HGTMH2 - Parasite Warlock question

With the birth parasite subclass feature, it says it can count as a familiar with the pact of the chain feature for the warlock class, so could you have two familiars then, one from the spell, and then another from the subclass feature, or need to pick one or the other.

Quote from Kylewbergman9053554 >>

With the birth parasite subclass feature, it says it can count as a familiar with the pact of the chain feature for the warlock class, so could you have two familiars then, one from the spell, and then another from the subclass feature, or need to pick one or the other.

I think the intent is that the "one at a time" rule should still apply. Although Birth Parasite isn't actually casting Find Familiar, it does say that it "acts a familiar, as if with the find familiar spell", and the spell is very explicit that you can only have one familiar at a time.

It is a little vaguely worded, though, so probably something to check with your DM about.

Yeah, I had the same question.

It does seem like if you used PoC to summon a Familiar (by casting Find Familiar) and after this birthed your parasitic Ooze that there is nothing that would eliminate your original PoC familiar. It is pretty clear in the Birth Parasite that if you already had a Parasite / Ooze it would dissolve into goo and pretty clear in casting Find Familiar that if you already have a familiar that it would change the form of the existing one instead of creating a new one. However, the language does not cover having another familiar when you birth your ooze - this would have been easy to specify in the wording of the Birth Parasite feature if they wanted to avoid this.

Birth Parasite

Over the course of 1 minute, you can extrude an independent piece of your patron, causing it to manifest in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you This parasite acts as a familiar, as if with the find familiar spell. See this creature's game statistics in the parasitic ooze stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.

If you have the Pact of the Chain feature, the parasite counts as a familiar for you for the purpose of applying any benefits from that feature or your invocations.

After you birth a parasite, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest. If you use this feature while you already have a parasite, the previous one dissolves in a puddle of goo.

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From Find Familiar Spell:

One Familiar Only. You can't have more than one familiar at a time. If you cast this spell while you have a familiar, you instead cause it to adopt a new eligible form.

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Quote from Kylewbergman9053554 >>

With the birth parasite subclass feature, it says it can count as a familiar with the pact of the chain feature for the warlock class, so could you have two familiars then, one from the spell, and then another from the subclass feature, or need to pick one or the other.

I think the intent is that the "one at a time" rule should still apply. Although Birth Parasite isn't actually casting Find Familiar, it does say that it "acts a familiar, as if with the find familiar spell", and the spell is very explicit that you can only have one familiar at a time.

It is a little vaguely worded, though, so probably something to check with your DM about.

 

 It definitely would have been better if this was worded more like the Pact of the Chain Invocation... Rough edits:

Birth Parasite

You can extrude an independent piece of your patron, causing it to manifest in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. You can cast Find Familiar without a spell slot and without material components over the course of 1 minute. When you cast the spell in this way, you must chose the Parasitic Ooze stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.

If you have the Pact of the Chain feature, the parasite counts as a familiar for you for the purpose of applying any benefits from that feature or your invocations.

After you cast Find Familiar in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest. If you use this feature while you already have a Familiar, the previous one dissolves in a puddle of goo as the new one is birthed.