Improved Find Familiar
(Summoning)
Reversible

Range:  1 mile per level
Components:  V, S, M
Duration:  Special
Casting Time:  1 up to 24 hours
Area of Effect:  One creature
Saving Throw:  Negates

This spell attracts a familiar to act for the wizard. The wizard may attract a familiar of up to half his Hit Dice. The wizard may specify the type of creature preferred but not the specific creature. Hence he could specify "a cat" but not "Mrs Pike's Ginger Tom".
Furthermore, the wizard gains the ability to communicate mentally with his familiar and to use the senses of the familiar while this is being concentrated on. Hence, he can "see" through his familiar's eyes, "listen" with its ears, etc. No other actions are possible during this concentration. The range for this communication is 5 miles per level of the wizard.
The wizard gains the hit points of the familiar when it is within 12 feet, and on its death (if not released beforehand), will permanently lose double the amount of these hit points (regardless of the distance to the familiar). If a familiar is in range, it must be of the same alignment as the wizard and will then willingly serve its master or mistress as long as it does not involve a threat to its life and as long as suitable rewards are given to the familiar at regular intervals (mice for cats, treasure or souls for more powerful creatures). Failure to provide such suitable rewards allows the familiar an additional saving throw versus spell (at +1 for each time rewards have been ignored).
The DM determines the likelihood of the preferred creature being within range and determines all results including the type, size, Hit Dice and abilities of the attracted familiar. The range of the spell is one mile per level of the wizard.
The material components of this spell include feathers, fur or skin etc. of the creature preferred and a total of 100 gp worth of incense and herbs per Hit Die of the summoned familiar. The familiar so attracted receives a saving throw versus spell to ignore the summons. The spell may be attempted only once every 6 months.
This spell is a specialised version of charm person or mammal, and rewarding the familiar gives a strong chance of an individual offering his services to, for example, a wizard or dragon for quite a period. Both stand to benefit from the co-existence.
By introducing this spell to a campaign, familiars should be more common to all wizards including dragons, drow, etc. It would be quite beneficial for a dragon to have a human familiar. The familiar is able to arrange delivery of suitable bribes, slaves, information, treasure or whatever else the dragon would require. It can always be useful to have such a spy in an enemy camp. On the same basis, it also means that a powerful witch is able to have a troll or doppleganger act as her familiar for several years. In return, the familiar gains treasure, knowledge or power or just food and security.
The reverse of this spell, release familiar, has a range of 0, since the wizard must be able to touch his familiar to release it. This version of the spell has no material component and is permanent. Its casting time is 0, and the familiar is not entitled to a saving throw.

