Type: General
Source: Dragon #336
A being of pure malice and darkness seduced you into the ultimate treachery: you murdered your own familiar. Now a twisted, undead mockery walks in its place.
Prerequisite: Ability to prepare and cast animate dead, required sacrifice.
Benefit: Your familiar gains either the zombie or skeleton template. Its abilities and qualities alter to conform with the template. You no longer gain the special ability it once granted you (such as the +3 on Listen checks granted by a bat) and as a mindless undead it never develops the speak with master or speak with animals of its own kind abilities. However, you gain the ability to draw upon its supernatural vitality when it is within arms reach. A skeleton familiar grants you DR 5/bludgeoning and a zombie familiar grants you DR 5/slashing.
Special: A wizard may select Betrayal of the Spirit Linked as a wizard bonus feat
Sacrifice: You must kill your own familiar and animate it as either a zombie or skeleton (your choice). Due to the intervention of your patron you suffer none of the ill effects normally incurred by the death of a familiar. Even if you subsequently repent and try to summon a new familiar only another undead creature answers your call.