Familiar (Mystara), Gretch [699]

Climat/Terrain	Any
Organisation	Solitary
Fréquence	Très rare
Diète	Omnivore
Cycle d'activité	Day
Intelligence	11-12 - Très intelligent
Trésor	Q
Alignement	Any Neutral
Nombres	1
Classe d'armure	0
Mouvement	Au sol : 15" Vol : 18'' - Classe de vol : C Nage : Enfouissement : Web :
Dés de vie	3
Thac0	17
Nbre d'attaques	1
Dommage / attaques	1-4 (bite) or 1-4 (tail)
Attaques spéciales	Dexterity drain, slow
Défenses spéciales	See below
Résistance à la magie	Nil
Taille	T - tiny ( 2' tall or less) (2’ tall)
Morale	11-12 - Stable
Valeur en XP	1400 xp

Commentaires : Although the unique familiars of Mystara look like tiny humanoid creatures, these are actually the normal forms Immortals take when they visit the Prime Material Plane on special missions or to perform acts of penance. As a familiar, the Immortal serves a mortal master: a wizard of similar alignment. Note that text in this entry refers only to the five special familiars listed here, not to regular wizard familiars. The five types of familiar correspond to the five spheres of the Immortals. Each of these spheres corresponds roughly to a particular alignment. The chart below shows the familiar type that represents each sphere/alignment. Familiar Sphere Alignment ulzaq energy chaos bogan entropy evil fylgar matter law aryth thought good gretch time neutral Immortals do not follow these classifications exclusively; for example, an Immortal of thought might choose to take the form of a fylgar. As a familiar, then, it would possess connections to both law (for fylgars) and good (for its thought sphere), making it a fylgar of lawful good alignment. The tiny humanoids all have small wings and an assortment of powers, but each type of familiar boasts its own unique strengths, weaknesses, and physical features. While it remains a willing (and magically bound) servant, a familiar can communicate telepathically with its master for up to 1 mile. In addition, a master within that range can use all the familiar’s senses (including infravision) and gains a +3 bonus to all saving throws while in physical contact with it.

Combat : In battle, a familiar attacks with its tail and bite. (The ulzaq may use its claws as well.) Damage varies with the type of familiar, and each type has special combat abilities. All familiars are immune to nonmagical weapons, as well as cold- and fire-based attacks. They can become invisible (per the spell invisibility) and can cast detect evil and detect magic at will. These creatures all have infravision with a 60-foot range. Each can regenerate 1 hit point of damage per round (as with the regenerate spell) and pass this ability on to their masters no more than 10 feet away. Familiars all use their magical abilities as they were 21st-level wizards. If a familiar ever falls to 0 hit points, its body on the Prime Material Plane is destroyed, and its life-force returns to its home plane. The character whom the creature served will not be granted another familiar for at least one year and suffers the permanent loss of 1d4+1 hit points due to the shattering of the mystic connection upon the familiar’s death.

Habitat / Société : The familiars of Mystara serve their masters out of either choice or duty, depending on the reason they were sent to the Prime Material Plane. In most cases, a familiar allows a wizard to bind it into service with a find familiar spell. Unlike most such creatures, however, Immortal familiars often choose their masters carefully, either searching out a wizard of the proper alignment who is trying to summon a familiar, or even presenting themselves to a chosen wizard and telling this character to cast the spell. A completed spell binds Immortal familiars just as it would any other familiar. Certain high-level wizards have been known to bind an unwilling familiar to their service; only a few know the exact method to perform such a binding. This very risky procedure involves long, dangerous, and costly magical opera1ions and produces a weaker bond than if the candidate were willing. If such a familiar ever escapes its magical bindings, it will focus all of its abilities on punishing its former captor. Once per week, a familiar may use its special Immortal knowledge and insight to help its master make an important decision. The aid it gives equates to that of a commune spell.

Ecologie : Although in their Immortal forms, familiars do not need sustenance, while on the Prime Material Plane they need rest, food, and drink to survive, just like nonmagical creatures. Familiars can speak, but rarely choose to communicate with anyone except their masters. They normally assist their masters in all manner of tasks, from magical experiments to epic quests. Their special abilities make them adept at spying and scouting enemy camps. Because of the harm a familiar’s death inflicts on its master, wizards seldom use them as guards or warriors. Familiars make their homes wherever their masters live, and the two seldom stray far from each other. Gretch The lumpy, grayish gretch bears small, pointed horns, oversized hands, and a barbed tail. Its short but powerful leathery wings, though functional, do not permit it to fly well.Gretches can polymorph at will into either ravens or giant rats. If not polymorphed, the creature attacks with its poisonous tail. Victims hit by the tail must make a saving throw vs. poison: Failing means losing 1 point of Dexterity per hit. They can regain lost Dexterity at a rate of 1 point per turn, starting one turn after the loss of the last point. A victim whose dexterity drops to 3 falls unconscious and remains so until the ability score returns to at least 4. The gretch is immune to mind-affecting spells. Once a day it may cast slow on foes. These familiars feel less choosy about the alignment of their masters than the other Immortal familiars do. Although they prefer to serve one of neutral alignment, a gretch will become bound to the master it thinks will make the fewest demands of it. Gretches enjoy practical jokes, so any wizard who forcible binds one into service is well advised to keep alert, lest one of the familiar’s jokes “accidentally” harms (or kills) the master.