Expanded Familiars

The familiar options presented in the Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Player’s Handbook are, by any practical measure, woefully inadequate for a game that otherwise celebrates variety, identity, and player expression. The list is short, narrow in scope, and largely confined to a handful of small, conventional creatures, offering limited mechanical differentiation and even less thematic breadth. For many spellcasters, the familiar is meant to be a defining companion - an extension of personality, philosophy, or magical tradition - yet the existing options often reduce that relationship to a predictable and repetitive choice.

The expanded familiar table presented here addresses these shortcomings by greatly increasing the range of available creatures while maintaining full compatibility with existing rules and expectations. Each familiar provides a clear, concise benefit consistent with established design patterns, allowing players to select companions that meaningfully reflect their character without introducing unnecessary complexity or bookkeeping. By broadening both the mechanical and thematic landscape, this update restores the familiar to its intended role: not merely a minor class feature, but a distinctive and flavorful bond that enhances both play and storytelling.

EXPANDED FAMILIARS

Familiar - Benefit to Master

Albatross (tiny mystical variant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Profession (sailor) or Survival checks made at sea
Alligator hatchling - Grants a +2 bonus on grapple checks
Ant (juvenile giant, soldier) - Grants a +2 bonus on Strength checks
Ant (juvenile giant, worker) - Grants a +2 bonus on Profession (miner) checks
Axolotl - Grants a +2 bonus on Heal checks
Badger (lesser combat) - Grants a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves
Bat (greater variant) - The master gains blindsense out to 10 feet while the familiar is within arm’s reach
Beetle (scarab) - Grants a +1 natural armor bonus
Blind cave lizard - The master gains blindsense out to 5 feet while the familiar is within arm’s reach
Canary - Grants a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves against inhaled poisons and gases
Cat (wild variant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Jump checks
Centipede (greater) - Grants a +2 bonus on Move Silently checks
Chameleon - Grants a +2 bonus on Hide checks
Chipmunk - Grants a +2 bonus on Move Silently checks
Cobra (tiny variant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks
Cricket (giant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Listen checks
Crocodile hatchling - Grants a +2 bonus on Swim checks
Crow - Grants a +2 bonus on Appraise checks
Dog (tiny breed) - Grants a +2 bonus on Listen checks
Dragonfly (giant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Spot checks
Falcon - Grants a +2 bonus on initiative checks
Ferret - Grants a +2 bonus on Escape Artist checks
Firefly (giant) - The familiar sheds light as a candle and grants a +2 bonus on Search checks made in areas of shadowy illumination or darkness
Fox - Grants a +2 bonus on Bluff checks
Frog - Grants a +2 bonus on Jump checks
Gecko - Grants a +2 bonus on Climb checks
Gila monster (tiny variant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves
Goat (miniature) - Grants a +2 bonus on Climb checks
Goose (aggressive) - Grants a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks
Hawk (keen variant) - Grants a +2 bonus on ranged attack rolls made against targets within 30 feet
Hedgehog - Grants a +1 natural armor bonus
Heron - Grants a +2 bonus on Balance checks
Horned lizard - Grants a +1 natural armor bonus
Hornet (giant) - Grants a +2 bonus on initiative checks
Iguana - Grants a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves
Kite (bird) - Grants a +2 bonus on Spot checks
Kingfisher - Grants a +2 bonus on Spot checks made near bodies of water
Magpie - Grants a +2 bonus on Search checks
Millipede (giant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves
Miniature boar - Grants a +2 bonus on Concentration checks
Mole - Grants a +2 bonus on Survival checks made underground
Mongoose - Grants a +2 bonus on Reflex saves
Moth (giant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Hide checks made in areas of shadowy illumination
Newt - Grants a +2 bonus on Reflex saves
Nightjar - Grants a +2 bonus on Move Silently checks
Opossum - Grants a +2 bonus on Bluff checks
Otter - Grants a +2 bonus on Swim checks
Owl (woodland variant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Spot checks
Parrot - Grants a +2 bonus on Decipher Script checks
Peacock - Grants a +2 bonus on Bluff checks
Praying mantis (giant) - Grants a +2 bonus on melee touch attack rolls
Rabbit - Grants a +2 bonus on Hide checks
Raccoon - Grants a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks
Raven (arcane-leaning) - Grants a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks
Salamander (mundane amphibian) - Grants a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks
Scorpion - Grants a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves against poison
Seagull - Grants a +2 bonus on Reflex saves
Sea snake (tiny) - Grants a +2 bonus on Swim checks
Shrew - Grants a +2 bonus on initiative checks
Skink - Grants a +2 bonus on Escape Artist checks
Skunk - Once per day, the familiar can emit a noxious spray; creatures within 5 feet must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the master’s level + the familiar’s Constitution modifier) or be sickened for 1 round
Small constrictor snake - Grants a +2 bonus on grapple checks made to deliver touch spells
Snapping turtle (tiny) - Grants a +2 bonus on damage rolls for melee touch spells
Songbird - Grants a +2 bonus on Perform checks
Spider (hunter) - Grants a +2 bonus on initiative checks
Spider (web spinner) - Grants a +2 bonus on Climb checks
Squirrel - Grants a +2 bonus on Balance checks
Stick insect (giant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Hide checks
Swan - Grants a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks
Termite (giant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Knowledge (architecture and engineering) or Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks
Toad (swamp variant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Survival checks made in marsh or swamp environments
Turtle - Grants a +2 bonus on Concentration checks
Viper (lesser) - Grants a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves against poison
Vulture - Grants a +2 bonus on Survival checks
Wasp (giant) - Grants a +2 bonus on Reflex saves
Weasel (dire variant flavor) - Grants a +2 bonus on grapple checks
Woodpecker - Grants a +2 bonus on Listen checks