Hades 2: How to unlock Familiars? List of all Familiars Hades 2 guide, tips
One of the mechanics introduced in Hades 2 are Familiars - pets that you can take with you on your expedition. On this page of the guide, we have described how to unlock the Familiars and what their properties are.
Last update: 20 May 2024
As befits a witch, Melinoe doesn't have to be alone during her quest to stop Chronos - she can enlist the help of useful, animal Familiars. The process of unlocking Familiars is rather easy and straightforward, but for the option to be available, you'll need to progress enough in the game. On this page of our guide, we describe how to unlock Familiars and what are the benefits of having one.
How to unlock Familiars?
Familiars mechanic will be unlocked along with your progress in the game. The conversation important for this happens before one of the battles against Hecate - we can't say exactly how many times you need to battle her for the conversation to ensue. In our case, it was activated on the eleventh expedition on a given save file, although it may take place earlier or later.
If Hecate mentions the option to take Familiars for expeditions in the pre-battle conversation, after the won battle you'll unlock the Faith of Familiar Spirits incantation, which can be bought at the cauldron in The Crossroads for 2 Nectars and 1 Lotos. You can obtain Nectar as a reward for completing chambers during expeditions, while Lotos can be gathered in the Oceanos region (no special tool is needed).
If the incantation continues to be unavailable, it may be that you first need to buy the Woodsy Lifespring incantation which changes some chambers of Erebus into healing springs. After leaving such a spring, you'll encounter a cat that you can pet - this should help with unlocking the needed conversation with Hecate.
Purchasing the Faith of Familiar Spirits incantation is rewarded with a Witch's Delight that you can give to a potential Familiar to recruit it. Give your first treat to Frinos, a frog that can be encountered at the start of The Crossroads. This will unlock him as a Familiar.
To get more Witch's Delights, you must first defeat Chronos for the first time. This will unlock the Beast-loved Morsels incantation, which will allow you to brew delicacies in the cauldron. The required ingredients are lotus (collected in Oceanos) and stardust. The second ingredient is rare and valuable. You will obtain it by unlocking the Pitch-Black Stone in the training square (give Chaos the nectar and talk to them until they unlock the Abyssal Insight incantation) and passing the trials hidden within it.
How do Familiars work?
You can equip a Familiar by interacting with the available ones at the training spot. Only one Familiar can be active at a time. Familiars follow you as AI-controlled companions, providing passive bonuses and increasing the chance of finding materials obtained with tools.
To unlock a Familiar, you must give him a Witch's Delight. You can also give delights to your already owned familiars to increase their level, up to level four, to make them stronger and increase the number of their uses as a tool. Below is a list of available Familiars and the bonuses they bring you.
Frinos
- Location: This frog Familiar can be found in The Crossroads, in the room where Melinoe respawns after every concluded expedition.
- Behavior: Frinos jumps around the chamber, destroying projectiles that touch him;
- Bonus: +10 to maximum Health;
- Tool: Tablet of Peace - Frinos will allow you to find more wandering shades that you can calm down in exchange for Psyche - the currency needed to upgrade Melinoe's Grasp while also equipping more tarot cards.
Toula
- Location: The feline familiar is first found in Erebus, in the room with the healing fountain. When you find her there and pet the cat, she will permanently move to the first room of the Rift of Thessaly, the second region on the surface;
- Behavior: Toula sleeps in a random place in the room. When you dash over it or sprint through it, it will wake up and attack the nearest enemy, dealing 99 damage;
- Bonus: 1 Death Defiance;
- Tool: Rod of Fishing - Toula will allow you to find more fishing spots. You can sell fish to the Wretched Broker in exchange for bones - the main currency of the game, which can be used to buy many useful materials.
In early access, there are only two pets in the game. The page will be updated as new content is added to the game.