaps even being required to heal naturally and not magically as he's not just repairing tissue damage, but slowly refreshing a loss to his very soul, and then call up a new familiar, spending the appropriate time and money.

The familiar would be returned to animal intelligence and attributes and go off to promptly get eaten by a hawk or something. All part of life's rich pattern.



*Now I see this happening.

Party "We're gonna starve out here, trapped in the ruins of Al-Kahest, in the middle of the Blasted Desert of Gosh It's Hot! And we're only 4th level, so nobody can Create Food!"

Ranger Bob, to his dog companion, Sparky, "Sorry old friend, they'll probably eat me if I don't do this..." <snap>

Day 2

Party "That dog didn't go very far, you can call up a heavy warhorse companion for today, right?"

Ranger Bob "..."

Day 3

Party "Can you summon a dolphin companion from this well? The horse was a little gamey..."

Ranger Bob "You're my next favored enemy."