Heya, currently playing a Wizard and I have Find Familiar spell. Can anyone help me understand the spell better? And give me ideas on which Familiar to chose? (My characters' a "chosen" of a death god btw) Thanks!
Something to remember is if you annoy your DM with it too much, it's going to get smoked. I tend to use my familiar very sparingly in combat for my current warlock. I'd use her to attack occasionally (when i can't get LOS usually), I scout with her when the rogue can't (I don't want to steal his thunder), deliver healing potions (she has a bag for this), fly places and secure ropes to cross obstacles...things like this. I'd have to dumb the list down for a wizard familiar (owl is the way for wizards imo) but I can still scout, give advantage, and occasionally attack. Generally, I avoid giving the DM a reason to attack my familiar.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Get the dragonbreath spell and use the owl. the owl will then have an attack and it has flyby so won't get hit by opportunity attacks, but someone can still pick it off ranged or AOE and then you use the material components (they have a cost) and cats it again out of combat. It does not have to be in the same form every time you cast it. Oh, and you can temporarily dismiss it and then you just call it back without recasting. Also, there is a mechanic to see through its eyes but it's different in 2014 and 2024. A few things are actually.
"This also works with buff and healing spells like Cure Wounds should you have those available."
This was an incredibly useful way to use a familiar. I was sorcerer with Find Familiar and Cure Wounds and had a clutch moment where I Summoned my Familiar from the pocket dimension at max range followed by a quickened Cure Wounds to save a fellow player that found themselves in dire straights in the middle of a large web and being attacked by giant spiders. Very specific situation, but a clutch improvisation in the moment that we all cheered for.
Summoning from the pocket dimension within 30' can be a useful utility if you remember you can do it.
we are allowed in 2014 and 2024 to cast dragonbreath on a familiar? just checking. thank you.
Yes, you can cast the spell on the familiar and the familiar can then use an action to burp elemental damage. This is supported in both 2014 and 2024 versions of the spell.
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we are allowed in 2014 and 2024 to cast dragonbreath on a familiar? just checking. thank you.
One thing to keep in mind when you do this: If you have your familiar fly up in to the air and breathe fire straight down from a height of 15', the area of effect on the ground becomes a 15' radius circle. This can work well as an alternative way to direct the fire so that you can hit more enemies.
we are allowed in 2014 and 2024 to cast dragonbreath on a familiar? just checking. thank you.
One thing to keep in mind when you do this: If you have your familiar fly up in to the air and breathe fire straight down from a height of 15', the area of effect on the ground becomes a 15' radius circle. This can work well as an alternative way to direct the fire so that you can hit more enemies.
That would be a 15’ diameter. Not radius. You don’t get to double the size because you come from a different angle.
You could do it either way. Since Dragon's Breath has a range of Touch, it's eligible to be cast through the familiar, and creatures can generally cast Touch spells on themselves unless otherwise specified.
The only downside of doing it that way is that it uses the familiar's reaction, which it then can't use for anything else that round.
You could do it either way. Since Dragon's Breath has a range of Touch, it's eligible to be cast through the familiar, and creatures can generally cast Touch spells on themselves unless otherwise specified.
The only downside of doing it that way is that it uses the familiar's reaction, which it then can't use for anything else that round.
it's a Reaction.... but what about their Action and bonus action ????
You could do it either way. Since Dragon's Breath has a range of Touch, it's eligible to be cast through the familiar, and creatures can generally cast Touch spells on themselves unless otherwise specified.
The only downside of doing it that way is that it uses the familiar's reaction, which it then can't use for anything else that round.
it's a Reaction.... but what about their Action and bonus action ????
Do they have any ???
Are you asking if familiars can take actions and bonus actions in general? Yes, they can, because all creatures can.
Casting a touch spell "through" a familiar like this doesn't use the familiar's action or bonus action, though.
My understanding a Warlock's use is very, very different as the warlock version is via an eldritch invocation thus they have additional creatures (e.g. imp/sprite/skeleton/etc.) available and if that creature is destroyed, the next action a new familiar can be created/used. so every turn the warlock can have a familiar and change the type of creature.
The creature can fly to an area, next action, change to a venomous snake, and swim to the mud, then next action change to a Slaad Tadpole and burrow into the mud. So no spell slots used or 1 hour casting times etc.
My understanding a Warlock's use is very, very different as the warlock version is via an eldritch invocation thus they have additional creatures (e.g. imp/sprite/skeleton/etc.) available and if that creature is destroyed, the next action a new familiar can be created/used. so every turn the warlock can have a familiar and change the type of creature.
The creature can fly to an area, next action, change to a venomous snake, and swim to the mud, then next action change to a Slaad Tadpole and burrow into the mud. So no spell slots used or 1 hour casting times etc.
While that's theoretically possible for a Pact of the Chain Warlock to cast Find Familiar repeatedly like that, keep in mind that the spell still has a material component that's consumed in the casting, so that's costing the Warlock 10 gp and their whole action every single time.
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Heya, currently playing a Wizard and I have Find Familiar spell. Can anyone help me understand the spell better? And give me ideas on which Familiar to chose? (My characters' a "chosen" of a death god btw) Thanks!
Do you have any specific questions? It’s tough to just give a rundown of everything it does.
And to me, servant of a death god just screams raven familiar.
I think I wanna ask about like how do you use this spell effectively in combat and the deliver touch spell mechanic
To deliver a touch spell, the familiar has to be right next to the target (within 5ft). You cast the spell, but it is delivered by your familiar.
Example: Your Owl familiar flies over next to the scary guy in heavy armor, you cast Shocking Grasp, and the guy in armor is shocked.
This also works with buff and healing spells like Cure Wounds should you have those available.
^^ this
Something to remember is if you annoy your DM with it too much, it's going to get smoked. I tend to use my familiar very sparingly in combat for my current warlock. I'd use her to attack occasionally (when i can't get LOS usually), I scout with her when the rogue can't (I don't want to steal his thunder), deliver healing potions (she has a bag for this), fly places and secure ropes to cross obstacles...things like this. I'd have to dumb the list down for a wizard familiar (owl is the way for wizards imo) but I can still scout, give advantage, and occasionally attack. Generally, I avoid giving the DM a reason to attack my familiar.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Get the dragonbreath spell and use the owl. the owl will then have an attack and it has flyby so won't get hit by opportunity attacks, but someone can still pick it off ranged or AOE and then you use the material components (they have a cost) and cats it again out of combat. It does not have to be in the same form every time you cast it. Oh, and you can temporarily dismiss it and then you just call it back without recasting. Also, there is a mechanic to see through its eyes but it's different in 2014 and 2024. A few things are actually.
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E and OSR geek.
"This also works with buff and healing spells like Cure Wounds should you have those available."
This was an incredibly useful way to use a familiar. I was sorcerer with Find Familiar and Cure Wounds and had a clutch moment where I Summoned my Familiar from the pocket dimension at max range followed by a quickened Cure Wounds to save a fellow player that found themselves in dire straights in the middle of a large web and being attacked by giant spiders. Very specific situation, but a clutch improvisation in the moment that we all cheered for.
Summoning from the pocket dimension within 30' can be a useful utility if you remember you can do it.
IMHO, Earthdawn is still the best fantasy realm, Shadowrun is the best Sci-Fi realm, and Dark Sun is the best D&D realm.
we are allowed in 2014 and 2024 to cast dragonbreath on a familiar? just checking. thank you.
Yes, you can cast the spell on the familiar and the familiar can then use an action to burp elemental damage. This is supported in both 2014 and 2024 versions of the spell.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Keep in m
One thing to keep in mind when you do this: If you have your familiar fly up in to the air and breathe fire straight down from a height of 15', the area of effect on the ground becomes a 15' radius circle. This can work well as an alternative way to direct the fire so that you can hit more enemies.
That would be a 15’ diameter. Not radius. You don’t get to double the size because you come from a different angle.
spells casted and its effects in the air tend to not follow the laws of nature and physical. still an interesting subject and such.
question. would you need to cast the spell on the familiar before it flies off or are you casting it through the familiar instead?
You could do it either way. Since Dragon's Breath has a range of Touch, it's eligible to be cast through the familiar, and creatures can generally cast Touch spells on themselves unless otherwise specified.
The only downside of doing it that way is that it uses the familiar's reaction, which it then can't use for anything else that round.
pronouns: he/she/they
it's a Reaction.... but what about their Action and bonus action ????
Do they have any ???
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
Are you asking if familiars can take actions and bonus actions in general? Yes, they can, because all creatures can.
Casting a touch spell "through" a familiar like this doesn't use the familiar's action or bonus action, though.
pronouns: he/she/they
My understanding a Warlock's use is very, very different as the warlock version is via an eldritch invocation thus they have additional creatures (e.g. imp/sprite/skeleton/etc.) available and if that creature is destroyed, the next action a new familiar can be created/used. so every turn the warlock can have a familiar and change the type of creature.
The creature can fly to an area, next action, change to a venomous snake, and swim to the mud, then next action change to a Slaad Tadpole and burrow into the mud. So no spell slots used or 1 hour casting times etc.
While that's theoretically possible for a Pact of the Chain Warlock to cast Find Familiar repeatedly like that, keep in mind that the spell still has a material component that's consumed in the casting, so that's costing the Warlock 10 gp and their whole action every single time.
pronouns: he/she/they