Grow Retainer – A New B/X Spell

Print PDF

Sometimes you just can’t find good help. That’s why this 4th level spell allows a magic user to grow any small animal into a human-sized retainer/manservant.

This idea was inspired by a random art piece in the Metropolitan Museum’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.

Grow Retainer

Level 4, M-U

Duration: Up to 1 day/level of caster

The mage may transform a small-to-medium sized animal into a humanoid/animal hybrid and demand service for a period of 1 day per caster’s level. The creature’s level or HD are determined by the DM, but most tend to range in the 2-5 HD range.

Animals that lack arms, legs and fingers will grow them. Creatures that normally do not breathe air will grow lungs. They will have average ability scores across the board unless the DM rules otherwise (i.e. an ant-man porter could carry many times a man’s weight, provided its properly stacked).

These creatures will remain loyal to the caster in the same way as any human retainer until the spell’s duration ends. If the creature is defined as a man-at-arms, it will fight as a fighter at its HD level -1. If it is any other retainer, such as a blacksmith, porter, manservant, tailor, etc. it fights as a 0 level human.

There is a base 20 percent chance the creature will not revert to its original form, in which case it has a 60 percent chance of turning on its former master, although this might not be apparent immediately and the creature will plot its revenge slowly. Otherwise, it reverts to its animal shape and size and runs away quickly.