Are there any rules anywhere that give ideas for magi that want familiars other than simple animals? Like if one wanted a "land octopus" or a "sentient shadow"?
I can always figure something out, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if it's already out there somewhere...
Thanks
The Mysteries has rules for spirit familiars and theurgical familiars. House of Hermes: Mystery Cults has rules for faerie familiars.
The book "Realm of Power: Magic" also has some expanded explanations of how to assign Technique and Form to your familiar.
If it's a physical creature (not a human), associated with the magic realm, have fun.
Mind you, to bind that Might 30 size +2 Griffin, you'll need a lab total of 65+ but other than that, have fun.
Binding an immaterial spirit requires a virtue (but carries extra bonuses IIRC). See The Mysteries, Revised Edition.
Binding a faerie requires Faerie Magic (again, IIRC), and comes with a few complications. See Houses of Hermes: MYstery Cults (Merinita chapter).
Binding a Demon... is a really bad idea, but I don't think it actually requires any special virtues. Would probably give you a nice flaw though.
Binding an Angel... might be possible for magi with holy magic, but seems horribly Arrogant and so probably wouldn't be virtuous.
Have I missed something?
The important factors are game-balance and believability/acceptability for your Troupe. Such creatures probably are not found in the local petshop so - how did you find one?
Otoh, if that's the character concept, and it's OK w/ the SG/Troupe, no reason not to - it's certainly in genre (if at the higher-fantasy end of the spectrum).
I want to say there is a Virtue (forget which source) that allows "exceptional familiar" (or words to that effect) without the need for an in-saga effort - a "fast pass" to the front of the line, as it were. (I've never used it - any unusual familiar worth having is worth a story imo/ims.)
Ancient Magic has the bits about Heron, and how you can eventually make mechanical magical animals that are unusual familiar material.
Also, here's a link I posted on having a powerful dragon familiar:
https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/dragon-familiar-question/5734/1
Not sure if it's what uriel222 originally had in mind, but it was an interesting discussion.
Thanks for the tips. The Spirit binding and mechanicals of Heron are going to be perfect.
I love this board!
A nice Flaw, and extra Virtue/powers/etc: Hell is really good at offering a (worldly) Upside, to tempt those Foolish Mortals...
I might allow (with research, as a breakthrough) something mutual, a binding-to-one-another; it will quite likely leave the Angel as the more-influential partner in the pairing, and offhand I suspect it would move the PC substantially toward NPC-dom.
There are also the Rules for faerie familiars in HoH:MC. Basically Merinita can bind any living thing that is inherently faerie in nature. They leave what that means pretty wide open. If it has a fae based might score defiantly. But book specifically mentions the possibility of binding people or animals, who lack might scores but are otherwise closely associated with faeries.
And hey, if you have a really excellent artist with clear expression you can shape your faerie familiar into just about anything you want...