Improved Familiar

Ability to acquire a new familiar, compatible alignment, sufficiently high level (see below),

When choosing a familiar, the creatures listed below are also available to the spellcaster. The spellcaster may choose a familiar with an alignment up to one step away on each of the alignment axes (lawful through chaotic, good through evil).

Improved familiars otherwise use the rules for regular familiars, with two exceptions: If the creature's type is something other than animal, its type does not change; and improved familiars do not gain the ability to speak with other creatures of their kind (although many of them already have the ability to communicate).

Almost any creature of the same general size and power as those on the list makes a suitable familiar. Improved familiars can also be assigned by the master's creature type or subtype:

¹ Or other celestial animal from the standard familiar list.

² Or other fiendish animal from the standard familiar list.

³ The master must first create the homunculus, substituting ichor or another part of the master's body for blood if necessary.

Forgotten Realms Improved Familiars

In addition to the choices presented in the Dungeon Master's Guide, the following familiars are available in a Forgotten Realms campaign:

Improved familiars do not grant any special abilities to their masters other than the Alertness feat, an empathic link, and the ability to share spells with the familiar.

Refer to the Improved Familiar feat description on page 200 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. In addition to the choices presented there, the following familiars are available in a Forgotten Realms campaign.