Sometimes one familiar is just as good as another. I’m really not sure when those times ever are, but presumably they exist from time to time? For all those other times I put together a document for my players and myself to help sort through the differences.

Roleplaying & Familiars

I think it is entirely more rewarding to pick a familiar and mostly stick within its limitations, using it as an RP device rather than just a set of stat blocks to help you “win.” But occasionally you need the fastest flying creature, or the best creature to explore a dark cave, or whatever.

Also, nothing in the book states that familiars have to be a particular size within their size category. Therefore your bat could either be an “enormous” flying fox weighing in on average at two pounds, or a teeny tiny bumblebee bat, weighing in at two grams! Mechanically both creatures are considered Tiny, but for role playing purposes, the difference can matter.

Notes on the Document

Creature names are in bold if that creature is the best at something. Each column calculates a background color based on where that stat is in relation to the rest of the creatures in the list, so dark green is the best, while dark red is the worst.

View it here