Familiars and Focus Objects

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At Conjurer rank, an Arcanist gains either an Animal Familiar or a Focus Object to help in their work.


Animal Familiar[edit | edit source]

A Familiar can be discovered or created through ritual, based on what suits the character.

An animal Familiar is highly intelligent and can speak either naturally or via one-way telepathy. A Familiar always innately knows where their master is and often has great insight into magic and magical workings, and this allows it to use their Arcanist's Charms.

An animal Familiar can be any small earthly animal, such as a dog, cat, bird, bug, etc. They appear as normal animals–there is nothing obviously abnormal about them to an outside observer.

Animal familiars can also use their Arcanists Charms in threads, as their magic is inherently linked to their human companion. As intelligent creatures, they can apply Charms to appropriate situations, to help a ritualist or frustrate an opponent. They do not change the impact of Charms as these are still minor abilities, and a familiar using a Charm does not count towards an Arcanist's Advancement.

As creatures that come from or have magic, Familiars are themselves inherently magical despite their mundane appearance. Additional enchantments and transformative magic will do nothing for them, other than harm and insult them.

Focus Object[edit | edit source]

As an alternative to an animal Familiar, an Arcanist can also choose to create, find, or inherit a Focus Object. A Focus Object replaces an animal Familiar entirely, and an Arcanist cannot have both. The object can be a family heirloom, a creation of their own, a found relic, or something else that could suit a Focus Object.

The Mechanics[edit | edit source]

Whether the Arcanist has a Familiar or a Focus Object, both help in their work, lowering the Threshold by 1 once per thread.

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