On a warlock with devil's sight, I like having an imp familiar fly around holding a little rock that I cast darkness on. I can reposition the darkness spell every round for free, and by having the familiar fly higher or lower I can change the portion of the sphere that's interfering with line of sight.
An imp is an all-around fantastic familiar any way you slice it - it certainly will be my familiar of choice when I get around to making a Pact of the Chain warlock.
Was in a game with a DM and he informed me that all familiars can only use the text in red, so all the familiars loose their special abilities. He also demands that he controls the familiar rather than the player. I walked out on him after he de-summoned my pact of the chain imp familiar and then told me that I can't have a imp familiar with the special abilities. Basically destroying the unique ability of my character.
11:25 If you’re a pact of the chain warlock, you can take the investment of the chain master eldritch invocation and with that you can use your spell save dc when your familiar forces an enemy to make a saving throw. That means that the save for the sleep arrow can be as good as you are as a spellcaster
not qute the Spirtes Sleep effect specificly says the target goes unconcous on a 5 or lower on the saving throw and otherwise just becomes poisoned. This Does work for the Pseudo dragon as its sleep effect is tied to the actual saving throw of the poisen which investment of the chain master changes.
@Sean Fisher If I recall correctly they technically show up as magical as well if somebody is using something like detect magic. It will also show up to abilities that locate fae creatures. which most familiars actually are. But if they are fiend or fae they will show up to those instead.
@Quandry1 I’m not sure if they do actually. Oddly enough, Find Familiar has a casting time of Instantaneous. This means the magic ends as soon as the spell finishes and it can’t be dispelled. Because of this the familiar may appear like a regular creature, as far as Detect Magic is concerned.
@Sean Fisher I see nothing in the spell description that alludes to it showing a magical creature's type (especially the colour part). Detect magic shows the schools of magic, so unless there's an official ruling outside of the PHB, i'd take the wording to mean that, at most, the detect magic spell might be able to determine an aura of conjuration magic around the familiar since it is a conjuration magic spell that summoned it. Boston Barham's post has a point too and I can easily see it being ruled that way, but when I DM I will likely rule that the creature gives off a faint aura of conjuration magic. I'll do this because whilst the spell officially ends as soon as the creature has been summoned, the creature is still magically bound to the caster and returns back from where it was summoned from after the duration so it must have some sort of magic affecting it to return it back (or to hold itself in the material plane).
@Sean Fisher Re-read what you wrote: you specifically said you remember detect magic saying about the colour. Your last little sentence that it might be something else is what I was building upon i.e. that it definitely isn't detect magic. Since you are keen to try to belittle me with your response I'll stop beating about the bush: If another spell indicates extraplanar creatures with a traffic light colour coding system then i'm all ears but you'd still be wrong with your initial statement which could be misleading to people coming here for useful information. It's to do with phrasing: if you'd began your statement with "This might have been homebrew or unofficial but I heard that x" or even pose it as a question rather than "This does x.... It might not though" then it would be less misleading. As it was you stated it as if it were fact then tried to cover yourself with a disclaimer at the end. The closest thing I can see is Detect Evil and Good, which would detect a familiar due to them being fey, fiend or celestial but it still doesn't colour code them RAW so what you were "sure of" is still incorrect from what I can tell.
Your familiar doesn't need to be in place before you cast the touch spell it will deliver. On your turn you can ready a spell to cast with the condition being when the familiar gets to the target. Then on the familiar's turn it moves into position and you use your Reaction to cast the spell, and the familiar uses its Reaction to deliver the spell. You need to keep concentration on the readied spell until it is actually delivered, and it uses up both your familiar's and your Reactions, but it can be done. And since the spell uses the familiar's Reaction, it can still use its Action to Disengage, moving away without provoking an attack of opportunity,
delivering touch spells to enemies I think is only set up for ambushes. spiders hiding on enemy helmets being my favorite...provided the spider can get onto the helmet without being noticed.
BTW, about the Owl familiar being able to administer a health potion, they can. bird talons are as dexterous or even more dexterous than human hands. The problem is they can only use one at a time while standing. Granted they can uncork a healing potion with their beak as well, but two handed actions for an owl or other bird familiar would need the bird to be flying or sitting.
I honestly think this is encroaching the benefits of the pact of the chain. An owl giving a potion?? I've gone to renaissance fairs and watched the falconry. They aren't that smart lol.
@@toxux4618 yeah but the way this video is assuming your flyby owl familiar is pretty much as good as a Hallmark defining warlock class ability, I dunno. Y'all's tables seem to let a lot go by. If I was a pact of the chain warlock at a table with a wizard basically doing everything I am, I'd leave.
@@jrg305 the imp being invisible is a huge improvement over the owl. The owl will go down after being targeted by one attack most of the time. The imp/quasit/sprite might not even be able to be targeted in most combats. I've played wizard and warlock with pact of the chain before and I gotta say that I'm CONSTANTLY wishing my familiar could turn invisible when I'm wizard, and constantly feeling awesome that my familiar can be invisible when I'm warlock. Of course this is balanced out by wizards being more awesome than warlocks when it comes to spell casting haha, but when it comes to the familiar? It's not encroaching at all if the owl can deliever a healing potion...cuz it's getting plucked out of the sky by some random minion's ranged attack that same round the second the owl does that. It's a heroic self sacrifice for the wizard's familiar. But it's a basic action for the warlock familiar.
I will also use mine to give my human character dark vision when using the owl familiar. I will perch him on my shoulder and simply use my action to see with it's eyes while I move slowly through a dungeon or cave. I don't see anything saying I can't do this but I've never seen it mentioned anywhere and my dm allows it. Seems like a good way to get around having to carry a torch or when trying to stealth but still not normally having dark vision.
Out of combat, that'll work (although you'll probably be slow), once combat has begun you're pretty SOL though unless you want to waste all your actions looking through the owl's eyes during the fight.
This is definitely allowable. However, as another user mentioned, seeing through your familiar's eyes takes an action, and only lasts until your next turn. Additionally, familiars don't have many hit points and can be easily taken out by an attack or area effect. As such, keep that lantern handy!
im 2 years late to the party but since the other two commenters poo'd on your familiar googles party in combat I would like to raise the point of: just have it perch on your shoulder in combat, then have a shoulder mounted flame (weapon) thrower. since they are always with you if have anyone near you they can help you escape need be, otherwise have a nice area of deterrent so people don't get to close
I apologize if already mentioned, but my favorite trick with find familiar is pulling it out of it's pocket dimension on the other side of a door or wall, then use my next action to see through its eyes and use Misty step to teleport my self there as well. Who needs a rouge to pick locks for you? Not me...unless it is a treasure chest. Lol
I recently started playing a wizard character in a d&d campaign with my friends and your spell guide videos have definitely helped me a lot. Thank you and keep going!
Treantmonk has been giving cool advice for years. I appreciate the new format, it is easy to find and watch. the written guides were easier to reference a section of, but overall I like the videos. Thanks man.
Shocking Grasp Familiar works like this: Wiz readies HIS action to "Cast SG on the next enemy touched by the Familiar." Then on the Familiar's turn it touches someone, Wiz uses his reaction to cast SG while the Familiar uses it's own reaction to deliver SG, then moves away.
That's exactly how I've used it before. Not sure why that doesn't work. Only down side is it requires concentration to ready a spell.....so, you can't be concentrating on anything else.
@@thedude0000 It also takes your reaction, so no Shield or other spells can be used if you still want to be able to use that readied action on your familiar's initiative, but this is definitely the best way to ensure you can use that spell though your familiar
Reason why I allow familiars to help every turn or things like familiars getting buffed by dragons breath has to do with investment costs; familiar are 10gp a pop, readying and holding a spell takes up concentration while burning up actions for the pc and familiar, and other characters spells or class features can do a lot more with less.
Pact of the chain and pact of the time can both do similar things in different ways. If take pact of the tome, could take viscous mockery and give disadvantage, or your familiar attack can do the same. Guidance gives + to ability check, well familiar have proficiencies and the help action while invisible. I think getting advantage is similar to cantrip access all the time in power.
Newbie question - are you attuned to the ring, or do you mean you cast the spell into the ring that another party member is attuned to? Also did the guy in the video mean that the familiar can wear a magical item, such as the ring of spell-storing, to cast a stored spell on it's turn? Wouldn't the familiar need to attune to that ring? I'm very confused now, sorry!
@@onslaught5012 The only one who needs to be attuned to the ring is the one who will be doing the final casting of the spell so in this case you can have your party member attuned to the ring, you cast find familiar into it, then they cast find familiar out of it to get their own familiar (casting through the ring treats the one attuned as if they cast it). RAW familiars can attune to items that they are capable of wielding, as such, there is strategy to be had in giving a ring of spell storing (that is already filled with concentration spells you don't want to be using during combat) to your familiar (who would then take the time to attune to the ring) and having them cast concentration spells for you so that you don't have to use your concentration on the spells. I hope this makes sense, if not feel free to ask for more information. No need to be sorry, we were all new at one point or another and are all learning new things every day.
24:19 so long as you have the hour casting time and slots between forms. Edit: also you seemed to miss that familiars can only communicate telepathically with you within 100' but they can still take actions and are loyal to you when they're outside that range. I send flying familiars to track enemies and report on where they set up camp. Have used familiars to deliver messages to people (sort of an old school use), and regularly use them to search for things more quickly. It has to be w/in 100' to tell me what it's seen, but a bird that can scout and report back can let you know what's going on across a while city (of things your *spirit* knows to search for).
With the permission of my DM, my Orc Necromancer's Find Familiar spell was the spirit of his grandfather that takes the spirit of a weasel. It also allows the DM to give me story hooks and other information.
You described how the familiar can activate magic items & potions, but familiars can also use more mundane items available at low levels. *Oil* : A familiar can pour a flask of oil to cover a 5-foot-square with inflammable oil *Torch* : The familiar can set something on fire - either to create a diversion or to inflict damage *Balls of Bearing* : The familiar can spill them on 10-foot-squares to create hazards on the battlefield *Caltrops* : Like Balls of Bearing, with less area but higher DC *Clockwork Toy* : The familiar can create distractions by activating this Rock Gnome device *Bag of Flour* : The familiar can spread flour on the ground as a good defense against invisible enemies All of which can also be used in combat by the familiar.
@@TreantmonksTemple Actually, The feat RAW doesn't say you have to have the 13 in INT to go for Wizard ritual caster or in WIS to go for Cleric... it just says 13 INT or WIS, then pick the spell caster class you want to ritually cast. RAW you can have 4 INT and 13 WIS and take the feat and say you want to ritual cast Wizard. or 4 WIS and 13 INT and then pick Druid rituals... (and Druid rituals can be as fun as Find Familiar)
What's weird to me is that you can pick the Bard, Warlock, or Sorcerer lists (though I don't imagine why you'd pick those last two) but Charisma doesn't function for the feat.
Can a player Ready an offensive touch spell and have the Trigger be when your familiar comes within range to an enemy? Then the familiar can use the Disengage action to get back to safety if need be.
Treantmonk's Temple it definitely isn’t practical or supremely useful but in your example of shocking grasp cantrip every turn, chances are if that is their strategy, they are very low level and don’t have a lot to use their concentration on or are out of spell slots. So you ready shocking grasp with the trigger of enemy is within range of the familiar or the familiar moves into position next to an enemy. Is it wise? No. A worse choice than using a ranged cantrip? Definitely. But I think you misrepresent it a little in your video as “unworkable” unless the minion just chills next to your target and hope they don’t move. Having your familiar stay next to enemies or having the chance to completely whiff your spell are barely even options if you are trying to do this strategy. (Again it should be probably assumed at extremely low levels)
Not necessarily worse than a ranged cantrip. You don't need line of sight. Total cover won't help. And you cost the target their reaction. Sounds better than firebolt to me. However, I don't think you could cast a spell through your familiar and then disengage. "Your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell." If a familiar casts a spell it takes the Cast a Spell action, so it does not have an action left to use on Disengage. I just wouldn't worry about disengage. Your familiar is a renewable resource.
Familiar can use alchemist fire and other similar saving throw mundane items as well. I like picturing an owl dropping it as it darts by over head. Perhaps dropping caltrops and the like too.
A Familiar can also be used to cast Spare the Dying or Cure Wounds from a distance and potentially save a fallen buddy. Eat your heart out Grave Cleric!
I houserule Familiars to go at the end of the summoners turn. In addition if I have a wizard do the shocking grasp. I would allow them to move the familar into range and trigger the effect on the familiars turn. If something is able to stop it or it cant get close it just means the wizard wasted a turn.
on your turn you can ready an action to cast shocking grasp with the trigger being when your familiar is within melee range of an enemy, then when your familiar has it's turn it can move into range, cast the spell as a reaction, and then use it's action to disengage and use the rest of its movement to get away
Familiar+Dragon’s Breath is one of my favorite combos, particularly on an Owl or an Imp. Even better when I was allowed to Twin Spell the Dragon’s Breath on both familiars, before it was inexplicably banned by Sage Advice.
My illusionist uses malleable illisions as it's action to create a dragon (or other awesome creature) illusion over my familiar using a major image spell cast at 6th level then bonus action cast dragon's breath on the familiar. Now my illusion can breath fire that burns. 😈
Your average dungeon will have spiders in it, probably all around. One more wont be noticed, and it can just about fit most places including ceilings and just look around.
The Dragon’s Breath Spell from Xanathar’s Guide is amazing. It is a touch spell that uses a bonus action and concentration. For the duration, the affected creature obtains a breath weapon of varying elements to choose from. It was ruled in a tweet that any familiar can use a breath weapon, not just pact of the chain. It is very possible to reliably have an attack drone with Find Familiar and Dragon’s Breath. A familiar like an owl is reliable for hit and run tactics.
Looking at this wording "as if your familiar cast the spell" for casting of touch spells, it looks like you could deliver touch spells while maintaining Invisibility if you cast through your familiar. Cool for people who don't want to be seen but still want cast Cure Wounds, Magic Weapon, or other touch range buffs.
Your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast it--that's an ability the familiar has--but RAW it changes nothing else as far as what casting the spell entails for you the caster.
Nowhere in RAW does it say you need to have line of sight to the location you summon your familiar to so you could summon it to the far side of a door or wall. Then on the next round you could use your action to look through its eyes and use your bonus action to Misty Step yourself right past that closed/locked/trapped door. We have an agreement at our table that this is off limits.
In my group due to simplifying combat, the familiar acts on my turn. It also usually doesn't get a token and as long as it's perched on my or an allies shoulder is immune to aoe spells (ie treated as an item worn or carried). I also don't use it too much though as I don't have too many touch spells on that character.
Another good trick is to remember is that familiars can delivery beneficial touch spells to allies. This can effectively make a lot of spells have range. If you have access to healing, you can deliver cure wounds at range vs. using healing word. Besides healing you have spells like invisibility, improved invisibility, defensive spells (protection from evil, shield of faith, etc.), spider climb, fly, gaseous form, etc.) If you can't reach your rogue, let your owl deliver an improved invisibility while you are safely back.
I think a lot of tables just rule that your familiar takes their turn at the same time as you. Ye it's a houserule but it just makes combat so much easier to keep track of and if it allows for offensive touchspells then fine i guess, it's not exactly OP or anything
Yes, we often play with that houserule at my table, and it does fix the issue entirely. To be honest, I'm not sure why the designers chose to have the familiar go on a different turn, as it slows down gameplay and I'm not sure what it adds.
@@TreantmonksTemple probably for strategic possibiliy or roleplaying reasons. Designers can't predict every strategy that will arise from their design and having control of another creature with it's own initiative sounds way more strategically beneficial than one that can only act on your own turn, turns out that wasn't really the case. Either that or they wanted your familiar to really feel like another fully sentient partymember. Kinda like how Pikachu isn't just a tool for Ash in Pokemon, they're genuinly friends with different personalities who love each other
Flock of Familiars is on the Warlock’s spell list, Since, Tasha’s came out, Druids can now cast Find Familiar by expending a use of their Wild Shape. Find Familiar is my favorite spell, and these two new options to obtain it are fantastic. My favorite trick is to send a familiar into a pocket dimension, make it reappear within 30 feet but on the other side of a barrier that cannot be seen through, use an action to see through the familiar’s sense (bat’s are great for this purpose), make sure it is safe in that location, then Misty Step to that location still using the Familiar’s senses. This is all totally legal, and super useful!
Love your videos on spells. Could you please make one regarding thoughtful combinations of sorcery metamagic with spells from the sorcerer spell list. And perhaps include some spells off the cleric spell list for divine soul sorcerers. Thanks in advance.
I love love love the flock of familiars spell, when it is allowed it is good fun. I have a story where my wizard was able to clear out a room of guards by casting the flock of familiar spell at the 7th level and scaring the guards away with a small rat army, also my DM loves the dragon breath familiar combo it is super cost effective too sense casting dragon's breath is only a bonus action!
As far as familiars as offense, I recommend Dragon's Breath. The familiar delivers the spell to itself, then gets to use the breath weapon as you like.
Delivering touch spells can be used offensively with readied actions. You just ready your action, and sacrifice your reaction to cast the spell when the familiar is in position. Its not ideal, but it does work. But otherwise a great guide, and basically how I've used the familiar - scouting, and other such non-combat uses mostly.
readying your action to cast a spell requires your concentration which has 2 primary drawbacks, 1: You can't concentrate on another spell, and 2: if your concentration is broken you lose the action. The second issue is that your reaction is used to complete the readied action, that means no shield spells or absorb elements or other defensive reactions. This is a problem in itself, but it is compiled by the issue that it means you are more likely to take damage, which means your concentration is more likely to be interrupted. Still, this solution is better than nothing, but it does not compare with simply completing your action on your turn.
Hey Chris, love your videos! Great coverage of the details. Can you do a video about the Arcane Trickster rogue? I know you have already covered parts of this with your Minor Illusion and Find Familiar videos, but I'd love to hear your take on this class, which spells to take, how to play it in combat, how to roleplay it in social settings and even different uses of the Mage Hand Legerdemain. Thanks and keep it up!
Arcane Trickster if you can handle putting a 13 in Wisdom (or 12 if you go Wood Elf) could get massive mileage out of a 2 level dip in Trickery Domain cleric. Taking Find Familiar for AT with an Owl Familiar and grabbing Elven Accuracy is AMAZING. Throw in Booming Blade and you're gonna go far. If you can, get ahold of a Bag of Devouring. Mage Hand is THE safest way to remove objects you place in it (use copper coins to test what time every day the objects in it disappear and just remove things before they disappear.) Excellent way to play keep away, hide a dead body, and in general make more use of a Bag of Devouring than any other class. Fun fact, there is no size limit in 5e on creatures that can be sucked into a Bag of Devouring. If you manage to get even a claw or tip of the tail into the bag of holding, it can suck them into it and immediately destroy them if they fail the DC 15 strength save.
It is very true that a lot of tables have homerules for the familiar, in our table for example the familiar is allowed to have its turn at the same time that it master, so we kinda let it have the same initiative than the caster. Like that we tend to use the familiar in a very offensive way to deliver touch spells , but as you say RAW it would be very difficult to deliver something like Inflict wounds with a familiar.
Another major thing with the Find Familiar spell is the darkvision/blindsight options several of them have. For races such as Human or Halfling, you're already at a disadvantage compared to the other races in a lot of places without natural vision options for dealing with the situation...
on a rogue (not necessarily a trickster sub) through ritual casting feat: it comes in "handy" once too often (usually raven, but also rat), especially if a DM allows swapping a feat for a stat improvement during character creation...
The way I and most DMs I know have always interpreted touch spells is that you cast the spell, and then the power sits in your hand until you touch something. So if you cast it on your familiar they hold the spell until they can touch and set the spell loose. Casting anything else while the magic is still in your hand dissipates the touch spell on you, but not the familiar. Additionally, if you empower your touch and then don't use the touch and forget about it and touch something else you can accidentally fry a friend or an object.
I love the combination of FInd Familiar and Dragons Breath :D No attackrole, the spell is touch and it's only concentration. And now have a fire breathng owl flying in and out of combat thanks to 120ft flyspeed and flyby xD
Coming back to an old thread here. The new Investment of the Chain Master invocation coupled with the Genie Warlock Bottle Respite ability let’s the warlock ride along inside something like a ring that the pact of the chain invisible familiar wears, seeing and hearing everything operating the familiar including attacking and granting the familiar resistance to damage. I could definitely see this coupled with something like Inspiring Leader and the Aid spell to wonderful effect.
I could be wrong but can't you ready shocking grasp as a ready action with the trigger being when you familiar is in range of an enemy, then have your familiar move into range, readied action triggers using the familiars reaction, then it still has its own action to do something with. My table usually house rules familiars go on players turn to help keep combat moving, I personally ask that players be consistent so if your familiar takes its actions at the start of your turn, then it must do everything before you get a turn. This is a pretty common house rule along with inspiration (not bard) having the option of giving a reroll rather than just advantage before making the actual roll.
In combat I usually use Find Familiar as a healing potion/spell delivery system, or in specific situations a scout (bats blindsight can be invaluable). Sometimes however if it's a big or opportune moment, I will use it to attack Using Shocking Grasp to shut down a potential counterspell at a crucial time in a fight, or if I get the jump on the enemy, deliver Contagion to the boss (yea it's unreliable, but if it does succeed, you win).
Here's something for DMs: Give familiars out as loot! Instead of giving your rouge another +1 dagger or boots of elven kind they aren't going to use because they have boots of striding and springing, give them a rat or raven familiar.
To cast a spell through the familiar i do it like this, I'm the one who ready my action, the familiar moves close to the target, I cast the spell and then he uses his reaction, as a flavor before do this i always whisper an order to the familiar to appear tactically planned. Raw i think can be use like this
It’s funny you say that familiar using the help action and familiar spamming dragon breath might be seen as exploitative and I’m running a campaign where our arcane trickster and divination wizard are doing those exact two things lol! They’re going offensive touch spells too with shocking grasp/inflict wounds and I homebrewed to make it easier to run pets. Pets go before or after the owner in initiative, PCs choice. Makes tracking initiative easier and helps with combo setups which I’m cool with, our table loves how the familiars put in work, feels like pokemon
My dm let me have a constructor snake as familiar. It started off as a babby boa but by the time it was adult size (10ft) It could crush someone to death (or knockout) if they couldn't escape, or it could restrain them if it couldn't knock them out.
This doesn't change what you've said but casting a spell that requires an attack roll is a Cast a Spell Action and not an Attack Action. The whole thing about whether Dragon's Breath is allowed or not based on whether it's an Attack Action or not is starting a needless discussion (in case anyone was thinking of starting a debate with their DM based on that point) Having said my annoying, pedantic comment, I also love the spell. It is extremely versatile; although I avoid using my Wizard's familiar in combat when I get to mid levels; it dies very easily. Keep it safely away and call it in action during those dramatic moments as TM said
My human necromancer uses finding familiar as a way to get dark vision. For mostly RP i have not used it for combat. In darkness my owl familiar would sit on my shoulders and I would see into its vision. Since in this mode you are only deaf and blind. Me and my DM assume I have control over my body so I can move as normal but see through my familiar thus gaining 120ft darkvision.
My familiar, an owl, who somehow always rolls higher than me in initiative, always lands on my allies' shoulders, they're used to it, and so is the owl. I often hoot and chirp at the player it's going to, because it's become such a known fact my familiar is going to go land elsewhere to deliver my spells to the frontliners.
The issue with concentrating on a readied spell to deliver through your familiar as a readied action can be negated if you use it as your primary method, but to best effect as either a warlock or wizard with a bat familiar and darkness. Imp Familiar for superior hp, resistances to physical damage, and invisibility. Minor Illusion, make a rock/crate/bush to hide in. Shocking Grasp(Magic Initiate or Wizard 1) to negate AoO. Use its action to become invisible, and finish movement since the game allows split movement. It's probably not optimal, but definitely a viable strategy.
I missed that part. It really seems to punish the act of readying an action if it takes another action to do it...things like this really solidify my and others' lack of confidence in this edition. I want to like it, but sometimes it feels like certain rules have been included as a generic FU to the players choices. True Strike is another example.
Reaction is a trigger. So familiar must be near enemy to deliver. And you are the one who makes attack, uses its action, familiar is just antenna and uses its reaction to transmit the spell. Otherwise, if familiar is not withing 5 feet from the target, guess what happens. Also you can lower you initiative to go with or right after familiar, or it can do so, if DM is fine with it.
You could use your familiar to apply touch buffs to you allies tho. You could have your bat or whatever land on an allied PCs shoulder and cast though it.
Note About Attacking with Shocking Grasp, also pointed out by Elias Luna. Ready Shocking Grasp, familiar uses turn action whatever to get into position, procs your held spell/action, familiar uses reaction, uses action/move whatever is left to disengage/flyby, etc. Action Economy works both ways, don't get hung up on familiar waits for me, you can hold for familiar also. It works better as an ambush tactic (spider from ceiling, walls, etc.) or if you have a opponent locked down and you want your cat Mr. Scratch Bunny to use its Help action to somehow distract for your melee people and can still deliver your shocking grasp. This later works great, if you have some with inspiring leader to help kitty cat with a bump in HP, just incase.
have ever watched a spider feeding they are very dexterous animals they could so carry a small potion especially if they wrap things in silk they could even have a silk bandoleer with a few little things
I had an idea for a build that was similar to the ideas present in this video, and was wondering if you could make it work. The idea is that you use a something else's senses to cast spells using those senses. For example, using arcane eye to cast sacred flame on creatures inside a dungeon, while you are outside the dungeon. Do you know of a way to make this work with the beast sense spell, the find familiar spell, or a similar feature that grants additional senses?
Without the dm cooperating it will be tough. My version of this was assuming incorrectly I could do it with Find Familiar, an use the bats senses to echolocate there by see in the dark and even magical darkness. However, it takes an action to use the senses. So I suppose you could take levels in fighter and get an extra action once a rest, but even then there will be issues.
As far as delivering attacks go I'm assuming this has been mentioned, but is there a rule against using the Ready action? Use your action to Ready a touch spell like Shocking Grasp with the cast condition being your familiar enters range. Then since your familiar acts immediately after you, have them fly into and out of range on their turn (probably an owl would be best for flyby).
Try having the homunculus familiar, give it a magical item that allows it to increase it's size, and leave it at your base/house/whatever to do everything that your character would normally be doing in your downtime. Need to make a history check? Research some vital clue to whatever? Let me just check my private library...in my house...over 30 miles away...without leaving this dungeon... Need a batch of potions mixed by the time you get back from your current quest? Use the homunculus for all your in-game multitasking needs. ✌✌
Well, for one thing it will use up your action every round. There's nothing in the rules about this, but I would imagine it would also be disorienting.
Easily one of my top 5 favorite spells if not my favorite in the whole game. My ONLY gripe with it is that I wish that all the familiar’s forms were on a more even playing field. If you’re going more for flavor, it sort of feels like the Owl, Octopus (if in an aquatic setting), and the Imp for Warlocks are just outright better than all the rest by light years. Almost feels like you’re doing yourself a disservice if you DON’T choose one of those if given the option. But by and by, I put this spell on every single character I make period. So much fun and so much utility
I adore this spell especially the 3 added Familiar options from the Adventure Paths (Almaraj being my personal favorite, although the Flying Monkey and the Tressym are epic). Yes, these aren't amazing, but they are awesome.
And while I said they aren't the best familiars (Tressym is arguable), each has a use: Almaraj - It's a Bunnycorn. It wins pure kawaii cuteness. And it can be a decent ground scout. Flying Monkey - Combination Ariel Scout and pack mule (it's big enough to carry a Haversack). If I run a nautical game, my Wizard BBEG is going to have a Flying Monkey as his familiar Tressym: So to get this out of the way, it is the smartest familiar by far (11 Int), works well as a flying scout, and has 3 other benefits: it is immune to poison, it can detect poison, and it can see invisibility up to 60'. That is huge. Enjoy never getting ambushed by invisible enemies again.
Someone tell me if I'm wrong but the way I'm reading it for using for familiar for touch spells is when you complete the spell and cast it the familiar uses its reaction to cast the spell *immediately* and then the familiar cannot use any other reactions 'til the beginning of its next turn.
I'm playing a game where we don't get the special familiars. Mine is a raven, and they can do mimicry. Last session, we came across some rough looking dudes in the woods, which were actually bandits, but we didn't know. So I sent my raven to scout, and used its mimicry to talk to the bandits. My raven convinced them that it was a cursed maiden, and it needed help getting magic treasure to lift the curse. I sent the raven off and the greedy guts followed, allowing us to loot their camp.
When it comes to the initiative I as a DM just hate having to many things to keep track of so I use the rules that goes for mounted combat. The Familiar rolls initiative but as long as the player is actively directing it with their free action they move at the same time as the player. Also. About using familiars as a offensive platform. If the player ready a Shocking Grasp so that when their familiar gets within touch range it will use the cantrip and when its the familiars turn the Wizard uses its reaction to use Shocking Grasp. It isn't something invalid to do. Sure, it does remove the ability to use reactions for shield, but when you use your familiar to use touch spells as a spellcaster you kind of are doing it for a reason. It is a very valid way to rush in a cure wounds on a downed allied without actually putting yourself at risk.
My plan is to hold my action then on my familiars turn I'll let loose my spell when it's in range it should be able to use its reaction on its turn yeah?
There is no combat use for Prestidigitation. I could do one on how Prestidigitation makes you feel like a wizard. Is that something you would like to see?
@@TreantmonksTemple I can see how it would be good for RP, but compared to other cantrips I don't see why I would take it, but I've heard it's useful. You've mentioned in passing building a character based on an idea or picture. Maybe one of those would be good. Although you touch on RP in your build videos they seem to be optimistisation first, but I'd find it interesting to go for a very specific image of a character type and then try to build around that.
Are you sure it couldn't be used in combat? I mean, you can heat or cool objects with it, right? Could you make a weapon too cold or hot to hold? Could you freeze a puddle an enemy is standing in? If they're using a torch and you snuff it out, could that give them disadvantage or something? If a torch is laying at their feet and you light it, could that immolate them? 🤔😄
@@ChrisCox-wv7oo yes, and even if it lights fires from what I understood even Druidcraft is more potent (can shut down a small camp fire). But it should be enough to light a pipe or cause a very small flame that can still light up a fuse/spread on something highly flammable/blow up the gaz in a room.
Note Druid has gained acces to find familiar via optional class features... i always use my squerrel familiar to sit on companions shoulder to heal him
I never played it but how about an Imp that you cast darkness on that dual wield alchemist fire. its basicly a wierd ball of darkness that can bomb your enemy while blinding them. Would work well with devils sight
So, does the familiar variant trait apply to those warlock pets? Because if so you apparently also get advantage against spells when near your Imp, Quasit or Pseudodragon familiar (sprite doesn't get anything like it).
If you give your familiar equipment ... say a belt pouch. What happens to the belt pouch if you temporarily dismiss the familiar to its hidey-hole. "As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons." does the equipment fall off? like a "potion belt?"
If you give an owl familiar a vest with like 2 or 3 viles of health potions, and then dismiss it... Does the vest just plop to the ground? Or do you effectively get a very small bag of holding? Now... What if you make a small pouch into a small bag of holding, and strap it to your familiar? Again, does it just plop to the ground, or does the familiar keep it with itself? Does that mean, I could get an Arcane Trickster, and if I get caught, just hand my bag to my familiar and have him poof away until after they´ve searched me? The possibilities...
Would a player who gained a pseudo dragon familiar through the spell gain the magic resistance effects? Would you allow an adept fighter to create a fighting style that substituted the fighter's scenes with those of the familiar? If said fighter was in a globe of darkness, would could his imp inform him of his surrounding to remove the disadvantage during battle?
The sharing of Magic Resistance is part of the familiar variant rules in the MM, and does not apply to familiars gained through the spell. It requires your action each round to use your familiar's senses, which is a big cost in combat.
You could use your imp to remove disadvantage on a reaction attack roll, your action would be spent using its darkvision. If your foe was unaware of the imp and believes your character is blind, perhaps he would even give you advantage on the first attack; though that would entirely be the DM’s call.
Was very excited to see dragon's breath mentioned here; thanks Treantmonk! It's one of my favorite low-level combos. It uses your bonus action and your familiar's action, can be one of any number of different damage types, and has damage every round that's pretty close to spirit guardians. It also has utility: I gave my familiar cold breath recently to slow a fire that was consuming a house, for example. You can let that pseudodragon familiar feel like a real dragon, and there are some other fun things you can do: imagine a spider familiar for example, that readies its action to use the breath; on your turn, you hold it out, and it spits lightning. Then, you cover it back up and hide it away in your robes (is that not something Lucky the Halfling would do if he could?). Even if your enemies should focus on your familiar and take it out, it's still doing exactly what it's supposed to do; drawing attention away from the other party members.
Technically by RAW the Familiar can’t end its turn in the same space as the caster, but the mounting rules is a possible work-around. Once the Familiar use half its movement to mount the caster, it also seems reasonable that it can then maneuver to gain the benefits of either Total Cover or at least 3/4 Cover by moving under your armor or onto your back, depending on Familiar type. This is how my table runs it anyway.
Ok, so I am needing an example scenario on why using touch spells w/your familiar on an NPC is so bad (or not optimal), especially at lower levels (levels 1 to 4, or tier 1 league play) when your choices are so limited already. Initiative: A) NPC, Player, Familiar B) Familiar, NPC, Player C) Player, Familiar, NPC Most Concentration Spells I have a short supply of in early levels. So unless I am maintaining one of those few spells I do have, using a normal (spell) attack (d20) or Ranged Cantrip (Save DC 13) is no worse than having to make a possible Concentration Check if the NPC decides "I look tasty." At 5th level and higher I see why you wouldn't want to employ this strategy. Heck, you wouldn't want to employ this strategy in every combat round, especially near the beginning where you definitely will be using your concentration on one of your few level 1 (or 2) spells. Using the familiars "Help Action", allowing your familiar to "Observe" for reinforcements, or casting "Touch Spells" on ally's would be much better use of their actions in earlier combat rounds. But back to the basic question, using an example, why is using your familiar not optimal for touch attacks in early levels? (Hopefully I phrased it in a sense that is understandable and sorry this is so long winded)
Sure, I will an couple examples off B) init order Round 1: Familiar moves in position, NPC moves out of position on their turn, You ready an action Round 2: Familiar moves in position, NPC shoots you with an arrow and you lose concentration, you ready an action Then on round 3, if the enemy still lives, you get the spell off and you still have the same miss chance you were mentioning that ranged attacks have.
@@TreantmonksTemple So just went over "Readied Action" again. Looks like I am not the only one. In the above example, wouldn't my readied action in round 1 "trigger" immediately on my familiar's move in round 2 (assuming it could get to "touch range")? Actions "used" in Round 2: Familiar's - move and reaction Player's - reaction Which leaves me, as the player, my action for round 2. Though I can see how this would still not be optimal. It does remove the NPC's reaction (if successful) on mine and any party members turns if they rolled lower than the familiar on round 2.
@@peterwhitcomb8315 You are correct, I did not consider my response carefully enough before posting. That said, you get my point. The thing is that there just isn't enough advantage to casting a touch spell over a range spell to justify the increased difficulty in landing those spells.
What's your take when a DM is strict about hands for manipulating objects with the use an item action for familiars? is there a way for non-chainlock familiars to drop ball bearings/caltrops on the field?
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
On a warlock with devil's sight, I like having an imp familiar fly around holding a little rock that I cast darkness on. I can reposition the darkness spell every round for free, and by having the familiar fly higher or lower I can change the portion of the sphere that's interfering with line of sight.
That's brilliant! Thanks!
Thats sick - I am stealing that one
Ur brilliant
I had a similar thought but using a necklace so it could potentially be attached to a target, just in case you need to say "Screw you in particular".
An imp is an all-around fantastic familiar any way you slice it - it certainly will be my familiar of choice when I get around to making a Pact of the Chain warlock.
Was in a game with a DM and he informed me that all familiars can only use the text in red, so all the familiars loose their special abilities. He also demands that he controls the familiar rather than the player.
I walked out on him after he de-summoned my pact of the chain imp familiar and then told me that I can't have a imp familiar with the special abilities. Basically destroying the unique ability of my character.
The DM has one job. Make the game fun. If they don't even do that...
I know.. how do these people even have tables...
@@Jonestein13 well, you storm out on enough tables, you become the DM, then you repeat the cycle of abuse. :)
he might have confused the guidance in the DMG on alternates as applying to all familiars
can he even do that? i know its because the dm and they can but what is the point of even including a familiar if you cant use them?
11:25 If you’re a pact of the chain warlock, you can take the investment of the chain master eldritch invocation and with that you can use your spell save dc when your familiar forces an enemy to make a saving throw. That means that the save for the sleep arrow can be as good as you are as a spellcaster
not qute the Spirtes Sleep effect specificly says the target goes unconcous on a 5 or lower on the saving throw and otherwise just becomes poisoned. This Does work for the Pseudo dragon as its sleep effect is tied to the actual saving throw of the poisen which investment of the chain master changes.
Well this is a video that came out before tasha's
Important to note, that since the familiar is a spirit shaped like an animal, enemies with Truesight will identify it immediately.
@Sean Fisher Absolutely. Sending a familiar in to scout a BBEGs lair sounds like a great idea. Unless...
@Sean Fisher If I recall correctly they technically show up as magical as well if somebody is using something like detect magic. It will also show up to abilities that locate fae creatures. which most familiars actually are. But if they are fiend or fae they will show up to those instead.
@Quandry1 I’m not sure if they do actually. Oddly enough, Find Familiar has a casting time of Instantaneous. This means the magic ends as soon as the spell finishes and it can’t be dispelled. Because of this the familiar may appear like a regular creature, as far as Detect Magic is concerned.
@Sean Fisher I see nothing in the spell description that alludes to it showing a magical creature's type (especially the colour part). Detect magic shows the schools of magic, so unless there's an official ruling outside of the PHB, i'd take the wording to mean that, at most, the detect magic spell might be able to determine an aura of conjuration magic around the familiar since it is a conjuration magic spell that summoned it.
Boston Barham's post has a point too and I can easily see it being ruled that way, but when I DM I will likely rule that the creature gives off a faint aura of conjuration magic. I'll do this because whilst the spell officially ends as soon as the creature has been summoned, the creature is still magically bound to the caster and returns back from where it was summoned from after the duration so it must have some sort of magic affecting it to return it back (or to hold itself in the material plane).
@Sean Fisher Re-read what you wrote: you specifically said you remember detect magic saying about the colour. Your last little sentence that it might be something else is what I was building upon i.e. that it definitely isn't detect magic.
Since you are keen to try to belittle me with your response I'll stop beating about the bush: If another spell indicates extraplanar creatures with a traffic light colour coding system then i'm all ears but you'd still be wrong with your initial statement which could be misleading to people coming here for useful information.
It's to do with phrasing: if you'd began your statement with "This might have been homebrew or unofficial but I heard that x" or even pose it as a question rather than "This does x.... It might not though" then it would be less misleading. As it was you stated it as if it were fact then tried to cover yourself with a disclaimer at the end.
The closest thing I can see is Detect Evil and Good, which would detect a familiar due to them being fey, fiend or celestial but it still doesn't colour code them RAW so what you were "sure of" is still incorrect from what I can tell.
Your familiar doesn't need to be in place before you cast the touch spell it will deliver. On your turn you can ready a spell to cast with the condition being when the familiar gets to the target. Then on the familiar's turn it moves into position and you use your Reaction to cast the spell, and the familiar uses its Reaction to deliver the spell. You need to keep concentration on the readied spell until it is actually delivered, and it uses up both your familiar's and your Reactions, but it can be done. And since the spell uses the familiar's Reaction, it can still use its Action to Disengage, moving away without provoking an attack of opportunity,
delivering touch spells to enemies I think is only set up for ambushes. spiders hiding on enemy helmets being my favorite...provided the spider can get onto the helmet without being noticed.
BTW, about the Owl familiar being able to administer a health potion, they can. bird talons are as dexterous or even more dexterous than human hands. The problem is they can only use one at a time while standing. Granted they can uncork a healing potion with their beak as well, but two handed actions for an owl or other bird familiar would need the bird to be flying or sitting.
Archmage MC was going to say some same thing, look at those nests birds build, dex is a thing there.
I honestly think this is encroaching the benefits of the pact of the chain. An owl giving a potion?? I've gone to renaissance fairs and watched the falconry. They aren't that smart lol.
@@jrg305 It's not actually an owl tho. It is a spirit that takes on an animal form
@@toxux4618 yeah but the way this video is assuming your flyby owl familiar is pretty much as good as a Hallmark defining warlock class ability, I dunno. Y'all's tables seem to let a lot go by. If I was a pact of the chain warlock at a table with a wizard basically doing everything I am, I'd leave.
@@jrg305 the imp being invisible is a huge improvement over the owl. The owl will go down after being targeted by one attack most of the time. The imp/quasit/sprite might not even be able to be targeted in most combats.
I've played wizard and warlock with pact of the chain before and I gotta say that I'm CONSTANTLY wishing my familiar could turn invisible when I'm wizard, and constantly feeling awesome that my familiar can be invisible when I'm warlock. Of course this is balanced out by wizards being more awesome than warlocks when it comes to spell casting haha, but when it comes to the familiar? It's not encroaching at all if the owl can deliever a healing potion...cuz it's getting plucked out of the sky by some random minion's ranged attack that same round the second the owl does that. It's a heroic self sacrifice for the wizard's familiar. But it's a basic action for the warlock familiar.
Super helpful, particularly since you make distinctions between what the rules say, what normally happens, and what different DMs might rule
I know nothing of DnD builds for 5e but... an Elven Lore Bard with find familiar... summons a celestial songbird to sing duets.
I will also use mine to give my human character dark vision when using the owl familiar. I will perch him on my shoulder and simply use my action to see with it's eyes while I move slowly through a dungeon or cave. I don't see anything saying I can't do this but I've never seen it mentioned anywhere and my dm allows it. Seems like a good way to get around having to carry a torch or when trying to stealth but still not normally having dark vision.
Out of combat, that'll work (although you'll probably be slow), once combat has begun you're pretty SOL though unless you want to waste all your actions looking through the owl's eyes during the fight.
This is definitely allowable. However, as another user mentioned, seeing through your familiar's eyes takes an action, and only lasts until your next turn. Additionally, familiars don't have many hit points and can be easily taken out by an attack or area effect. As such, keep that lantern handy!
im 2 years late to the party but since the other two commenters poo'd on your familiar googles party in combat I would like to raise the point of: just have it perch on your shoulder in combat, then have a shoulder mounted flame (weapon) thrower. since they are always with you if have anyone near you they can help you escape need be, otherwise have a nice area of deterrent so people don't get to close
@@a_guy_in_orange7230 thanks. I didn't think of that
I apologize if already mentioned, but my favorite trick with find familiar is pulling it out of it's pocket dimension on the other side of a door or wall, then use my next action to see through its eyes and use Misty step to teleport my self there as well. Who needs a rouge to pick locks for you? Not me...unless it is a treasure chest. Lol
I'm definitely going to try this lol
I recently started playing a wizard character in a d&d campaign with my friends and your spell guide videos have definitely helped me a lot. Thank you and keep going!
Treantmonk has been giving cool advice for years. I appreciate the new format, it is easy to find and watch. the written guides were easier to reference a section of, but overall I like the videos. Thanks man.
Maybe he could post his notes with the video.
@@cmikewilson I love that idea.
This was amazing. Love the idea of deep dives into single pieces of the game and how effective they can be.
Shocking Grasp Familiar works like this: Wiz readies HIS action to "Cast SG on the next enemy touched by the Familiar." Then on the Familiar's turn it touches someone, Wiz uses his reaction to cast SG while the Familiar uses it's own reaction to deliver SG, then moves away.
That's exactly how I've used it before. Not sure why that doesn't work. Only down side is it requires concentration to ready a spell.....so, you can't be concentrating on anything else.
@@thedude0000 It also takes your reaction, so no Shield or other spells can be used if you still want to be able to use that readied action on your familiar's initiative, but this is definitely the best way to ensure you can use that spell though your familiar
Reason why I allow familiars to help every turn or things like familiars getting buffed by dragons breath has to do with investment costs; familiar are 10gp a pop, readying and holding a spell takes up concentration while burning up actions for the pc and familiar, and other characters spells or class features can do a lot more with less.
Pact of the chain and pact of the time can both do similar things in different ways. If take pact of the tome, could take viscous mockery and give disadvantage, or your familiar attack can do the same. Guidance gives + to ability check, well familiar have proficiencies and the help action while invisible. I think getting advantage is similar to cantrip access all the time in power.
@@jrg305 yeah 😀 exactly what I ment
My favorite is using a ring of spell storing to allow all my allies to cast find familiar as well!
Works even better when paired with find steed!
Which is better for a ring of spell storing: letting your familiar cast Find Steed or letting your steed cast Find Familiar?
I suggested this to my players at 1st level, a couple of them finally tried it at 9th level, and suddenly everyone wants it.
Newbie question - are you attuned to the ring, or do you mean you cast the spell into the ring that another party member is attuned to?
Also did the guy in the video mean that the familiar can wear a magical item, such as the ring of spell-storing, to cast a stored spell on it's turn? Wouldn't the familiar need to attune to that ring? I'm very confused now, sorry!
@@onslaught5012 The only one who needs to be attuned to the ring is the one who will be doing the final casting of the spell so in this case you can have your party member attuned to the ring, you cast find familiar into it, then they cast find familiar out of it to get their own familiar (casting through the ring treats the one attuned as if they cast it). RAW familiars can attune to items that they are capable of wielding, as such, there is strategy to be had in giving a ring of spell storing (that is already filled with concentration spells you don't want to be using during combat) to your familiar (who would then take the time to attune to the ring) and having them cast concentration spells for you so that you don't have to use your concentration on the spells. I hope this makes sense, if not feel free to ask for more information. No need to be sorry, we were all new at one point or another and are all learning new things every day.
@@legithopecrew thank you so much. I'll see what my DM will allow...
24:19 so long as you have the hour casting time and slots between forms.
Edit: also you seemed to miss that familiars can only communicate telepathically with you within 100' but they can still take actions and are loyal to you when they're outside that range. I send flying familiars to track enemies and report on where they set up camp. Have used familiars to deliver messages to people (sort of an old school use), and regularly use them to search for things more quickly. It has to be w/in 100' to tell me what it's seen, but a bird that can scout and report back can let you know what's going on across a while city (of things your *spirit* knows to search for).
In one campaign, we were in a siege, and the warlock had his imp fly over and drop wildfire on the enemy trebuchet.
It is finally here, the Guide to the most useful Spell imho of the first level. Thanks a lot and good work Chris!
I would argue it the most useful spell in the entire game
It remains useful until level 20
It’s a ritual
Nearly every character can get it with feats
I just pictured TF2 medic and his dove, when you were speaking about healing spells and familiars :D
With the permission of my DM, my Orc Necromancer's Find Familiar spell was the spirit of his grandfather that takes the spirit of a weasel. It also allows the DM to give me story hooks and other information.
very cool.
[Snake slithers up to injured party member]
[regurgitates vial of healing potion] :3
"Uhhh... thanks?"
You described how the familiar can activate magic items & potions, but familiars can also use more mundane items available at low levels.
*Oil* : A familiar can pour a flask of oil to cover a 5-foot-square with inflammable oil
*Torch* : The familiar can set something on fire - either to create a diversion or to inflict damage
*Balls of Bearing* : The familiar can spill them on 10-foot-squares to create hazards on the battlefield
*Caltrops* : Like Balls of Bearing, with less area but higher DC
*Clockwork Toy* : The familiar can create distractions by activating this Rock Gnome device
*Bag of Flour* : The familiar can spread flour on the ground as a good defense against invisible enemies
All of which can also be used in combat by the familiar.
don't forget blinding powder, invisible imp flies over an enemy and dumps a pouch of powdered glass on its head, you've just ruined that guys day.
Ritual caster can also be gotten with at least 13 wisdom.
That's true, I forget you can choose any ritual class regardless of your ability score that met the prereq
@@TreantmonksTemple
Actually, The feat RAW doesn't say you have to have the 13 in INT to go for Wizard ritual caster or in WIS to go for Cleric... it just says 13 INT or WIS, then pick the spell caster class you want to ritually cast.
RAW you can have 4 INT and 13 WIS and take the feat and say you want to ritual cast Wizard. or 4 WIS and 13 INT and then pick Druid rituals... (and Druid rituals can be as fun as Find Familiar)
F Huber he just he forgot that
What's weird to me is that you can pick the Bard, Warlock, or Sorcerer lists (though I don't imagine why you'd pick those last two) but Charisma doesn't function for the feat.
Can a player Ready an offensive touch spell and have the Trigger be when your familiar comes within range to an enemy? Then the familiar can use the Disengage action to get back to safety if need be.
Elias Luna I’m glad somebody asked this so I don’t have to!
You could, but it's not really practical. Holding a spell uses up your reaction and your concentration.
Treantmonk's Temple it definitely isn’t practical or supremely useful but in your example of shocking grasp cantrip every turn, chances are if that is their strategy, they are very low level and don’t have a lot to use their concentration on or are out of spell slots.
So you ready shocking grasp with the trigger of enemy is within range of the familiar or the familiar moves into position next to an enemy.
Is it wise? No. A worse choice than using a ranged cantrip? Definitely.
But I think you misrepresent it a little in your video as “unworkable” unless the minion just chills next to your target and hope they don’t move. Having your familiar stay next to enemies or having the chance to completely whiff your spell are barely even options if you are trying to do this strategy. (Again it should be probably assumed at extremely low levels)
Not necessarily worse than a ranged cantrip. You don't need line of sight. Total cover won't help. And you cost the target their reaction. Sounds better than firebolt to me.
However, I don't think you could cast a spell through your familiar and then disengage. "Your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell." If a familiar casts a spell it takes the Cast a Spell action, so it does not have an action left to use on Disengage.
I just wouldn't worry about disengage. Your familiar is a renewable resource.
@@edsiefker1301 It says your familiar casts it using their reaction. Not their action. Also, owls have flyby which acts like disengage.
Familiar can use alchemist fire and other similar saving throw mundane items as well. I like picturing an owl dropping it as it darts by over head. Perhaps dropping caltrops and the like too.
A Familiar can also be used to cast Spare the Dying or Cure Wounds from a distance and potentially save a fallen buddy. Eat your heart out Grave Cleric!
I houserule Familiars to go at the end of the summoners turn. In addition if I have a wizard do the shocking grasp. I would allow them to move the familar into range and trigger the effect on the familiars turn. If something is able to stop it or it cant get close it just means the wizard wasted a turn.
on your turn you can ready an action to cast shocking grasp with the trigger being when your familiar is within melee range of an enemy, then when your familiar has it's turn it can move into range, cast the spell as a reaction, and then use it's action to disengage and use the rest of its movement to get away
I can see a downside to using up both my concentration and my reaction on delivering shocking grasp...
@@TreantmonksTemple I agree, just providing a way that it can be done... also works for any touch spell.
Familiar+Dragon’s Breath is one of my favorite combos, particularly on an Owl or an Imp. Even better when I was allowed to Twin Spell the Dragon’s Breath on both familiars, before it was inexplicably banned by Sage Advice.
My illusionist uses malleable illisions as it's action to create a dragon (or other awesome creature) illusion over my familiar using a major image spell cast at 6th level then bonus action cast dragon's breath on the familiar. Now my illusion can breath fire that burns. 😈
Magic Initiate is my favorite feat because it lets me have a familiar and reliable offensive spells as any class. I especially love it on a bard!
Your average dungeon will have spiders in it, probably all around. One more wont be noticed, and it can just about fit most places including ceilings and just look around.
The Dragon’s Breath Spell from Xanathar’s Guide is amazing. It is a touch spell that uses a bonus action and concentration. For the duration, the affected creature obtains a breath weapon of varying elements to choose from. It was ruled in a tweet that any familiar can use a breath weapon, not just pact of the chain. It is very possible to reliably have an attack drone with Find Familiar and Dragon’s Breath. A familiar like an owl is reliable for hit and run tactics.
Looking at this wording "as if your familiar cast the spell" for casting of touch spells, it looks like you could deliver touch spells while maintaining Invisibility if you cast through your familiar.
Cool for people who don't want to be seen but still want cast Cure Wounds, Magic Weapon, or other touch range buffs.
Your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast it--that's an ability the familiar has--but RAW it changes nothing else as far as what casting the spell entails for you the caster.
I have allowed the use of the Tressym for find familiar considering it is similar to CR as the other forms. (Storm Kings THunder Creature)
Nowhere in RAW does it say you need to have line of sight to the location you summon your familiar to so you could summon it to the far side of a door or wall. Then on the next round you could use your action to look through its eyes and use your bonus action to Misty Step yourself right past that closed/locked/trapped door. We have an agreement at our table that this is off limits.
I’ve been using this trick for a while. It’s my favorite combo!
In my group due to simplifying combat, the familiar acts on my turn. It also usually doesn't get a token and as long as it's perched on my or an allies shoulder is immune to aoe spells (ie treated as an item worn or carried). I also don't use it too much though as I don't have too many touch spells on that character.
Another good trick is to remember is that familiars can delivery beneficial touch spells to allies. This can effectively make a lot of spells have range. If you have access to healing, you can deliver cure wounds at range vs. using healing word. Besides healing you have spells like invisibility, improved invisibility, defensive spells (protection from evil, shield of faith, etc.), spider climb, fly, gaseous form, etc.) If you can't reach your rogue, let your owl deliver an improved invisibility while you are safely back.
I think a lot of tables just rule that your familiar takes their turn at the same time as you. Ye it's a houserule but it just makes combat so much easier to keep track of and if it allows for offensive touchspells then fine i guess, it's not exactly OP or anything
Yes, we often play with that houserule at my table, and it does fix the issue entirely. To be honest, I'm not sure why the designers chose to have the familiar go on a different turn, as it slows down gameplay and I'm not sure what it adds.
@@TreantmonksTemple probably for strategic possibiliy or roleplaying reasons. Designers can't predict every strategy that will arise from their design and having control of another creature with it's own initiative sounds way more strategically beneficial than one that can only act on your own turn, turns out that wasn't really the case. Either that or they wanted your familiar to really feel like another fully sentient partymember. Kinda like how Pikachu isn't just a tool for Ash in Pokemon, they're genuinly friends with different personalities who love each other
Treantmonk's Temple it’s to make the beast master ranger better
Flock of Familiars is on the Warlock’s spell list,
Since, Tasha’s came out, Druids can now cast Find Familiar by expending a use of their Wild Shape.
Find Familiar is my favorite spell, and these two new options to obtain it are fantastic.
My favorite trick is to send a familiar into a pocket dimension, make it reappear within 30 feet but on the other side of a barrier that cannot be seen through, use an action to see through the familiar’s sense (bat’s are great for this purpose), make sure it is safe in that location, then Misty Step to that location still using the Familiar’s senses. This is all totally legal, and super useful!
I like using the familiar to drop oil, or alchemists fire, or caltrops on enemies.
Just stumbled across your channel from a comment on the dungeon dudes videos. Got yourself a sub mate well done.
Love your videos on spells. Could you please make one regarding thoughtful combinations of sorcery metamagic with spells from the sorcerer spell list. And perhaps include some spells off the cleric spell list for divine soul sorcerers. Thanks in advance.
Yes! A Metamagic guide would be great.
great video! I am probably geting my 3 level in warlock next session and i am going to go packt of the chain, so this video is really helpful
I love love love the flock of familiars spell, when it is allowed it is good fun.
I have a story where my wizard was able to clear out a room of guards by casting the flock of familiar spell at the 7th level and scaring the guards away with a small rat army, also my DM loves the dragon breath familiar combo it is super cost effective too sense casting dragon's breath is only a bonus action!
As far as familiars as offense, I recommend Dragon's Breath. The familiar delivers the spell to itself, then gets to use the breath weapon as you like.
Dragon Breath the owl and then cast a cantrip.
Delivering touch spells can be used offensively with readied actions. You just ready your action, and sacrifice your reaction to cast the spell when the familiar is in position. Its not ideal, but it does work.
But otherwise a great guide, and basically how I've used the familiar - scouting, and other such non-combat uses mostly.
readying your action to cast a spell requires your concentration which has 2 primary drawbacks, 1: You can't concentrate on another spell, and 2: if your concentration is broken you lose the action. The second issue is that your reaction is used to complete the readied action, that means no shield spells or absorb elements or other defensive reactions. This is a problem in itself, but it is compiled by the issue that it means you are more likely to take damage, which means your concentration is more likely to be interrupted. Still, this solution is better than nothing, but it does not compare with simply completing your action on your turn.
Hey Chris, love your videos! Great coverage of the details. Can you do a video about the Arcane Trickster rogue? I know you have already covered parts of this with your Minor Illusion and Find Familiar videos, but I'd love to hear your take on this class, which spells to take, how to play it in combat, how to roleplay it in social settings and even different uses of the Mage Hand Legerdemain. Thanks and keep it up!
Arcane Trickster if you can handle putting a 13 in Wisdom (or 12 if you go Wood Elf) could get massive mileage out of a 2 level dip in Trickery Domain cleric. Taking Find Familiar for AT with an Owl Familiar and grabbing Elven Accuracy is AMAZING. Throw in Booming Blade and you're gonna go far. If you can, get ahold of a Bag of Devouring. Mage Hand is THE safest way to remove objects you place in it (use copper coins to test what time every day the objects in it disappear and just remove things before they disappear.) Excellent way to play keep away, hide a dead body, and in general make more use of a Bag of Devouring than any other class. Fun fact, there is no size limit in 5e on creatures that can be sucked into a Bag of Devouring. If you manage to get even a claw or tip of the tail into the bag of holding, it can suck them into it and immediately destroy them if they fail the DC 15 strength save.
It is very true that a lot of tables have homerules for the familiar, in our table for example the familiar is allowed to have its turn at the same time that it master, so we kinda let it have the same initiative than the caster. Like that we tend to use the familiar in a very offensive way to deliver touch spells , but as you say RAW it would be very difficult to deliver something like Inflict wounds with a familiar.
Another major thing with the Find Familiar spell is the darkvision/blindsight options several of them have. For races such as Human or Halfling, you're already at a disadvantage compared to the other races in a lot of places without natural vision options for dealing with the situation...
Keep in mind though that you use your action each round to use the familiar's senses.
on a rogue (not necessarily a trickster sub) through ritual casting feat: it comes in "handy" once too often (usually raven, but also rat), especially if a DM allows swapping a feat for a stat improvement during character creation...
The way I and most DMs I know have always interpreted touch spells is that you cast the spell, and then the power sits in your hand until you touch something. So if you cast it on your familiar they hold the spell until they can touch and set the spell loose. Casting anything else while the magic is still in your hand dissipates the touch spell on you, but not the familiar. Additionally, if you empower your touch and then don't use the touch and forget about it and touch something else you can accidentally fry a friend or an object.
Fantastic, as always! Can we expect a Find Steed guide in the near future?
My issue with doing that is that there are so many conflicting rules and statements for designers on what spells are applicable for sharing.
I love the combination of FInd Familiar and Dragons Breath :D
No attackrole, the spell is touch and it's only concentration.
And now have a fire breathng owl flying in and out of combat thanks to 120ft flyspeed and flyby xD
I am about to get a clockwork familiar. This video will really help me make use of it. Thank you.
Coming back to an old thread here. The new Investment of the Chain Master invocation coupled with the Genie Warlock Bottle Respite ability let’s the warlock ride along inside something like a ring that the pact of the chain invisible familiar wears, seeing and hearing everything operating the familiar including attacking and granting the familiar resistance to damage. I could definitely see this coupled with something like Inspiring Leader and the Aid spell to wonderful effect.
I could be wrong but can't you ready shocking grasp as a ready action with the trigger being when you familiar is in range of an enemy, then have your familiar move into range, readied action triggers using the familiars reaction, then it still has its own action to do something with. My table usually house rules familiars go on players turn to help keep combat moving, I personally ask that players be consistent so if your familiar takes its actions at the start of your turn, then it must do everything before you get a turn.
This is a pretty common house rule along with inspiration (not bard) having the option of giving a reroll rather than just advantage before making the actual roll.
Thank you for confirming that the imp can be a celestial, fey, or fiend.
In combat I usually use Find Familiar as a healing potion/spell delivery system, or in specific situations a scout (bats blindsight can be invaluable).
Sometimes however if it's a big or opportune moment, I will use it to attack
Using Shocking Grasp to shut down a potential counterspell at a crucial time in a fight, or if I get the jump on the enemy, deliver Contagion to the boss (yea it's unreliable, but if it does succeed, you win).
Brassieres are as big as the sorceress needs them to be, duh!
Well, don't forget, you have to accommodate both band size AND cup size
Here's something for DMs: Give familiars out as loot!
Instead of giving your rouge another +1 dagger or boots of elven kind they aren't going to use because they have boots of striding and springing, give them a rat or raven familiar.
To cast a spell through the familiar i do it like this, I'm the one who ready my action, the familiar moves close to the target, I cast the spell and then he uses his reaction, as a flavor before do this i always whisper an order to the familiar to appear tactically planned. Raw i think can be use like this
It’s funny you say that familiar using the help action and familiar spamming dragon breath might be seen as exploitative and I’m running a campaign where our arcane trickster and divination wizard are doing those exact two things lol! They’re going offensive touch spells too with shocking grasp/inflict wounds and I homebrewed to make it easier to run pets. Pets go before or after the owner in initiative, PCs choice. Makes tracking initiative easier and helps with combo setups which I’m cool with, our table loves how the familiars put in work, feels like pokemon
My dm let me have a constructor snake as familiar. It started off as a babby boa but by the time it was adult size (10ft) It could crush someone to death (or knockout) if they couldn't escape, or it could restrain them if it couldn't knock them out.
This doesn't change what you've said but casting a spell that requires an attack roll is a Cast a Spell Action and not an Attack Action. The whole thing about whether Dragon's Breath is allowed or not based on whether it's an Attack Action or not is starting a needless discussion (in case anyone was thinking of starting a debate with their DM based on that point)
Having said my annoying, pedantic comment, I also love the spell. It is extremely versatile; although I avoid using my Wizard's familiar in combat when I get to mid levels; it dies very easily. Keep it safely away and call it in action during those dramatic moments as TM said
My human necromancer uses finding familiar as a way to get dark vision. For mostly RP i have not used it for combat. In darkness my owl familiar would sit on my shoulders and I would see into its vision. Since in this mode you are only deaf and blind. Me and my DM assume I have control over my body so I can move as normal but see through my familiar thus gaining 120ft darkvision.
Used a familiar owl to deliver poison to one nobles meal flying through the window and putting it in. Arquimedes was the best owl there ever existed.
You have a UA-cam channel?! Hell yeah!
How did I not know about this?
I don't know ....but welcome!
My familiar, an owl, who somehow always rolls higher than me in initiative, always lands on my allies' shoulders, they're used to it, and so is the owl. I often hoot and chirp at the player it's going to, because it's become such a known fact my familiar is going to go land elsewhere to deliver my spells to the frontliners.
The issue with concentrating on a readied spell to deliver through your familiar as a readied action can be negated if you use it as your primary method, but to best effect as either a warlock or wizard with a bat familiar and darkness.
Imp Familiar for superior hp, resistances to physical damage, and invisibility.
Minor Illusion, make a rock/crate/bush to hide in.
Shocking Grasp(Magic Initiate or Wizard 1) to negate AoO.
Use its action to become invisible, and finish movement since the game allows split movement.
It's probably not optimal, but definitely a viable strategy.
Also, what's wrong with readying the Familiar's move action to flyby while you cast the spell?
Because using a readied action uses the familiar's reaction, leaving them no reaction to deliver the spell with.
I missed that part. It really seems to punish the act of readying an action if it takes another action to do it...things like this really solidify my and others' lack of confidence in this edition. I want to like it, but sometimes it feels like certain rules have been included as a generic FU to the players choices. True Strike is another example.
Reaction is a trigger. So familiar must be near enemy to deliver. And you are the one who makes attack, uses its action, familiar is just antenna and uses its reaction to transmit the spell. Otherwise, if familiar is not withing 5 feet from the target, guess what happens. Also you can lower you initiative to go with or right after familiar, or it can do so, if DM is fine with it.
You could use your familiar to apply touch buffs to you allies tho. You could have your bat or whatever land on an allied PCs shoulder and cast though it.
Note About Attacking with Shocking Grasp, also pointed out by Elias Luna. Ready Shocking Grasp, familiar uses turn action whatever to get into position, procs your held spell/action, familiar uses reaction, uses action/move whatever is left to disengage/flyby, etc.
Action Economy works both ways, don't get hung up on familiar waits for me, you can hold for familiar also. It works better as an ambush tactic (spider from ceiling, walls, etc.) or if you have a opponent locked down and you want your cat Mr. Scratch Bunny to use its Help action to somehow distract for your melee people and can still deliver your shocking grasp. This later works great, if you have some with inspiring leader to help kitty cat with a bump in HP, just incase.
have ever watched a spider feeding they are very dexterous animals they could so carry a small potion especially if they wrap things in silk they could even have a silk bandoleer with a few little things
Interesting. No, I can't say that I have. Then I stand corrected.
I had an idea for a build that was similar to the ideas present in this video, and was wondering if you could make it work. The idea is that you use a something else's senses to cast spells using those senses. For example, using arcane eye to cast sacred flame on creatures inside a dungeon, while you are outside the dungeon. Do you know of a way to make this work with the beast sense spell, the find familiar spell, or a similar feature that grants additional senses?
Without the dm cooperating it will be tough. My version of this was assuming incorrectly I could do it with Find Familiar, an use the bats senses to echolocate there by see in the dark and even magical darkness. However, it takes an action to use the senses. So I suppose you could take levels in fighter and get an extra action once a rest, but even then there will be issues.
@@sharkforce8147 i thought the "ignores cover" part of sacred flame meant that sacred flame ignores that rule.
As far as delivering attacks go I'm assuming this has been mentioned, but is there a rule against using the Ready action? Use your action to Ready a touch spell like Shocking Grasp with the cast condition being your familiar enters range. Then since your familiar acts immediately after you, have them fly into and out of range on their turn (probably an owl would be best for flyby).
Try having the homunculus familiar, give it a magical item that allows it to increase it's size, and leave it at your base/house/whatever to do everything that your character would normally be doing in your downtime. Need to make a history check? Research some vital clue to whatever? Let me just check my private library...in my house...over 30 miles away...without leaving this dungeon... Need a batch of potions mixed by the time you get back from your current quest? Use the homunculus for all your in-game multitasking needs. ✌✌
I don't know if this works by raw but I use my owl to go third person when I need dark vision.
Well, for one thing it will use up your action every round. There's nothing in the rules about this, but I would imagine it would also be disorienting.
It takes an action to use the familiars senses. Which makes using that information difficult.
Easily one of my top 5 favorite spells if not my favorite in the whole game. My ONLY gripe with it is that I wish that all the familiar’s forms were on a more even playing field. If you’re going more for flavor, it sort of feels like the Owl, Octopus (if in an aquatic setting), and the Imp for Warlocks are just outright better than all the rest by light years. Almost feels like you’re doing yourself a disservice if you DON’T choose one of those if given the option. But by and by, I put this spell on every single character I make period. So much fun and so much utility
I became tiny and convinced my dm to let me ride my familiarback out of a massive crevice while being chased by three flame skulls lmao
I adore this spell especially the 3 added Familiar options from the Adventure Paths (Almaraj being my personal favorite, although the Flying Monkey and the Tressym are epic). Yes, these aren't amazing, but they are awesome.
And while I said they aren't the best familiars (Tressym is arguable), each has a use:
Almaraj - It's a Bunnycorn. It wins pure kawaii cuteness. And it can be a decent ground scout.
Flying Monkey - Combination Ariel Scout and pack mule (it's big enough to carry a Haversack). If I run a nautical game, my Wizard BBEG is going to have a Flying Monkey as his familiar
Tressym: So to get this out of the way, it is the smartest familiar by far (11 Int), works well as a flying scout, and has 3 other benefits: it is immune to poison, it can detect poison, and it can see invisibility up to 60'. That is huge. Enjoy never getting ambushed by invisible enemies again.
Someone tell me if I'm wrong but the way I'm reading it for using for familiar for touch spells is when you complete the spell and cast it the familiar uses its reaction to cast the spell *immediately* and then the familiar cannot use any other reactions 'til the beginning of its next turn.
You are reading it correctly.
I'm playing a game where we don't get the special familiars. Mine is a raven, and they can do mimicry. Last session, we came across some rough looking dudes in the woods, which were actually bandits, but we didn't know. So I sent my raven to scout, and used its mimicry to talk to the bandits. My raven convinced them that it was a cursed maiden, and it needed help getting magic treasure to lift the curse. I sent the raven off and the greedy guts followed, allowing us to loot their camp.
When it comes to the initiative I as a DM just hate having to many things to keep track of so I use the rules that goes for mounted combat. The Familiar rolls initiative but as long as the player is actively directing it with their free action they move at the same time as the player. Also. About using familiars as a offensive platform. If the player ready a Shocking Grasp so that when their familiar gets within touch range it will use the cantrip and when its the familiars turn the Wizard uses its reaction to use Shocking Grasp. It isn't something invalid to do. Sure, it does remove the ability to use reactions for shield, but when you use your familiar to use touch spells as a spellcaster you kind of are doing it for a reason. It is a very valid way to rush in a cure wounds on a downed allied without actually putting yourself at risk.
Crabs make the best familiar.
1) Has blindsight
2) Has decent stealth bonus.
3) Can do the Crab Rave on the body of the defeated BBEG.
My plan is to hold my action then on my familiars turn I'll let loose my spell when it's in range it should be able to use its reaction on its turn yeah?
Yes, the unfortunate thing is holding your action for a spell uses your concentration, which hurts.
Very good video. Thank you for covering the touch spell delivery. I was a little tired of seeing this exploited.
Could you do one on prestadigitation?
There is no combat use for Prestidigitation. I could do one on how Prestidigitation makes you feel like a wizard. Is that something you would like to see?
@@TreantmonksTemple I can see how it would be good for RP, but compared to other cantrips I don't see why I would take it, but I've heard it's useful. You've mentioned in passing building a character based on an idea or picture. Maybe one of those would be good. Although you touch on RP in your build videos they seem to be optimistisation first, but I'd find it interesting to go for a very specific image of a character type and then try to build around that.
Are you sure it couldn't be used in combat?
I mean, you can heat or cool objects with it, right? Could you make a weapon too cold or hot to hold? Could you freeze a puddle an enemy is standing in?
If they're using a torch and you snuff it out, could that give them disadvantage or something? If a torch is laying at their feet and you light it, could that immolate them?
🤔😄
@@GoodOldGamer it says you can chill or warm material, which implies not such a drastic temperature change
@@ChrisCox-wv7oo yes, and even if it lights fires from what I understood even Druidcraft is more potent (can shut down a small camp fire). But it should be enough to light a pipe or cause a very small flame that can still light up a fuse/spread on something highly flammable/blow up the gaz in a room.
I place the light cantrip on my familiar at night and use it as a mobile light source. If it’s destroyed I know there is trouble ahead.
Note Druid has gained acces to find familiar via optional class features... i always use my squerrel familiar to sit on companions shoulder to heal him
I never played it but how about an Imp that you cast darkness on that dual wield alchemist fire. its basicly a wierd ball of darkness that can bomb your enemy while blinding them. Would work well with devils sight
So, does the familiar variant trait apply to those warlock pets? Because if so you apparently also get advantage against spells when near your Imp, Quasit or Pseudodragon familiar (sprite doesn't get anything like it).
I dont think so
If you give your familiar equipment ... say a belt pouch. What happens to the belt pouch if you temporarily dismiss the familiar to its hidey-hole.
"As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons." does the equipment fall off? like a "potion belt?"
If you give an owl familiar a vest with like 2 or 3 viles of health potions, and then dismiss it... Does the vest just plop to the ground? Or do you effectively get a very small bag of holding? Now... What if you make a small pouch into a small bag of holding, and strap it to your familiar? Again, does it just plop to the ground, or does the familiar keep it with itself?
Does that mean, I could get an Arcane Trickster, and if I get caught, just hand my bag to my familiar and have him poof away until after they´ve searched me? The possibilities...
can I position my familiar on the opposite side of an enemy an ally fighter is battling (and invisible) to give my ally adv on his or her next attack?
Does your DM use the variant flanking rules from the DMG? If so, then yes.
Would a player who gained a pseudo dragon familiar through the spell gain the magic resistance effects? Would you allow an adept fighter to create a fighting style that substituted the fighter's scenes with those of the familiar? If said fighter was in a globe of darkness, would could his imp inform him of his surrounding to remove the disadvantage during battle?
The sharing of Magic Resistance is part of the familiar variant rules in the MM, and does not apply to familiars gained through the spell. It requires your action each round to use your familiar's senses, which is a big cost in combat.
You could use your imp to remove disadvantage on a reaction attack roll, your action would be spent using its darkvision. If your foe was unaware of the imp and believes your character is blind, perhaps he would even give you advantage on the first attack; though that would entirely be the DM’s call.
Was very excited to see dragon's breath mentioned here; thanks Treantmonk! It's one of my favorite low-level combos. It uses your bonus action and your familiar's action, can be one of any number of different damage types, and has damage every round that's pretty close to spirit guardians. It also has utility: I gave my familiar cold breath recently to slow a fire that was consuming a house, for example. You can let that pseudodragon familiar feel like a real dragon, and there are some other fun things you can do: imagine a spider familiar for example, that readies its action to use the breath; on your turn, you hold it out, and it spits lightning. Then, you cover it back up and hide it away in your robes (is that not something Lucky the Halfling would do if he could?). Even if your enemies should focus on your familiar and take it out, it's still doing exactly what it's supposed to do; drawing attention away from the other party members.
the best use of Dragons Breathe is whatever stops enemies from regenerating
Technically by RAW the Familiar can’t end its turn in the same space as the caster, but the mounting rules is a possible work-around.
Once the Familiar use half its movement to mount the caster, it also seems reasonable that it can then maneuver to gain the benefits of either Total Cover or at least 3/4 Cover by moving under your armor or onto your back, depending on Familiar type. This is how my table runs it anyway.
Ok, so I am needing an example scenario on why using touch spells w/your familiar on an NPC is so bad (or not optimal), especially at lower levels (levels 1 to 4, or tier 1 league play) when your choices are so limited already.
Initiative:
A) NPC, Player, Familiar
B) Familiar, NPC, Player
C) Player, Familiar, NPC
Most Concentration Spells I have a short supply of in early levels. So unless I am maintaining one of those few spells I do have, using a normal (spell) attack (d20) or Ranged Cantrip (Save DC 13) is no worse than having to make a possible Concentration Check if the NPC decides "I look tasty."
At 5th level and higher I see why you wouldn't want to employ this strategy. Heck, you wouldn't want to employ this strategy in every combat round, especially near the beginning where you definitely will be using your concentration on one of your few level 1 (or 2) spells. Using the familiars "Help Action", allowing your familiar to "Observe" for reinforcements, or casting "Touch Spells" on ally's would be much better use of their actions in earlier combat rounds.
But back to the basic question, using an example, why is using your familiar not optimal for touch attacks in early levels?
(Hopefully I phrased it in a sense that is understandable and sorry this is so long winded)
Sure, I will an couple examples off B) init order
Round 1: Familiar moves in position, NPC moves out of position on their turn, You ready an action
Round 2: Familiar moves in position, NPC shoots you with an arrow and you lose concentration, you ready an action
Then on round 3, if the enemy still lives, you get the spell off and you still have the same miss chance you were mentioning that ranged attacks have.
@@TreantmonksTemple
So just went over "Readied Action" again. Looks like I am not the only one. In the above example, wouldn't my readied action in round 1 "trigger" immediately on my familiar's move in round 2 (assuming it could get to "touch range")?
Actions "used" in Round 2:
Familiar's - move and reaction
Player's - reaction
Which leaves me, as the player, my action for round 2.
Though I can see how this would still not be optimal. It does remove the NPC's reaction (if successful) on mine and any party members turns if they rolled lower than the familiar on round 2.
@@peterwhitcomb8315 You are correct, I did not consider my response carefully enough before posting. That said, you get my point. The thing is that there just isn't enough advantage to casting a touch spell over a range spell to justify the increased difficulty in landing those spells.
What's your take when a DM is strict about hands for manipulating objects with the use an item action for familiars? is there a way for non-chainlock familiars to drop ball bearings/caltrops on the field?