D&D 5E Pseudodragon as a familiar?

[daddystabz]

Can a player Wizard use a Pseudodragon as a familiar? The Find Familiar spell only lists a VERY limited list of creatures you can use as a familiar, not including the PD. However, the description for Pseudodragons in the Monster Manual, pg 254, states that can be used as familiars.

Can I do this?

 

[I'm A Banana]

Basic story: you can't get that familiar with the find familiar spell. But you can use it as a familiar using the rules in the MM, if the DM lets it happen. The spell is what you can get without bothering the DM, the monster is in the DM's hands if they want to give it to you (or make you work for it!).

 

[Fanaelialae]

What Kamikaze Midget said. The other option would be to take 3 levels in Warlock and Pact of the Chain. Although I don't recommend it, since you'd be giving up a lot of spellcasting potential.

 

[jgsugden]

What Kamikaze Midget said. The other option would be to take 3 levels in Warlock and Pact of the Chain. Although I don't recommend it, since you'd be giving up a lot of spellcasting potential.

The multiclassing for spellcasters works better than many of us realize... Yes, you delay access to top tier spells, but you get fewer of those anyways and there are offsetting benefits.

 

[Fanaelialae]

The multiclassing for spellcasters works better than many of us realize... Yes, you delay access to top tier spells, but you get fewer of those anyways and there are offsetting benefits.

There are offsetting benefits but it's nonetheless harsh, particularly when multiclassing with warlock. You're getting a few benefits, including a pair of 2nd level spell slots that refresh on a short rest. However, when other spellcasters in are casting 3rd level spells, you're still casting 2nd level spells. When they get access to 9th level spells, you'll still be casting 7th level spells. On top of that, you won't have the option to cast those 7th level spells with a 9th level spell slot, like you would if you multiclassed with another full spellcasting class. It's definitely not a decision to be made without careful consideration (IMO).

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Okay, you have to jump around in a couple of different places to see your options here.

From a sidebar in the back of the Monster Manual, (NPC section, p347) we get:

"Any spellcaster that can cast the find familiar spell (such as the archmage or mage) is likely to have a familiar. The familiar can be one of the creatures described in the spell (see the Player's Hanbdook) or some other Tiny monster, such as a crawling claw, imp, pseudodragon, or quasit."

From the Monster Manual listing of pseudodragon (p254, and similar text is found for imp and quasit, though not crawling claw):

"Mages often seek out pseudodragons, whose...make them superior familiars.
...
Some pseudodragons are willing to serve spellcasters as a familiar...
...
The pseudodragon can serve another creature as a familiar...
...
At any time and for any reason, the pseudodragon can end its service as a familiar..."

Now, there are a few different ways you can interpret this.

One could be a jerk and say that since the entry on having special familiars is only found in the NPC section of the MM, PCs can't have special familiars--despite the fact that it actually gives the mechanism (the find familiar spell) by which said NPCs acquire their familiars. Such a DM would assert that it is the combination of the find familiar spell, and the magical blue glowing "NPC" halo that allows the summoning of special familiars.

Or a DM could be a more reasonable human being and assume that the text in the pseudodragon entry, combined with the specific variant trait listing for being a familiar, is supposed to be explaining the manner in which pseudodragons can be acquired, and take the p347 entry as providing additional information about it, namely that it requires the find familiar spell.

The crawling claw (or "some other Tiny monster") situation is a bit iffier. A reasonable angle for a DM to take could be either that you just use find familiar and convince them to become your familiar somehow (much the same as pseudodragon or imp), but it also isn't terribly unreasonable for a DM to say that it's going to be more involved to get such a non-standard familiar, and set some sort of role-playing requirements that may make it more trouble that it's worth for most players. In any case, I would assume that all special familiars share the ability to terminate their bond at any point.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Okay, you have to jump around in a couple of different places to see your options here.

From a sidebar in the back of the Monster Manual, (NPC section, p347) we get:

"Any spellcaster that can cast the find familiar spell (such as the archmage or mage) is likely to have a familiar. The familiar can be one of the creatures described in the spell (see the Player's Hanbdook) or some other Tiny monster, such as a crawling claw, imp, pseudodragon, or quasit."

From the Monster Manual listing of pseudodragon (p254, and similar text is found for imp and quasit, though not crawling claw):

"Mages often seek out pseudodragons, whose...make them superior familiars.
...
Some pseudodragons are willing to serve spellcasters as a familiar...
...
The pseudodragon can serve another creature as a familiar...
...
At any time and for any reason, the pseudodragon can end its service as a familiar..."

Now, there are a few different ways you can interpret this.

One could be a jerk and say that since the entry on having special familiars is only found in the NPC section of the MM, PCs can't have special familiars--despite the fact that it actually gives the mechanism (the find familiar spell) by which said NPCs acquire their familiars. Such a DM would assert that it is the combination of the find familiar spell, and the magical blue glowing "NPC" halo that allows the summoning of special familiars.

Or a DM could be a more reasonable human being and assume that the text in the pseudodragon entry, combined with the specific variant trait listing for being a familiar, is supposed to be explaining the manner in which pseudodragons can be acquired, and take the p347 entry as providing additional information about it, namely that it requires the find familiar spell.

The crawling claw (or "some other Tiny monster") situation is a bit iffier. A reasonable angle for a DM to take could be either that you just use find familiar and convince them to become your familiar somehow (much the same as pseudodragon or imp), but it also isn't terribly unreasonable for a DM to say that it's going to be more involved to get such a non-standard familiar, and set some sort of role-playing requirements that may make it more trouble that it's worth for most players. In any case, I would assume that all special familiars share the ability to terminate their bond at any point.

I agree that a pseudodragon can be acquired by a PC, but not by means of Find Familiar. The way I read it, the spellcaster must find a pseudodragon and convince it to be his familiar. He doesn't even need to know Find Familiar for this to be possible. But since you have to convince the creature to be your familiar, and it can leave any time it wants, this is very much a "only if the DM allows it to happen" option.

 

[Celtavian]

Unless you want a Pseudodragon for style purposes, it's not much worth it. They have only seven hit points. Last time I sent my pseudodragon near a battle, he was killed in one hit. He's decent for scouting. He stands out like a sore thumb. This makes him more likely to be attacked if spotted. One hit from almost any creature kills him. I don't see why your DM would care if you had a pseudodragon. Familiars provide very little advantage save at low level.

 

[Zaran]

The Familiar rules need a lot of work. I think I would let the Familiar and the Wizard to share Hit Points. That will give the wizard incentive to not put them in harmful situations but they won't die instantly if they get caught in battle.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I agree that a pseudodragon can be acquired by a PC, but not by means of Find Familiar. The way I read it, the spellcaster must find a pseudodragon and convince it to be his familiar. He doesn't even need to know Find Familiar for this to be possible. But since you have to convince the creature to be your familiar, and it can leave any time it wants, this is very much a "only if the DM allows it to happen" option.

In my interpretation it requires both finding the pseudodragon and convincing him to join you, and casting the spell (otherwise p347 doesn't make a lot of sense).

Unless you want a Pseudodragon for style purposes, it's not much worth it. They have only seven hit points. Last time I sent my pseudodragon near a battle, he was killed in one hit. He's decent for scouting. He stands out like a sore thumb. This makes him more likely to be attacked if spotted. One hit from almost any creature kills him. I don't see why your DM would care if you had a pseudodragon. Familiars provide very little advantage save at low level.

I interpret it that once you come to an agreement with the pseudodragon and cast find familiar it becomes an actual familiar and gains any special familiar abilities (except the ability to change forms--since it is a specific creature rather than a celestial, fey, or fiend spirit), while not losing any of its own abilities. This means it can attack, and if it is killed you can revive it by casting find familiar on it again.

Without the ability to revive it, it is pretty useless.