Sloth Familiar

This is a test, but we'll see what happens...

So, you want a familiar for your mage, and the other, more active animals don't appeal. Why can't you choose one of nature's more relaxed beasts?

You'll probably want a pygmy sloth, that can ride on your shoulders, or in your pocket, as lugging a 7 kg animal through a dungeon would tax the fittest spellcaster.

But what advantages or powers could bonding with nature's most active vegetable give one, aside from the ability to sleep well at night?

Here's my suggestions for generic powers given by your sloth familiar;

• At low levels, the sloth can cause one target creature to fall asleep, or 1-6 targets to feel drowsy and tired, at the mage's level of magical ability.
• At medium levels, the sloth can shield it's master with its ability to ignore poisons and resist spells and effects that cause one to act in a frenzied or panicked manner.
• At high levels, the familiar can change to a Giant Ground Sloth, and engage any opposing foes with great power and force.

That's it for the first test post, and the strangest topic I could cover. Start as you mean to continue.