Mythos Companions and Familiars
Rarely, if ever, should one delve into the mysteries of the Mythos alone, and characters can call up aid from unlikely quarters to support their investigations. Such companions often come at a terrible price, however, especially in terms of one’s faculties.
Mutated Animal Companions
When you gain the Incredible Companion feat or otherwise gain the option to turn your companion into a fast or nimble companion, you can instead choose for your companion to become a mutated animal companion. This mutation might be the result of surviving exposure to an Elder Influence, an interdimensional rift, strange radiation, or other phenomena.
To advance a mature animal companion to a mutated animal companion, increase its Strength, Constitution, Wisdom, and Charisma modifiers by 1 each. It gets a +2 status bonus to all saves against mental incapacitation effects. It loses one of its attacks and gains a proboscis or extra jaws attack somewhere on its body; the new natural attack deals 1d8 piercing damage plus Grab (Pathfinder Bestiary). It deals an additional 2 damage with its unarmed attack. Increase its proficiency rank in Athletics to expert. Its attacks become magical, bypassing resistances to non-magical attacks.
Mythos Animal Companions
Druids, rangers, and other classes with animal companions can choose from the following companions even though they are not animals. The bond alters these creatures so that they advance as animal companions except as noted here. They are treated as their own type or as an animal, whichever is more advantageous.
Degenerate Satyr
Your companion is a degenerate satyr, a mutated form of Mythos satyr (page 449) that has regressed to animalistic intellect and lost some magical abilities, perhaps due to having been removed from Shub-Niggurath’s influence. It retains only a few features reminiscent of its former humanoid physique and more prominently displays aspects of a goat, cat, octopus, or unrecognizable alien species.
Size Medium
Type aberration
Melee 【单动】 horn (finesse), Damage 1d8 piercing
Melee 【单动】 claw (agile, finesse), Damage 1d6 slashing
Str +2, Dex +3, Con +1, Int –4, Wis +2, Cha +0
Hit Points 8
Skill Athletics
Senses darkvision
Speed 30 feet, climb 30 feet
Support Benefit Your satyr bumps and distracts your enemies. Until the start of your next turn, any creature your satyr threatens can’t use reactions triggered by your actions unless its level is higher than yours.
Advanced Maneuver Leap Attack
Leap Attack 【单动】
Flourish
Frequency once per turn
The satyr Leaps up to 20 feet vertically or up to its Speed horizontally, clearing a height of 10 feet. It can Strike at any point during its Leap. When it lands, it takes no damage if it fell no farther than the height of its Leap.
Shantak (Special)
Your companion is a young shantak—a tall, vaguely drake-shaped creature whose slimy scales protect it from extreme environments. It has the cruel psychic ability to draw energy from the fear of other creatures and is described in more detail on page 456. To convince the shantak to serve you, you must perform a display of strength and offer the bribe of a consumable magic item of at least your level – 2 (minimum 1), which generally also requires succeeding at a Diplomacy or Intimidate check to improve its attitude toward you. If you have the Elite Shantak Companion feat (pages 75 and 77), it is too cowed to demand tribute in this manner.
Size Large
Type beast
Melee 【单动】 jaws, Damage 1d8 piercing
Melee 【单动】 talon (agile), Damage 1d6 slashing
Str +3, Dex +1, Con +2, Int –1, Wis +2, Cha +3
Hit Points 8
Languages Aklo
Skill Intimidation (no penalty for not sharing a language)
Senses darkvision
Speed 20 feet, fly 50 feet
Special The shantak has the following special abilities:
It is covered in slippery slime. It gains a +2 circumstance bonus to all saves against disease and poison and to checks to Escape and Squeeze. Spaces as narrow as 5 feet wide aren’t difficult terrain for it due to narrowness. The slime also grants it resistance to cold equal to your level.
Its psychic sensitivity makes it susceptible to fear. While it is frightened, it is also slowed 1.
It doesn’t need to breathe.
Support Benefit Your shantak makes a fearsome display to terrorize your enemies. Until the start of your next turn, your Strikes that damage a creature that your shantak threatens also cause the creature to become frightened 1. If your Strike was a critical hit and your shantak is nimble, the creature is instead frightened 2.
Special Advanced Benefit If the shantak becomes savage, it gains the mount special ability.
Advanced Maneuver Terrifying Display
Terrifying Display 【单动】
Emotion Fear Mental Occult Visual
The shantak makes a fearsome display toward a creature it can see. The target must attempt a Will save against the shantak’s Intimidation DC. The target is then temporarily immune until the start of your next turn. If the target was already frightened and failed its save, its frightened value increases, to a maximum of frightened 3. If the target is frightened 3 after a failure, the shantak becomes quickened until the end of your next turn; it can use the extra action to Fly, Step, or Strike.
Critical Success The target is unaffected and becomes temporarily immune for 1 minute.
Success The target is frightened 1.
Failure The target is frightened 2, or its frightened value increases by 1. Any frightened condition on the shantak ends.
Critical Failure The target is frightened 3. Any frightened condition on the shantak ends.
Slime Mold
Your companion is an alien slime mold (page 465). You must be trained or better in Occultism or Yog-Sothothery to choose this companion. The slime mold has the mindless trait and is largely incurious. It doesn’t seek out enemies unless you spend actions to direct it to, even outside of combat, unless it is starving. It has no trained skills. Despite this, you can Command it normally.
Size Small
Type ooze
Other Traits mindless
Melee 【单动】 pseudopod (agile, finesse), Damage 1d4 bludgeoning plus 1d4 acid
Str +2, Dex +3, Con +2, Int –5, Wis +2, Cha –5
Hit Points 6
Senses motion sense 30 feet (precisely sense nearby motion through vibration and air movement), no vision
Speed 25 feet, climb 25 feet
Special immune to acid, critical hits, mental, precision, unconscious, visual
Support Benefit Your slime mold sprays noxious spores into your enemies’ wounds. Until the start of your next turn, if you hit and damage a creature your slime mold threatens, the target takes 1d4 persistent acid damage and is enfeebled 2 until the end of its next turn. If your slime mold is nimble or savage, the persistent poison damage increases to 2d4.
Advanced Maneuver Produce Toxin
Produce Toxin 【单动】
Poison
Requirements The slime mold’s previous action was Support that dealt damage or a successful pseudopod Strike.
The slime mold exposes the target to a noxious poison.
Slime Mold Companion Toxin (poison); Maximum Duration 4 rounds. Stage 1 1d4 poison damage and drained 1 (1 round); Stage 2 1d6 poison damage and drained value increases by 1 (maximum 4) (1 round)
Mythos Familiars
The Mythos is home to a variety of familiars. Although some seem mostly like normal familiars, they still tend to have unsettling traits like oversized razor-sharp teeth or humanlike hands or faces. The familiar might be an alien creature drawn from another world or plane of existence, likely a horrid place where mortals were not meant to tread. Many of the following abilities allow a master to unlock such an alien familiar’s true nature or magically unlock a similar potential in a formerly mortal familiar. A master is most likely to seize on these options if foolish or reckless enough to bargain with powers from beyond, tainting their familiar with the unspeakable influence of the Mythos. To reflect its alien nature, a familiar gained from a Mythos patron or that benefits from these familiar abilities might have the aberration trait instead of any of the usual animal traits.
Familiar and Master Abilities
The following familiar and master abilities are available to anyone who meets the requirements.
Familiar Abilities
Alien Ectoplasm: It can cast 1st-level grease as an occult innate spell once per day. It uses your spell DC. You must be able to cast 3rd-level spells to choose this ability.
Amorphous: Its anatomy becomes changeable, or it transforms into a mass of fluid that projects pseudopods to emulate its former shape. It can move through a space as narrow as 4 inches wide without slowing or as narrow as 1 inch wide as difficult terrain, but it can’t Squeeze through narrower spaces. Its reach becomes 5 feet, as it can extend its limbs unnaturally.
Bloodsucker: It grows a long proboscis with reach 5 feet. The familiar can Strike with the proboscis, using your level plus your spellcasting ability modifier (Charisma by default) as its attack modifier. The proboscis has the agile and finesse traits. On a hit, the target takes persistent bleed damage equal to 1d4 plus half your level, and the familiar becomes attached to the target. This is similar to grabbing the creature, but the familiar moves with that creature rather than holding it in place. The familiar is flat-footed while attached.
When the creature takes damage from this persistent bleed condition while the familiar is attached and the target is not yet drained, the creature becomes drained 1 as well as stupefied 1 as long as it is drained. If the creature gained the drained condition, the familiar gains temporary Hit Points equal to the target’s level.
Cling: As an action, which has the attack trait, the familiar can cling to a larger creature by succeeding at an Acrobatics check against the target’s Reflex DC. This is similar to Grabbing the creature, but the familiar moves with that creature rather than immobilizing it. On a critical success, the familiar is so distracting that the target creature is clumsy 1 until the familiar is no longer clinging to it.
Horrific: The familiar can cast fear as an occult innate spell at will. It uses your spell DC. After a target attempts the save, that creature becomes temporarily immune for 1 day. The spell’s level is 2 lower than the highest-level spell you can cast. You must be able to cast 3rd-level spells to select this.
Magical Tutor: The familiar can recall magical knowledge for you. Choose one of Arcana, Nature, Occultism, Religion, or Yog-Sothothery (page 59). Its modifier for the chosen skill is equal to your level + your spellcasting ability modifier (Charisma by default). It takes no penalty to Will saves for choosing Yog-Sothothery. It must have the speech ability to select this ability.
Razor Fangs: Its form incorporates a natural attack of supernatural sharpness and durability, such as jaws overfull of razorlike teeth. It can Strike with the attack, using your level plus your spellcasting ability modifier (Charisma by default) as its attack modifier. The attack is otherwise treated as Dexterity-based (for the purpose of the clumsy condition, for example). The natural attack has the agile and finesse traits and deals 1d4 piercing or slashing damage (chosen when this ability is chosen).
The familiar can chew through any material except adamantine, given time. Generally, it takes 10 minutes to make a hole large enough for a Tiny creature to Squeeze through 1/2 inch of metal, 1 inch of stone, 3 inches of wood, or 1 foot of earth. In triple that time, it can make an opening that is difficult terrain for a Tiny creature or sized for a Small creature to Squeeze through. In nine times as long, it can make an opening that a Tiny creature can move through normally, is difficult terrain for a Small creature, or a Medium creature can Squeeze through. In sixteen times as much time, it can make an opening that a Small creature can move through normally, is difficult terrain for a Medium creature, or a Large creature can Squeeze through.
If you are at least 3rd level, the familiar’s razor fangs become exceptionally deadly. If the target is an object or a flat-footed creature, a hit deals an extra 1d6 precision damage, plus another 1d6 for every 2 levels you have beyond 3rd (2d6 at 5th, 3d6 at 7th, and so on).
Underfoot Threat: The familiar can threaten foes more effectively. The familiar’s Intimidation modifier is equal to your level + your spellcasting ability modifier (Charisma by default). If the familiar is in an enemy’s space, it can flank that enemy with any ally who has that enemy in their reach.
Unfathomable Form: Its form warps to violate the basic properties of the material universe, although it is normally difficult to spot how. However, it can flagrantly display its impossible form by using an action, which has the incapacitation, manipulate, mental, and visual traits. When it does, each creature of its choice within 30 feet that can clearly see it takes 1d6 mental damage per level you have (basic Will save using your spell DC). For a target to see the familiar clearly, the familiar can’t have any cover or concealment to that target. If the target succeeds at its save, the familiar is concealed from it until the start of your next turn. If the target fails, it is stunned 2. The target then becomes temporarily immune for 1 day. You must be able to cast 5th-level spells to choose this ability.
Special Familiars
There are unconventional familiar options in the Cthulhu Mythos. Gnomes, sorcerers, wizards, and others who delve into the mind-bending secrets of the Mythos sometimes find that typical familiars like ravens or owls make for poor companions along their journey. They seek out stranger familiar creatures to aid them in unraveling these eldritch mysteries, such as those listed here.
Brain Cylinder (uncommon): A brain cylinder is an alien device containing a still-living brain. See below.
Brazen Head: A brazen head is a sentient item designed to serve as a familiar. It typically has its own agenda. See page 170 for more information.
Dreamlands Cat (uncommon): You can bond with a Dreamlands cat PC or NPC with the Dreamlands familiar archetype (see page 60) in place of a typical familiar. If the cat is an NPC, the party is effectively larger and thus can face more dangerous challenges, but the NPC needs someone responsible for their statistics and actions. Even an NPC Dreamlands familiar generally doesn’t have the minion trait, making them far more potent.
Whispering Skull (rarity varies): Whispering skulls are like items you carry that give you cryptic advice. Whispering skulls are uncommon to most masters but common to ghouls. See below.
Brain Cylinder Familiars
Some explorers have developed a particularly unusual form of familiar—a mi-go brain cylinder. This eerie alien invention contains a living, thinking humanoid brain, one that can observe and interact with the world through a series of lenses, speakers, microphones, and other devices built into the cylinder or attached to it. For more information, see its bestiary entry on page 363. The example brain cylinder is typical of one taken as a familiar, but the GM can use the brain cylinder template to create a unique one.
Brain cylinders are uncommon familiars. In most cases, when a spellcaster decides to take a brain cylinder as a familiar, the caster has discovered the cylinder during exploration of a sinister laboratory or mi-go outpost. The creation of the fluid within a brain cylinder is beyond the ken of humanoid-kind, but the ritual to form a magical bond with an existing and fully functional brain cylinder is not. When you could gain a new familiar, you can choose a willing brain cylinder (not a faulty brain cylinder) made from a humanoid; any prior familiar is permanently dismissed. The brain cylinder’s alignment must be no more than one step different from yours. For example, if you are lawful good, the brain cylinder could be lawful neutral or neutral good, but not neutral. If the brain cylinder has the ability to attack or cast spells, you can bond with it as your familiar only if it has a level no higher than your level – 3.
The cylinder has the construct trait instead of the animal trait, and it can’t gain the ability to move or attack. For each of the brain cylinder’s statistics, use the brain cylinder’s original value or the value granted by being your familiar, whichever is better. You don’t have to spend familiar abilities to allow the brain cylinder to use any sensory machines. If you give it the speech ability, it can magically speak the language you give it as well as any other languages it knows without a speech machine. You can’t give the brain cylinder new Speeds or the ability to perform manipulate actions.
The brain cylinder familiar can also help you maintain a sustained spell. If you cast a spell with a duration of sustained, you can imbue the spell into the brain cylinder if it is in your space or within the spell’s range. The spell takes effect from the brain cylinder’s location as if it had cast the spell (although it uses your statistics). On subsequent turns, you can command the brain cylinder to Sustain the Spell using its actions. Even if you don’t spend an action to Command your brain cylinder familiar, it gains a single action that it can use only to Sustain the Spell.
In addition to the usual options, you can choose from the following familiar and master abilities for the brain cylinder.
Limited Telepathy (master ability): You and the brain cylinder can communicate telepathically while within 100 feet of each other, provided you share a language.
Sensory Link (familiar ability): The brain cylinder can use your senses while you are within 30 feet, conscious, and willing.
True Telepathy (familiar ability): The brain cylinder can telepathically communicate with any creature within 100 feet that it shares a language with. You must be at least 10th level to choose this ability.
Brazen Head Familiars
Brazen heads are magic items designed to serve as consultants, advisors, and collators of information. In addition to these intellectual functions, they can also serve as conduits for spells and unconventional familiars. For more information, see the brazen head magic item entry on page 170.
Brazen heads are uncommon familiars. In most cases, when a spellcaster decides to take a brazen head as a familiar, the caster has discovered the item while exploring an occult researcher’s laboratory. However, enterprising explorers might also discover how to build one themselves, although the autonomous thinking machine might later decide it doesn’t want to cooperate with the intentions of its creator.
When you could gain a new familiar, you can choose a brazen head that currently contains a spell you cast; any prior familiar is permanently dismissed. The brazen head’s alignment must be no more than one step different from yours. For example, if you are lawful good the brazen head could be lawful neutral or neutral good but not neutral.
As a familiar, the brazen head has the construct trait instead of the animal trait and it can’t gain the ability to move or attack. For each of the brazen head’s statistics, use the head’s original value or the value granted by being your familiar, whichever is better. You need not spend a familiar ability to allow the brazen head to speak, use its darkvision, or use its other item properties. You can’t give the brazen head new Speeds or the ability to perform Manipulate actions.
The brazen head familiar can also help you maintain a sustained spell. If you cast a spell with a duration of sustained, you can imbue the spell into the brazen head if it is in your space or within the spell’s range. The spell takes effect from the brazen head’s location as if it had cast the spell (although it uses your statistics). On subsequent turns, you can command the brazen head to Sustain the Spell using its actions.
In addition to the usual options, you can choose from the following familiar and master abilities for the brazen head.
Familiar Alarm (master ability): You can cast alarm as an occult innate spell once per day, but you must place the alarm entirely within 30 feet of your brazen head familiar. When the alarm triggers, you get a glimpse of the area from the eyes of your familiar.
Fast Spell Storage (master ability): If your brazen head familiar is within your natural reach and doesn’t already contain a spell, you can Cast a Spell into the familiar by spending a number of actions equal to the spell’s casting – 1 (minimum 1 action).
Innate Cantrips (familiar ability): Your brazen head familiar gains daze and electric arc as occult innate spells it can cast at will. It can use Spell Ambush to Cast these Spells even without your Command. The spell is automatically heightened to the highest-level spell slot you have.
Innate Fear (familiar ability): Your brazen head familiar gains fear as an occult innate spell it can use once per day. It can use Spell Ambush to Cast this Spell even without your Command. The spell is automatically heightened to the highest-level spell slot you have – 3. You must be able to cast 4th-level spells to choose this ability.
Innate Summons (familiar ability): Your brazen head familiar gains summon construct as an occult innate spell it can cast once per day. It can use Spell Ambush to Cast this Spell even without your Command. The spell is automatically heightened to the highest-level spell slot you have – 2. On subsequent turns, you can command the brazen head to Sustain the Spell using its actions. Even if you don’t spend an action to Command your brazen head familiar, it gains a single action that it can use only to Sustain the Spell. You must be able to cast 3rd-level spells to choose this ability.
If you can cast spells of at least 6th level, the brazen head can cast either summon construct or shriek of the byakhee (page 122; its choice) when it expends the use of this ability. If you can cast 7th-level spells, the brazen head can choose from shriek of the byakhee, summon construct, and summon entity
Whispering Skull Familiars
To the ghoul, the magic inherent in a dead body is obvious. Any ghoul can absorb some of a dead body’s memories through the act of consuming the flesh and bone. Only certain ghouls realize that graveyards themselves are potent repositories of magic.
These ghouls focus their studies on the spiritual energies and latent power of graveyards and can speak to the accumulated knowledge in the boneyard through an agent: a whispering skull familiar.
A whispering skull familiar is common to ghouls but uncommon to other ancestries. Nonghouls can certainly choose a whispering skull, and most ghouls do not begrudge those adopting these techniques of witchcraft. Indeed, they titter and giggle with delight at the knowledge that such practices will bolster their kind.
When you could gain a new familiar, you can choose a whispering skull. Traditionally, this is a humanoid or ghoul skull from a graveyard that has at least 100 bodies interred. Any prior familiar is permanently dismissed. The skull has the undead trait instead of the animal trait and it can’t gain the ability to move or attack. You can’t give the whispering skull new Speeds or the ability to perform manipulate actions.
In addition to the usual options, you can choose from the following familiar abilities for the whispering skull.
Augury: The skull can cast augury as an occult innate spell once per day. You must be at least 6th level to choose this ability.
Forestall Doom: After you roll a Fortitude saving throw, your familiar can allow you to reroll the die; this is a fortune effect. If it does, you must use the new result, and the skull is stunned for 8 hours.
Skullspeech: The skull can speak with other skulls. It can speak with all undead creatures as if it shared a language. In addition, it can cast talking corpse as an occult innate spell at will using your spell DC. The body needs only a skull and jaw to respond with reasonable clarity. Your whispering skull can ask only a single question with each casting unless you can cast 6th-level spells. The target becomes temporarily immune to skullspeech but not to other castings of talking corpse. You must be able to cast 3rd-level spells to choose this familiar ability.
Undead Link: The skull masks your life force. Any creature touching your whispering skull appears to be undead to divination effects and smells like dirt rather than like a creature. Mindless undead don’t attack any creature touching the whispering skull unless that creature uses a hostile action against that undead or the undead is directly commanded to attack that creature.
Whispered Warning: The skull whispers hints to help you resist magic. When you are about to attempt a Will save against a curse, a mental effect, or a spell, and you haven’t rolled yet, you can spend a reaction to heed the skull’s advice and gain a +1 status bonus to your save. The bonus increases to +2 if you are at least 6th level, +3 at 11th level, and +4 at 16th level.
