Familiar Personalities
So I am big fan of familiars, both from a mechanical perspective and from a flavorful one. Having an extra character who can scout things out and provide a little color for your serious wizard is a great thing. That said, I remember plenty of characters whose familiar was best described as a hawk, a cat, a toad, or whatever, who just stayed in my backpack and made no noise, forgotten about until a fireball went off. Well, the following Top Ten brings you ten new descriptions of familiars to either use for your own generic hawk, or to inspire you to create your own flavorful familiar personality.
1. Kinsington the Cat. Kinsington is a rather unusual familiar who believes himself to be a cat, though he is in fact something else entirely. Regardless of whatever form Kinsington actually takes, he never actually assumes the form of cat, though that has never stopped him from believing himself to be one. He walks in a stalking manner like a cat, chases mice, and regularly cleans himself in a cat-like fashion. He has a great hatred for actual cats, which he believes to be pretenders or usurpers. Like many cats, Kinsington’s loyalty is somewhat questionable, and he is a fickle fellow, likely to do what he is told only if closely watched or generously rewarded. Kinsington makes cat-like meowing sounds when giving his animal call or when speaking.
2. Sir Hawking Brightwing. This impeccably groomed familiar has terrific posture and moves with an almost unearthly grace and confidence. The stately Sir Hawking is a knight among familiars and prides himself on virtue and righteousness, expressing distress and anger whenever someone commits an evil act in his presence. A preachy fellow, Sir Hawking is not shy about sharing his thoughts on various subjects, seeking to hold others to his impossibly high standards. Unable to abide evil characters, Sir Hawking will never serve an evil master, and he prefers to spend his company with good-aligned characters, perhaps forsaking his master to spend more time with more virtuous heroes.
3. Braxy. Though insistent that his name is actually Lord Braxbalraxious the Infernal, at some point in the distant past this fiend lord angered his betters, who made him into a somewhat less intimidating familiar. Indeed, Braxy as the collar he always wears names him, is even smaller and less intimidating than other familiars. Not a particularly clever creature, Braxy does not make up for his small stature with cunning or cleverness, and instead spends the majority of his time engaged in petty cruelty and reminiscencing about his past. Braxy speaks with a high-pitched voice and is always quick to offer an insult to those he believes do not give him his due difference—which is pretty much everyone.
4. Wocca the Old. Don’t use her title in front of this wizened familiar, who is quick to reprimand those who don’t give her the respect she is due. Wocca is a very experienced creature, and has been doing the familiar thing for quite a while. She takes her job very seriously and views herself as a mentor to the witch or wizard to which she is bound. She has strong views on ethics and the treatment of others, but is more inclined to create situations where her master can learn, rather than lecture her betters.
5. Merioci the Lover. This attractive familiar is a sleek and good-looking example of its species, and she knows it, strutting about and preening in front of anything which breathes. A lustful familiar, Merioci always seeks romantic encounters with virtually any being she encounters, looking to flirt and establish a romantic relationship with pretty much anyone and anything, though she finds members of her own species most attractive. She is a haphazard flirt and not very gifted with romance, leading her to near-constant heartbreak. Her most common feeling is desire.
6. Maximus the Daring. A rather foolish familiar, Maximus is a violent and brutish individual, constantly on the lookout for more excitement. Bolstered by the knowledge that the arcane bond grants him additional toughness compared to other creatures of the same kind, Maximus constantly throws himself into dangerous situations where his life is at risk. Worse still, he has a terrible habit of drawing his companions into similar situations. He also enjoys taking the lion share of the credit when things go well, and blaming others when things go poorly.
7. Oli the Loyal. Typically, Oli appears as a dog or similar creature that is known to be very loyal. Oli is a steadfast and helpful familiar, always eager to please his master; however, he behaves more as a pet than a servant, enjoying being pampered and spending as much time as possible at his master’s side, so that he can revel in his company. He also does not relish any task that takes him away from his master and pouts endlessly if he isn’t allowed to tag along. He is most easily controlled with affection and a healthy dose of treats.
8. Gwendel the Magnificent. Gwendel takes great pride in everything she does, believing with good reason that she is the very best at whatever she strikes out to do. A highly capable individual, Gwendel performs every task with efficiency and style. Though a magnificent familiar, she demands praise from her master and attention from others, or she becomes sullen and bitter and consequently sloppy in her work. Merely hearing the words, “Good work!” gets her right back into high spirits, however, much to the happiness of all involved.
9. Cassovir his Royal Highness. Cassovir was once a prince, who was cursed by a witch and transformed into a frog until a princess would kiss him. Being a very young prince and afraid of girls, Cassovir instead begged the witch to take him on as her familiar, which she did. He had spent several decades doing the witch’s bidding when she offered to lift the curse. Still, Cassovir found he preferred being a familiar to a prince, and so the witch’s patron, taking pity on him, took him into her fold, allowing him to continue his career. Cassovir is a great familiar, competent and respectful of most, though he remains terrified of young women and secretly lives in fear that someday, someone will kiss him, and his days as a familiar will be over.
10. Gisseella the Hoarder. A normally charming familiar, Gisseella is smart and action-oriented, always looking for good ways to solve problems. While generally serious, she has an appreciation for humor and a quick wit. She also has a terrible flaw: she keeps stealing things. Though she never takes anything of real material value, she steals things constantly, and from nearly everyone, and is incredibly protective of her “treasures,” as she calls them. She watches over these trinkets as though they really were precious, and insists that she needs them, but that she does know what for.