Today we bring you our review of Zargoth’s Tome of Familiars, an expansion manual for D&D 5th Edition created by Arcana Games.
Born from the pen of Eugene Fasano, this supplement was has a very soecific purpose: to expand the mechanics of the Familiars in D&D 5th Edition. And it does it in an extremely varied and customizable way! The options presented easily adapt to different types of alignments, classes, settings and styles of play. This makes the product a very interesting tool; but let’s go and see the details!
The work is available on Drivethrurpg in two versions: PDF for $ 20 (about 20 euros) or hardcover at a price of 40 $ (about 40 euros). Considering that it consists of 98 pages, almost all illustrated (sometimes even with with full page art), the price is more than fair for what it offers.
Review of the Volume of Zargoth’s Tome of Familiars
I would like to start by talking about the subdivision of the manual into chapters; as obvious as it may seem, it is very intelligent and manages to make it easy to consult even during fights. The statblocks of the monsters are very easy to read (always in the typical format of the official fifth edition manuals), accompanied by descriptions and lore. The creatures are divided into 10 categories, for a total of 75 new summons!
We will now go through the mechanics.
The Feats and Familiars System
The general prerequisite for obtaining the feats that provide access to new familiars is very simple: being able to cast a spell. There are also smart ways to acquire the Find Familiar spell, which makes summoning these creatures possible for any character. In fact, it will be enough to possess Initiate to Magic to be able to immediately start summoning!
This mechanic is quite important, as several summons are designed and balanced to aid in melee combat.
Several feats can be learned more than once, such as the Symbiote ones; they will modify our character, allowing us to show off limbs and exoskeletons that are as disturbing as they are effective. For the magicians who love theatricality, it will be possible to invest in their own army of personal living magic darts: they will accompany the character by assuming different forms, and parametrically increasing damage and defense.
My favorites are definitely the Familiars dedicated to the school of Necromancy. In fact, they offer numerous support options, such as the Bone Hound’s ability to collect bones (and corpses) during travels. They are also endowed with excellent versatility in battle; a Vampiric Bat will be able to engage enemies in combat, heal their summoner and then flee without provoking Attacks of Opportunity.
In second place, I definitely put the Sylvan Fauna, extremely suitable for druids and characters linked to Feywild. All pets are accompanied by a beautiful illustration and a statblock. They are also indexed and easily searchable. Here are some examples, just to let you understand what I’m talking about:
Review of Zargoth’s Tome of Familiars: Alchemy, Magic Items and More
There is a whole paragraph dedicated to alchemy! It introduces a special feat and numerous consumable potions. After all, who has never wanted a pocket slime?
At the end of the manual we find some pages full of magical items. They are mostly upgrades for our summons, or for the Find Familiar spell. There are however some whips and some other goodies that will come in handy for the whole party. Then we find a unique race, spiritually linked to animals, and a small expansion to normal Familiars.
Ultime Considerazioni della Recensione di Zargoth’s Tome of Familiars
In conclusion I can say that this highly specific manual offers numerous customization options. In terms of balance they are all sufficiently playtested, even if some combinations could be a little over the top.
I highly recommend the purchase for players looking for a summoner experience in D&D 5e. I also believe it can also help the Dungeon Master adorn the game world; the familiars are in fact easily reusable as magical fauna.