Mrs. Dungeon Master said:
If anyone has read the Brief Interludes to Bluffside:
Could you please clarify something for me.
Under the advancement for the Bhagiasta (winged kitty very nice) it says that the advancement is special, see below. Could you please clarify exactly what their advancement is. Our druidess gained one as a familiar and wants to know.
Thank you
The special is for non-magic users and I bolded it out for you.
Here is the info that explains that (I hope) for you. From I:BEtB in the new creature section.
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Bhagaista Familiar or Animal Companion
Not just anyone can gain a Bhagaista as a familiar or
companion. The prospective master or friend must first
meet the following requirements:
Alignment: Any good.
Special: The perspective master must be able to cast 3rd
level spells and have either the find familiar special ability or
be able to cast the divine animal friendship spell.
Feeding and care: Bhagaista require special foods to keep
them healthy and happy. They favor sweets, raw honey
being their chosen food. These tiny creatures need to eat
roughly one cup of honey per day. To supplement their diet
of sweets, bonded bhagaista also need to eat meat (preferably
a cooked bird of any kind) at least twice per week.
Bhagaista also need to be groomed. They are known to
shed and this shedding can be used in the creation of potions
of cure light wounds as a special component. The act of
grooming one’s bonded bhagaista serves to strengthen the
bond between creature and master.
Bonded Bhagaista:
Familiar Abilities (Sp): A bonded bhagaista gains the following
spells which it can cast once per day: cure moderate
wounds, delay poison, and detect magic. Each of these arcane
spells is cast as by 5th level bard.
A bhagaista confers a +2 bonus to its master’s Heal
checks.
Druids, rangers and clerics with the Animal domain
who cast animal friendship on a bhagaista receive one as a
special bonded companion (see the special conditions
above). These bonded companions are treated as familiars
in all respects, treating the divine caster’s level as the master’s
class level on the Familiar Special Abilities table.
Ecology
The bhagaista are rare creatures, found only in the
Coldwind Forest, or wandering the world with a humanoid
master, as its familiar or companion. There are a few hundred
living bhagaista in the Coldwind Forest, and a dozen
or so that live as familiars.
The bhagaista’s natural instincts for hiding and staying
out of harm’s way keep their appearance in civilized areas
rare. Only spell casters of good alignment can approach
them.
When attempting to gain the bhagaista as a familiar or
as an animal companion, the master must first study the
bhagaista they wish to join with. After studying this creature
for two weeks, a sorcerer or wizard may use their find
familiar ability within 100 feet, or a divine spellcaster may
cast animal friendship within 50 feet.
It should be noted that capturing and selling bhagaista
is considered an evil act. They cannot stand captivity and
will begin to die if caged or leashed over an extended time
(–1 temporary Con each week in captivity, and will not heal
temporary con damage while caged). Buying a bhagaista is
extremely difficult. A bhagaista kitten will typically go for
5,000 to 10,000 gold pieces. A full-grown adult is worth
15,000 to 25,000 gold pieces.
