purplerook
First Post
I would like to start a conversation about the effective use of the Find Familiar spell. Let me know what you think, and I will incorporate the feedback into an updated document.
Note About the Author
I am new to 5e and coming back to Role Playing after a long absence. Much of the commentary is theoretical rather than practical and I am looking forward to hearing from those who have practical experience using the spell - as player and or GM.
Introduction
This document is the first in a series looking at various D&D 5th Edition Cantrips/Spells and specifically some of the utility spells. The series will focus on utility spells because the effectiveness and impact on gameplay is heavily influenced by the creativity of the player and the ruling of the Game Master. The intent of this document is to 1) provide a framework within which the Game Master (GM) and Player can discuss the use of the spell and 2) Inspire creative and effective use of the spell.
The ‘Find Familiar’ Spell
This document looks at the ‘Find Familiar’ spell and traditional animal based familiars provided by the spell. It does not look at Familiars gained in other ways - e.g., Warlock Pact of the Chain, Ranger Beast Master.
Overall, Find Familiar is a lot like Sleep - powerful at low levels, and declines in utility as the Wizard and the party gains levels. As they gain levels, the party becomes better at various skills provided by the familiar and get spells that can replace the familiar.
Benefits:
Limitations
Open Questions:
Specific Uses of Familiar
Here are some common uses of a familiar for discussion. The first paragraph describes the specific use of the familiar. The second paragraph is an assessment of the general power of the particular use.
Vanguard. The familiar is about 75' in front of the wizard in close terrain (e.g. Forest) and flying at 75' height in open terrain. The intent is to spot an encounter in time to either prepare for or avoid the encounter.
This is not terribly different than a single PC (e.g., Ranger, Thief) taking extended point for the party.
Remote Viewing. The Wizard can see and hear through the familiar . The Wizard takes an action and is blind and deaf. Note, this is very powerful capability if paired with the Blink Familiar (see below).
Note, this is a (very) limited version of arcane eye - a fourth level spell.
Scouting. The familiar is sent off beyond the 100' range to investigate something. Note, within 100’ the wizard is in Remote Viewing range and can see through the familiar.
Question here is how much information to allow through the telepathic bond, and how much if any smarter a familiar is than the base animal.
Help (Stealth, Perception)/B]. Familiar's can perform the help action. This means that they could assist a PC in various activities
This should be judgement call on the part of the GM for the specific situation. The general consensus is that a character can only help where it would normally be able to assist - that is the familiar has the skill and the task is one where assistance would be beneficial. For example, an Owl could rustle bushes to distract when someone is moving through the woods. Could an Owl help someone attempting to hide in a shadow in a hallway?
Help (Combat). The familiar distracts an enemy to give someone else an advantage on attacking a monster.
The GM should determine whether a Familiar can help in attacks. This is a powerful use of the familiar, but opens the familiar up to attack.
Touch Spells. The familiar is used to deliver a touch spell. The familiar readies for the spell. The Wizard casts the spell as an action, and the familiar uses its action to deliver the spell.
Using a touch spell to attack an enemy uses the Wizards action, and the familiars reaction. This means the familiar could do Help (Attack) as an action and cast touch spell as a reaction.
For Buffing spells, this can be used where the wizard is unwilling (combat) or unable to get to the target of the touch spell.
Bombs (Acid, Calthrops, Oil, Poison, etc.). A flying familiar picks-up and drops various items on enemies in combat.
The GM should determine whether a given familiar can do this. It going to depend on the Intelligence and carrying capacity of the familiar. Note this does relatively low damage (e.g., 1d6 flask of oil, 2d6 vial acid, 1d4/round alchemist’s fire) unless you allow the familiar to carry multiple oversized bombs. For example a Hawk str 5 * 15 pound /2 (Tiny) could carry 36.5 pounds. RAW, the Hawk could carry a 30d6 oil flask, costing 30 sp (3 gp).
Activate Items. The familiar uses a Magical Item - e.g., Magic Missile Wand.
The GM should determine if a familiar can carry/use magical items. This turns the familiar into a one-trick NPC. This is probably about the equivalent of inviting a townie to come along on the adventure, with the exception that the familiar always obeys orders and resurrections cost 10 gp.
Blink Familiar. The Wizard causes the familiar to reappear on the other side of a Wall or Locked door.
The GM should determine whether a familiar can be recalled in a space outside of the view of the Wizard. This can set up some interesting scenarios. With Remote Viewing, see what is on the other side of the door w/o opening it. With Bombs, drop a bunch of oil inside a room. You just need a touch ignite spell to set the room on fire.
Note About the Author
I am new to 5e and coming back to Role Playing after a long absence. Much of the commentary is theoretical rather than practical and I am looking forward to hearing from those who have practical experience using the spell - as player and or GM.
Introduction
This document is the first in a series looking at various D&D 5th Edition Cantrips/Spells and specifically some of the utility spells. The series will focus on utility spells because the effectiveness and impact on gameplay is heavily influenced by the creativity of the player and the ruling of the Game Master. The intent of this document is to 1) provide a framework within which the Game Master (GM) and Player can discuss the use of the spell and 2) Inspire creative and effective use of the spell.
The ‘Find Familiar’ Spell
This document looks at the ‘Find Familiar’ spell and traditional animal based familiars provided by the spell. It does not look at Familiars gained in other ways - e.g., Warlock Pact of the Chain, Ranger Beast Master.
Overall, Find Familiar is a lot like Sleep - powerful at low levels, and declines in utility as the Wizard and the party gains levels. As they gain levels, the party becomes better at various skills provided by the familiar and get spells that can replace the familiar.
Benefits:
- Gaining the service of the familiar is a ritual with a casting time of 1 hour, and materials costing 10 gp. Which means that it does not take up a prepared spell, or cost a spell slot to cast. As a result, Familiar is as much an ability of a Wizard as a Spell.
- As an action, you can dismiss (temporarily) or cause the familiar to re-appear within 30’.
- Telepathic Bond. The familiar and wizard can communicate silently when they are within 100’ of each other. The GM will need to determine the type of information that can be shared through the bond due to the familiar’s Intel.
- Familiars can come with some powerful features. As an example, Owls can Fly at 60’/turn - flying and double the speed of PC. Also, Owls have a couple of powerful features. First Keen Eyesight and Hearing gives advantage to any perception checks relying on sight or hearing. Second, the Flyby allows them to leave combat without provoking opportunity attacks.
Limitations
- Familiars are easy to kill, because they have few hit points (1-2) and low AC (11-14). Familiars need to rely on Stealth and not being seen as Familiars to avoid being killed.
- Killed familiars require the Find Familiar ritual to re-summon them.
- Changing the shape of the familiar (e.g., Owl to Bat), requires the ‘Find Familiar’ ritual.
Open Questions:
- Dismissing the familiar and having it reappear are each an action, but there is no elaboration of whether the actions require a Verbal or Somatic component.
- Brass Brazier does not appear in the PHG as an item of equipment. The GM will need to determine the weight and cost.
Specific Uses of Familiar
Here are some common uses of a familiar for discussion. The first paragraph describes the specific use of the familiar. The second paragraph is an assessment of the general power of the particular use.
Vanguard. The familiar is about 75' in front of the wizard in close terrain (e.g. Forest) and flying at 75' height in open terrain. The intent is to spot an encounter in time to either prepare for or avoid the encounter.
This is not terribly different than a single PC (e.g., Ranger, Thief) taking extended point for the party.
Remote Viewing. The Wizard can see and hear through the familiar . The Wizard takes an action and is blind and deaf. Note, this is very powerful capability if paired with the Blink Familiar (see below).
Note, this is a (very) limited version of arcane eye - a fourth level spell.
Scouting. The familiar is sent off beyond the 100' range to investigate something. Note, within 100’ the wizard is in Remote Viewing range and can see through the familiar.
Question here is how much information to allow through the telepathic bond, and how much if any smarter a familiar is than the base animal.
Help (Stealth, Perception)/B]. Familiar's can perform the help action. This means that they could assist a PC in various activities
This should be judgement call on the part of the GM for the specific situation. The general consensus is that a character can only help where it would normally be able to assist - that is the familiar has the skill and the task is one where assistance would be beneficial. For example, an Owl could rustle bushes to distract when someone is moving through the woods. Could an Owl help someone attempting to hide in a shadow in a hallway?
Help (Combat). The familiar distracts an enemy to give someone else an advantage on attacking a monster.
The GM should determine whether a Familiar can help in attacks. This is a powerful use of the familiar, but opens the familiar up to attack.
Touch Spells. The familiar is used to deliver a touch spell. The familiar readies for the spell. The Wizard casts the spell as an action, and the familiar uses its action to deliver the spell.
Using a touch spell to attack an enemy uses the Wizards action, and the familiars reaction. This means the familiar could do Help (Attack) as an action and cast touch spell as a reaction.
For Buffing spells, this can be used where the wizard is unwilling (combat) or unable to get to the target of the touch spell.
Bombs (Acid, Calthrops, Oil, Poison, etc.). A flying familiar picks-up and drops various items on enemies in combat.
The GM should determine whether a given familiar can do this. It going to depend on the Intelligence and carrying capacity of the familiar. Note this does relatively low damage (e.g., 1d6 flask of oil, 2d6 vial acid, 1d4/round alchemist’s fire) unless you allow the familiar to carry multiple oversized bombs. For example a Hawk str 5 * 15 pound /2 (Tiny) could carry 36.5 pounds. RAW, the Hawk could carry a 30d6 oil flask, costing 30 sp (3 gp).
Activate Items. The familiar uses a Magical Item - e.g., Magic Missile Wand.
The GM should determine if a familiar can carry/use magical items. This turns the familiar into a one-trick NPC. This is probably about the equivalent of inviting a townie to come along on the adventure, with the exception that the familiar always obeys orders and resurrections cost 10 gp.
Blink Familiar. The Wizard causes the familiar to reappear on the other side of a Wall or Locked door.
The GM should determine whether a familiar can be recalled in a space outside of the view of the Wizard. This can set up some interesting scenarios. With Remote Viewing, see what is on the other side of the door w/o opening it. With Bombs, drop a bunch of oil inside a room. You just need a touch ignite spell to set the room on fire.
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