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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Find Familiar, Find Steed... Find Companion?



thoroughlyS
2017-07-03, 05:22 PM
In preparation for a Ranger tweak I'll be putting up soon that I never did, I wanted to lay the foundation with a small system codification I thought would make the game feel more cohesive.

I assume everyone has at least a passing familiarity with the spell find familiar, which allows wizards to summon a little buddy that provides remarkable utility and can boost battlefield control. As well as the flavorful upgrade that the warlock can choose at 3rd level: Pact of the Chain. What I'm assuming less people are aware that any character can have a familiar if they take the Magic Initiate or Ritual Caster feats. I am a huge fan of this dynamic, which takes a single feature and makes it both widely accessible and gives it a sense of exclusivity. Especially considering it allows everyone to have a "pet".

Furthermore, the find steed spell was a marvelous execution of the idea of a paladin's steed in previous editions. It comes online at a reasonable level, it is well incorporated with their resources, and it gives the paladin a very unique toy.

With all this in mind, I find it strange that the Ranger's beast companion was not handled in a similar way. Tying the feature to a spell would've solved the issue most people had with being unable to track down new companions. And taking a look at the Revised Ranger (https://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_RevisedRanger.pdf) the Beast Master Ranger's Animal Companion feature is practically a self-contained spell, including a casting time and material components. Also, because of a slightly wonky mechanic, there is some debate (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?371207-Find-Steed-being-broken) that Lore Bards can abuse find steed and outshine the Paladins that the spell is intended for. Now, I'm a man who loves a good codified ruleset, especially if it builds off of a mechanic that I find superbly implemented. With that in mind, I wanted to see if I could polish this idea a little further.

Let's start with something I only slightly changed. Additions marked in green, alterations in orange, deletions struck out in red.
1st-level conjuration (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier)
Duration: Instantaneous

You gain the service of a familiar. You summon a spirit that assumes the form of an animal. Choose a beast that is no larger than Tiny size and that has a challenge rating of 0. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast. Alternatively, you can create a supernatural bond between yourself and a willing creature (of appropriate size and CR, but of any type) by maintaining physical contact with it for the casting of the spell. If the bonded creature was a beast, it becomes a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice).

Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it takes its own turn immediately after yours. A familiar can't attack, but it can take other actions as normal. If you are incapacitated or absent, your familiar acts on its own.

When you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll.

When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again.

While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.

As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. A spirit familiar disappears, leaving behind no physical form. A bonded familiar regains its original type, form, and independence.

You can't have more than one familiar bonded by this spell at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a familiar, you instead restore your familiar to its hit point maximum and can cause it to adopt a new form. Choose a beast that meets the requirements above. Your familiar transforms into the chosen creature.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, your familiar can be of CR 1 or lower, and can be a beast of up to Small size.
Alright, there is a lot to unpack here, so let's first look at what I removed. The one thing I took out is a flavor requirement for summoning a familiar, the brazier. When I hear this I think of one of those huge bowls that is like 2 feet across, and forcing a feeble wizard (or any character who casts without an arcane focus) to drag one of those around (in order to resurrect a slain familiar) seems silly. Any old fire should do. That said, there are no mechanical restrictions created by this line, so it may just be an 8 inch plate the caster carries around in their backpack. Feel free to retain it if you think it adds to the experience.

Now, what about the things I changed? Well, the first difference is the tiny bump in the range, which I brought up to par with find steed. This is likely to go unnoticed especially considering the current find familiar already allows you to re-summon at a 30 foot range.

The change to what forms you familiar can adopt seems big, but don't actually raise the bar for what you could do with this spell already. The best option is still the owl, and being able to summon a badger or a fox isn't going to change that. This sadly delays the octopus and the poisonous snake, but I don't think this is an unfair change.* I also updated the verbiage in the seventh paragraph to fit with the looser restrictions above. Because of the specific way I worded it, you can never "trade up" a familiar form. A summoned spirit can only ever take the forms of beasts, while bonded creatures can only be themselves or a beast. No turning a homunculus into an imp.

The final change was making the familiar go immediately after you, which was taken from the recent summoning spells in Unearthed Arcana. This is a clean and effective implementation.

Lastly, my additions. My reasoning for adding a way to "adopt" a familiar is actually two-fold: In the first place, this creates a fun thread for finding an animal you connect with and awakening it to serve you (such as an Urchin Wizard turning their pet mouse into their familiar). Secondly, this provides a mechanical way for characters to get "improved" familiars. The only creatures who initially qualify to be bonded with are crawling claws and homunculi (in addition to the standard animals). If a character puts in the time and effort to acquire a friendly one of those, I say let them have their "exotic pet".

Stating a familiar acts on its own is more of an extension to the previous lines than anything else. I just took it from the descriptions for the Ranger's Companion/ Companion's Bond features.

I felt the need to delineate what happens when you say good-bye to your friend. I thought it would be unfair for a creature that bonded with you to just disappear, so I let them return to the world.

The fourth addition allows you to recast the spell to heal your familiar, which is taken directly from find steed. I doubt this will have any impact on the game, considering the initial forms all have 1 or 2 hp. This cap does increase for exotic familiars, assuming you find one.

The final addition is just a way for players to have "improved familiars" like in previous editions, utilizing another mechanic that I really like from this one. Tying it to spell slots also ensures that Wizards and Warlocks still get to feel special. This gives access to some really fun sounding forms, like baboons, eagles and stirges.



*Going over the stats, I see nothing wrong with simply changing the octopus's size to Tiny, so you can still have those if you really want them. The Poisonous Snake seems just a little too strong for CR 0, however.
Next up is find steed, which I've subtly rearranged to rearranged to read more like find familiar above.
2nd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a bridle made of fine leather and gold, costing at least 20 gp)
Duration: Instantaneous

You gain the service of a steed. You summon a spirit that assumes the form of an animal. Choose a beast that is at least one size larger than you and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the steed has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast. Alternatively, you can create a supernatural bond between yourself and a willing creature (of appropriate anatomy, size, and CR, but any type) by maintaining physical contact with it for the casting of the spell. If the bonded creature was a beast, it becomes a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice).

Your steed serves you as a mount, both in combat and out, and you have an instinctive bond with it that allows you to fight as a seamless unit. While mounted on your steed, you can make any spell you cast that targets only you also target your steed. Your steed acts as a controlled mount, but it can also use any Action listed in its stat block except the Multiattack action. If you are incapacitated or absent, your steed acts on its own.

If your steed has an Intelligence of 5 or less, its Intelligence becomes 6, and it gains the ability to understand one language of your choice that you speak.

When the steed drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again.

While your steed is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically.

As an action, you can dismiss your steed forever. A spirit steed disappears, leaving behind no physical form. A bonded steed regains its original type and independence.

You can't have more than one steed bonded by this spell at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a steed, you instead summon the same steed to an unoccupied space within range, and restore it to its hit point maximum.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, your steed can be of CR 1 or lower.First things first, I removed that sticky line that allows Lore bards to be better with steeds than a Paladin. Don't worry though, because I reintroduce it as a Paladin specific feature below.

The first change was to loosen the restriction, much the same as the familiars. This does open the door for flying mounts, but the way I see it flight at 5th level isn't so unreasonable when you have races like the aarakocra and tiefling able to do it from 1st level. Technically this eliminates warhorses as a legal option (but, as with Pact of the Chain, the Paladin will get it as a bonus choice).

This spell has more added to it than changes. Firstly, a nominal cost to summon your steed, which fits with find familiar and the Animal Companion feature of the Revised Ranger.

Once more I added a way to bond with a previously existing creature, with bonus options including the blink dog, male steeder, or blood whelk. You know, just a bunch of real winners.

The line about controlled steeds finally adds a mechanical way to run a steed. As it stands with the current version of find steed, it is unclear if the steed always acts as an independent mount or not. With the inclusion of this line, steeds get the best of both worlds: they can act on your turn, with expanded action options. I eliminate the potential for massive damage output, because this is supposed to be more for utility than damage.

Once again the line about acting on its own is just a clarification more than anything.

The final addition once again allows room for "improved steeds" without the incredibly vague "(GM might allow other animals...)". This adds things like bears and lions to the list of available mounts. And if you are, for instance, a goblin and want a Worg mount, you can find one.
Now that we've created a benchmark for the level of power we're after, we can create a new spell. Unlike the first two spells the colors here will convey slightly different information. Black indicates that a section is exactly the same as in find familiar and find steed, and green indicates the unique portions of the spell.
2nd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (10 gp worth of rare herbs and fine food, which are consumed by the companion)
Duration: Instantaneous

You gain the service of an animal companion. You summon a spirit that assumes the form of an animal. Choose a beast that is no larger than your size and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the companion has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast. Alternatively, you can create a supernatural bond between yourself and a willing creature (of appropriate anatomy, size, and CR, but any type) by maintaining physical contact with it for the casting of the spell. It becomes a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice).

Your companion acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it takes its own turn immediately after yours. A companion can't use the Multiattack action, but it can take other actions as normal. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own.

When you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your companion to make one attack of its own with its reaction.

When the companion drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again.

While your companion is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically.

As an action, you can dismiss your companion forever. A spirit companion disappears, leaving behind no physical form. A bonded companion regains its original type and independence.

You can't have more than one companion bonded by this spell at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a companion, you instead summon the same companion to an unoccupied space within range, and restore it to its hit point maximum.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, your companion can be of CR 1 or lower, and can be a beast of up to large size.The first difference about this spell is the options available for forms. The average character can't get a companion large enough to ride on. This becomes a signature for the Beast Master only. I kept the CR at 1/4 like the original Ranger, and left it broad.

The companion acts on its own turn, and lacks Multiattack, just like the Revised Ranger, which keeps the damage from getting out of hand. The special ability that companions now have is that you can trade one of your attacks for one of theirs. This can come in handy when your companion's attack has an effect tied to it, like the wolf's ability to knock people prone. This also allows you to take advantage of the Pack Tactics feature more often.

Finally, I included a way to get something like a brown bear or lion companion.



PALADIN’S STEED
When you cast the find steed spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your steed or the form of a warhorse. Additionally, when you cast a spell with a range of self that doesn't affect an area, you can also affect your steed with the spell if you are mounted on it.
This moves the best benefit of find steed directly onto the Paladin, and allows them to choose warhorses. I also slightly alter the language, with the intent that spells that create a cone or other shape don't apply to the steed.

Mangles
2017-07-03, 08:57 PM
This looks great. It fixes a lot of what I don't like about Animal Companions. I haven't really looked at Find Steed before. One thing I noted with Find Companion is the lack of what happens to any items it might be wearing like barding. Barding is currently the best way for rangers to help their companions not straight up die, and I imagine the Steed users may also want some horse armour or saddle bags or something.

Also please create a Find Cohort spell ;)

thoroughlyS
2017-07-03, 09:50 PM
One thing I noted with Find Companion is the lack of what happens to any items it might be wearing like barding. Barding is currently the best way for rangers to help their companions not straight up die, and I imagine the Steed users may also want some horse armour or saddle bags or something.
My intention is that the familiar/companion/steed's body vanishes, but stuff it's holding just drops in its space.

Also please create a Find Cohort spell ;)
If you want find cohort, I would just change find companion to read:


Alternatively, you can create a supernatural bond between yourself and a willing creature (of appropriate size and CR), by maintaining physical contact with it for the casting of the spell. If the bonded creature was a beast, it becomes a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice).
It let's you recruit things like aarakocra and kobolds when cast normally, or bugbears and lizardfolk when cast as a 3rd-level spell.

PotatoGolem
2017-07-05, 09:55 AM
I'm not really sure what making these spells rituals accomplishes. It doesn't do anything for the paladin or ranger, since they don't get Ritual Casting, and taking either as an option for Ritual Caster is a trap option. It seems like this is mostly a buff for tomelocks (who now get find steed and an animal companion) and hunter rangers (who get an animal companion). Those are already the best subclasses for their respective classes, they don't really need a boost.

Also, the upcast option is a bit odd. You can cast it as a first-level ritual or a level 3 slot spell? That seems unlikely to ever come up for find familiar, since wizards pretty much never prepare FF. I guess it's to allow paladins, rangers, and warlocks to use up their spell slots right before a rest?

thoroughlyS
2017-07-05, 02:18 PM
I'm not really sure what making these spells rituals accomplishes. It doesn't do anything for the paladin or ranger, since they don't get Ritual Casting, and taking either as an option for Ritual Caster is a trap option. It seems like this is mostly a buff for tomelocks (who now get find steed and an animal companion) and hunter rangers (who get an animal companion). Those are already the best subclasses for their respective classes, they don't really need a boost.
I failed to consider that Paladins and Rangers did not get ritual casting as a class feature. This does mean other casters can utilize these spells better than the class they are intended for. I may end up removing the ritual tag, although that kind of goes against the purpose of all of this. As an aside, taking Ritual Caster for Ranger spells is not all that bad, it is almost identical to the Druid list (trading purify food and drink for alarm, and losing feign death and meld into stone). Paladin, on the other hand is hot garbage, with only three 1st-level spells.

The issue with Hunter Rangers is not so bad when you consider their limited spell slots. Each casting of find companion is a potential casting of hunter's mark. Keeping their unenhanced beast companion going can get costly, especially because the beast disappears at 0 hp, and thus can't just be healed after a fight.

I did not mean to make Pact of the Tome Warlocks any stronger, which is the main reason I'm considering removing the ritual tag.

Also, the upcast option is a bit odd. You can cast it as a first-level ritual or a level 3 slot spell? That seems unlikely to ever come up for find familiar, since wizards pretty much never prepare FF. I guess it's to allow paladins, rangers, and warlocks to use up their spell slots right before a rest?
It's more for flavor than anything. If you want to have a baboon/blood hawk/giant fire beetle as your familiar, this let you have it. If your DM wanted to give you a faerie dragon/gazer/sprite familiar as a reward, this was a way to do it. If you wanted a bear as your companion, this let you have it. If you wanted a dire wolf/giant eagle as your steed, this let you have it. If your DM wanted to give you a dragon/hippogriff/skeleton horse steed as a reward, this was a way to do it.

copper090
2017-08-14, 01:18 AM
I am also a huge fan of this dynamic.

TheOldCrow
2017-08-17, 01:41 PM
Does this mean that summoning something as a steed lets it multiattack, but summoning it as a companion means it cannot?