Totem Beast

Like the 1st level wizard spell find familiar, this spell allows a priest to summon an animal that represents some aspect of his or her faith. If the spell succeeds, the animal appears 1d6 turns after the casting and remains with the priest one day for each level of the caster.

The totem beast does not add hit points to the caster, nor is it linked in such a way that the two cannot be separated. The animal summoned to the caster is exceptionally intelligent for its species and understands all verbal commands issued by the caster. No mental telepathy exists between the pair. The animal does not understand speech or commands issued by anyone other than the caster, even if they speak the same language as the priest.

Different gods grant different totem beasts to their followers. The priest has no control over the type of animal gained. The following list provides examples of animals that may appear to priests of different deities.

Deity | Beast(s) --------+-------------------------- Erik | bear, falcon, fox Nesirie | seal, swan, otter Eloele | cat, raven, rat Kriesha | wolf, owl, badger Belinik | varsk, vulture, wolverine

This list is not exhaustive; a different type of animal may appear to a priest depending on the god's wishes and the priest's location. A priest of Belinik in Khinasi lands may summon a hyena, for example. Lower level priests tend to gain smaller creatures, while higher level priests are sometimes granted larger beasts.

The totem beast may have up to 1 Hit Die for every three levels of the caster, up to the maximum Hit Dice normal for such a creature. If a 5th level priest of Erik cast the spell and was visited by a black bear, the bear could have up to 2 Hit Dice. The DM can grant maximum Hit Dice or roil for the possible range (in this case, 1d2).

No priest can ever have more than one totem beast at one time. The animal always departs peacefully at the end of the spell (unless it was mistreated, in which case it might leave earlier or turn on its master). The priest is free to dismiss the animal sooner if desired. A priest can summon only one totem beast in a 30-day period.

Success of subsequent castings depends on the priest's treatment of previous animals. If an animal were endangered or mistreated, further attempts may fail until an amount of time has passed or the priest atones for his actions in kind (such as caring for sick or injured animals).

The material components are 10 gp worth of high-quality food appropriate for local animals (both carnivores and herbivores) and a miniature leash made of fine gold wire.