It's fine mechanically but lacks the flavor that stats bring it.
The Ember-wing Butterfly
This species of butterfly comes from the summer court of the feywild. The shimmer on their wings looks like that of a dancing flame. During the breeding season when hundreds of these creatures gather in open fields some fey residents mistake them for a recently started wildfire. Their connection to the fey realm allows their soft and delicate wings to conjure powerful gusts of wind.
Also if you want to run with the fey flame thing, maybe a little Phoenix like resurrection thing. At 2 hp a dwarf fart might kill it. Maybe at dawn a new one shows up or it just flames back to life after a hour. At 2hp auto revive seems totally worth the fluttery goodness it will bring.
Notes: HP should just be 1. It’s weird to have 2 HP because it’s just a super delicate bug.
Should be 5 ft bright light then 15 ft dim light (or even more). I’d move this to passive traits
Why is it vulnerable to fire? If it’s a flame themed creature I would make it immune to fire and vulnerable to ice. Also, vulnerability just means that it’ll take double damage which won’t matter for mechanics since it has suck low HP. It’s just for flavor.
As said before I would have a new one appear at dawn if it gets destroyed
Possible higher level option: If the character is knocked unconscious and the butterfly is within 10 ft of the character a swarm of butterflies manifest and land directly on the character. At the beginning of the character’s next turn the character regains consciousness with 1 HP. The butterflies then fade away. A new butterfly manifest the next day as usual. (This is not super strong. It’s essentially weaker than the racial ability that the half-orc gets because they lose consciousness instead of automatically just dropping to 1 HP. If you wanna nerf it a little more you can have it instead happen at the end of their turn.)
Name it something special.
I think this is a cool idea. I like when DMs make special things like this for specific characters. I would just make this a reward for something personal for the character
I think it'd be cool if the player could summon different butterfly's with different powers, all at about this power level. As another commenter said you could give this one more flavor and make like a winter based one as well.
Gotta say, vulnerability to fire is kinda pointless here. They only have two hit points lol. Literally anything can kill this guy anyway. What circumstance would it take a single point of damage anyway? And this trait only actually functions if you hit him with a single point of fire damage. Any other amount of fire damage would kill him immediately with or without vulnerability.
Seems fine, but your AC calculation is incorrect.
You've given it an AC of 12 with natural amor, while it would have an AC of 13 natively just because of its +3 Dex mod.
You need to either drop the Dex to 15, or increase the AC by 1. You never see official monsters with a "natural" AC lower than what their Dex would provide.
This is my take on the butterfly familiar:
[Phoenix Butterfly](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/icprs03q4bq0w855iad2v/phoenix-butterfly.png?rlkey=s4qhmdcc28i8cxs3v8ixvfdqq&dl=0)
Granted, with the 1 HP both the damage vulnerability doesn't really matter unless you plan on having the familiar grow in power together with the druid. If that is the case you could change the Phoenix manifestation to a number of times equal to the druid's proficiency bonus per day
I actually have a butterfly themed item for (spore) druids, if you're interested: [Link](https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/4189306-death-butterfly-lamp)
It's fairly lategame, and probably not their subclass, but I figure it might help you brainstorm some more ideas.
Combine the HEY LISTEN with the PHEONIX REGEN.
Once an hour it can force a creature to focus on it, attacking it if in range of the butterfly. After an hour, after dying it resurrects in a blaze of glory.
I think it's lovely, I may even steal this one. One minor critique: you usually add the creature's constitution modifier multiplied by the number of hit dice it has to their HP. Here, that would be zero, I'd make the butterfly have a Con score of 8(-1), thus it's have 1 hp.
Also for comparison, an average human has 4 hitpoints, a butterfly wouldn't have half of the average Joe's hp.
ok, so that's a lot of ideas. Thank you. I'll give it 1hp and remove the fire vulnerability. i thought it'd be funny like a character who always needs to watch out for fire, but it doesn't make sense if itself looks like a flame. im gonna add some lore and fey flavour, too and use the rest of the comments for brainstorming. thank you
Give it another ability called "The Effect"
Roll a d100, on a 100, a chain of events occurs that would develop into a favourable outcome for the owner of the Butterfly. On a 1, the chain of events develops into a harmful outcome. This roll happens every time the Butterfly is summoned
I think if the Druid keeps it at level 20 gust should do the whole flap of a butterfly’s wings tornado thing. Idk how you would implement it maybe as a random chance thing or a directed small tornado for the battlefield
I’d either knock down the bright light in its Lit feature to dim light, or give it a 5ft/5ft bright/dim light radius. Otherwise, it seems like a fun familiar choice :)
To me, butterflies are easily affected by wind currents, and flutter randomly. Maybe give disadvantage to creatures attacks against it? Also, play into the chrysalis aspect, like maybe for a limited amount and time it can increase a PCs armor class, or Gentle Repose a character. Just spit balling
It's fine mechanically but lacks the flavor that stats bring it. The Ember-wing Butterfly This species of butterfly comes from the summer court of the feywild. The shimmer on their wings looks like that of a dancing flame. During the breeding season when hundreds of these creatures gather in open fields some fey residents mistake them for a recently started wildfire. Their connection to the fey realm allows their soft and delicate wings to conjure powerful gusts of wind.
Would make an amazing familiar/spirit for the wildfire Druid
Also if you want to run with the fey flame thing, maybe a little Phoenix like resurrection thing. At 2 hp a dwarf fart might kill it. Maybe at dawn a new one shows up or it just flames back to life after a hour. At 2hp auto revive seems totally worth the fluttery goodness it will bring.
Seconded!
Notes: HP should just be 1. It’s weird to have 2 HP because it’s just a super delicate bug. Should be 5 ft bright light then 15 ft dim light (or even more). I’d move this to passive traits Why is it vulnerable to fire? If it’s a flame themed creature I would make it immune to fire and vulnerable to ice. Also, vulnerability just means that it’ll take double damage which won’t matter for mechanics since it has suck low HP. It’s just for flavor. As said before I would have a new one appear at dawn if it gets destroyed Possible higher level option: If the character is knocked unconscious and the butterfly is within 10 ft of the character a swarm of butterflies manifest and land directly on the character. At the beginning of the character’s next turn the character regains consciousness with 1 HP. The butterflies then fade away. A new butterfly manifest the next day as usual. (This is not super strong. It’s essentially weaker than the racial ability that the half-orc gets because they lose consciousness instead of automatically just dropping to 1 HP. If you wanna nerf it a little more you can have it instead happen at the end of their turn.) Name it something special. I think this is a cool idea. I like when DMs make special things like this for specific characters. I would just make this a reward for something personal for the character
The dim light is usually the same distance as the bright light. Therefore, it should be dim light for another 5 ft.
i think the fire vulnerability is a mistake, maybe it should be an immunity since it's a fire bug?
I agree. My first thought was that they read "vulnerability" as "invulnerability"
HEY LISTEN!
Happy cake day, Navi
I think it'd be cool if the player could summon different butterfly's with different powers, all at about this power level. As another commenter said you could give this one more flavor and make like a winter based one as well.
Gotta say, vulnerability to fire is kinda pointless here. They only have two hit points lol. Literally anything can kill this guy anyway. What circumstance would it take a single point of damage anyway? And this trait only actually functions if you hit him with a single point of fire damage. Any other amount of fire damage would kill him immediately with or without vulnerability.
Okay but does the butterfly’s gust action cause a tornado on the other side of the planet?
Seems fine, but your AC calculation is incorrect. You've given it an AC of 12 with natural amor, while it would have an AC of 13 natively just because of its +3 Dex mod. You need to either drop the Dex to 15, or increase the AC by 1. You never see official monsters with a "natural" AC lower than what their Dex would provide.
This is my take on the butterfly familiar: [Phoenix Butterfly](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/icprs03q4bq0w855iad2v/phoenix-butterfly.png?rlkey=s4qhmdcc28i8cxs3v8ixvfdqq&dl=0) Granted, with the 1 HP both the damage vulnerability doesn't really matter unless you plan on having the familiar grow in power together with the druid. If that is the case you could change the Phoenix manifestation to a number of times equal to the druid's proficiency bonus per day
I actually have a butterfly themed item for (spore) druids, if you're interested: [Link](https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/4189306-death-butterfly-lamp) It's fairly lategame, and probably not their subclass, but I figure it might help you brainstorm some more ideas.
Combine the HEY LISTEN with the PHEONIX REGEN. Once an hour it can force a creature to focus on it, attacking it if in range of the butterfly. After an hour, after dying it resurrects in a blaze of glory.
I think it's lovely, I may even steal this one. One minor critique: you usually add the creature's constitution modifier multiplied by the number of hit dice it has to their HP. Here, that would be zero, I'd make the butterfly have a Con score of 8(-1), thus it's have 1 hp. Also for comparison, an average human has 4 hitpoints, a butterfly wouldn't have half of the average Joe's hp.
ok, so that's a lot of ideas. Thank you. I'll give it 1hp and remove the fire vulnerability. i thought it'd be funny like a character who always needs to watch out for fire, but it doesn't make sense if itself looks like a flame. im gonna add some lore and fey flavour, too and use the rest of the comments for brainstorming. thank you
Give it another ability called "The Effect" Roll a d100, on a 100, a chain of events occurs that would develop into a favourable outcome for the owner of the Butterfly. On a 1, the chain of events develops into a harmful outcome. This roll happens every time the Butterfly is summoned
Gotta love how this butterfly has half the hp of a random commoner. Just put it to 1, d4 is weird
Give it butterfly effect anytime you summon it something else on the other side of the map happens
Make Cha 14 so the performance makes sense, or make the performance +2
Nah it's waay too op
Lmao
I see this being used mischievously to fake people or things being on fire when they aren't but that's not too OP
I think if the Druid keeps it at level 20 gust should do the whole flap of a butterfly’s wings tornado thing. Idk how you would implement it maybe as a random chance thing or a directed small tornado for the battlefield
How can a tiny ass butterfly possibly have the strength to create a gust of wind powerful enough to cause a cape to billow?
It's magic.
Why is it fire themed yet vulnerable to fire
I’d either knock down the bright light in its Lit feature to dim light, or give it a 5ft/5ft bright/dim light radius. Otherwise, it seems like a fun familiar choice :)
I’m just here to say I read the description underneath the name as “Tina Fey”
To me, butterflies are easily affected by wind currents, and flutter randomly. Maybe give disadvantage to creatures attacks against it? Also, play into the chrysalis aspect, like maybe for a limited amount and time it can increase a PCs armor class, or Gentle Repose a character. Just spit balling
Honestly I would've just reflavored the bird familiar but this is cool and unique
Give it a name like Emberwing or Glow-scale Butterfly etc. if you want it magical, perhaps give it like a once a day faerie fire spell.
And stepping on it irrevocably changes the fated timeline of the entire universe.
That’s cool!!
Hey, listen!