MAGIC-USER FAMILIARS
Expanded Lore suggests all Magic-Users begin play with a familiar, which takes the shape of any animal.
The Magic-User has a telepathic connection with his familiar. The familiar can also speak all languages known to the Magic-User and knows one first level
spell (he or she may cast it once per day).
The Familiar seems to be a fully independent entity, not just an extension of the Magic-User's psyche. It is telepathically connected to the Magic-User, presumably over any distance. It can speak. It can cast a spell in its own right. Presumably the Magic_User can learn what it sees and experiences through telepathy but cannot actually see through its eyes or hear through its ears. Telepathic communication takes a round in which Magic-User and Familiar are motionless and inactive: it's not ongoing commentary.
Trauma: Sending the Familiar more than 30ft away incurs 1 Trauma for the Magic-User and the Magic-User gains more Trauma for each hour this separation continues
If the familiar dies, the Magic-User decreases his or her Intelligence score by 1. The familiar may be re-summoned after a week.
How does the Familiar 'die'? Presumably, it has the same Saving Throw, Hit Points and AC as the Magic-User. It is affected by Area Affects that damage the Magic-User and is considered to fail its saving throw if the Magic-User fails his or her saving throw.
Trauma: In addition to Intelligence loss, the death of a Familiar should incurs 1 Trauma for the Magic-User.
Sacrifice the Familiar: (Optional) A Magic-User may sacrifice her Familiar to offset an Injury. The Familiar dies with the usual penalties but the Injury is not applied. This must be chosen at the instant the Injury occurs.
Here are some 'Familiar Feats' a Magic-User could choose instead of the normal Magic-User Feats:
Esoteric Familiar: Your Familiar becomes an imp or quasit or perhaps a fey creature that can polymorph into any small creature or object and become invisible once a day,
Illusory Familiar: Your Familiar becomes a creature of shadow or glamour; if it is killed you do not lose Intelligence and it reforms after a day
Resilient Bond: You do not incur Trauma if your Familiar goes further than 30ft from you or dies
Sensory Bond: You can see through your Familiar's eyes and hear through its ears. If you also take Tactical Ally this confers (defensive) immunity to Back Stabs or (offensive) +2 rather than +1 to hit.
Sorcerous Apprentice: Your Familiar learns a 2nd level spell alongside its 1st level spell
Tactical Ally: Your Familiar can position itself in combat to relay tactical information to you. If defensive, this prevents anyone from gaining bonuses from rear or flank attacks against you; if offensive, this gives you +1 to hit: choose either offensive or defensive tactics before rolling initiative
Illusory Familiar: Your Familiar becomes a creature of shadow or glamour; if it is killed you do not lose Intelligence and it reforms after a day
Resilient Bond: You do not incur Trauma if your Familiar goes further than 30ft from you or dies
Sensory Bond: You can see through your Familiar's eyes and hear through its ears. If you also take Tactical Ally this confers (defensive) immunity to Back Stabs or (offensive) +2 rather than +1 to hit.
Sorcerous Apprentice: Your Familiar learns a 2nd level spell alongside its 1st level spell
Tactical Ally: Your Familiar can position itself in combat to relay tactical information to you. If defensive, this prevents anyone from gaining bonuses from rear or flank attacks against you; if offensive, this gives you +1 to hit: choose either offensive or defensive tactics before rolling initiative
