I found contradictory statements on the internet for the Part"Aerial or Aquatic. The familiar gains either a Fly Speed or a Swim Speed (your choice) of 40 feet."
Some people claim that the 40 ft swim/fly speed only applies to familiars that don't have such a Speed by default.
Others say that you can add the 40ft Flyspeed to a Familiar that already has a Flyspeed (for example a Giant Fly with its 60ft. Flyspeed would be upgraded to 100 ft Flyspeed).
There is a example in a Forum comparing it to a car. If you drive a car with 60 mph and you gain 40 mph you finally drive 100 mph.
Another point is the "Quick Attack. As a Bonus Action, you can command the familiar to take the Attack action." of the Invocation.
The "Pact of the Chain" states "Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own with its Reaction."
Some ppl say it is like a second attack for your Familiar (in addition to the Pact of the Chain Attack).
1st Familiar Attack uses up the Warlocks Attack Action and the Familiars Reaction. (Pact of the Chain)
2nd Familiar Attack uses up the Warlocks Bonus Action and the Familiars Attack Action (Investment of the Chain Master)
Others say the Investment of the Chain Master Attack replaces the initial Attack option from Pact of the Chain.
Are there any official rulings about those two aspects of the Invocation? Or is it up to clarify with your DM?
Aerial or Aquatic. The speed gain is a score, not a bonus that can be added to your Speed so you uses whichever is higher.
Quick Attack & Pact of the Chain do not replace each other but instead complement each other; so you can take the Attack action, forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own with its Reaction. AND As a Bonus Action, you can command the familiar to take the Attack action.
Do you know any official ruling about that by chance? The description is super vague here.
So the Investment of the Chain Master would enable a level5 Warlock to use a Pseudodragon and let the Familiar use the "Sting" attack twice with the Spell DC of the Warlock instead of the default DC 12 Con Save?
That is quite powerful on enemies without Poison Immunity. A Warlock could disable two enemies per turn without even spending a single spellslot.
I think I might give it a shot and make a build around those options.
Do you know any official ruling about that by chance? The description is super vague here.
So the Investment of the Chain Master would enable a level5 Warlock to use a Pseudodragon and let the Familiar use the "Sting" attack twice with the Spell DC of the Warlock instead of the default DC 12 Con Save?
That is quite powerful on enemies without Poison Immunity. A Warlock could disable two enemies per turn without even spending a single spellslot.
I think I might give it a shot and make a build around those options.
The issue with 'gain' isn't because of the word 'gain'. It is the fact that the article 'a' is included.
If you gain 40' of Fly Speed, that would mean 40' is added to your current Fly Speed (even if that was 0, barring other extenuating verbiage).
If you gain a Fly Speed of 40' then that is a specific instance. You might already have that Fly Speed or even more, at which point you don't want to use that instance.
It is the difference in gaining 30 mph of speed and gaining a speed of 30 mph.
Unless I am missing something a deer (CR 0 Beast) is a legitimate choice for a familiar (there is no restriction on size, merely CR and that it be a Beast, if it is not one of the pre-approved creatures on the lists.
A Small creature can clearly ride a Medium creature.
Obviously it would be allowed to get the 40' Fly Speed. That is a major point of that Invocation.
There is nothing in the wording of Agile to suggest that the movement involved is limited to ground based movement. That said, a DM could decide that the designers merely forgot to take into account the fact that something might give the deer additional forms of movement and houserule that Agile does not apply, but I think the odds of that happening are fairly low. I know I would not make such a houserule (but I do feel obligated to mention it since the possibility exists).
A Pseudodragon that can attack twice or a flying Deer are quite potent options for combat.
So you just need an "Exotic Saddle" and your mobility on the battlefield is just mindblowing.
*edit* One last question about the Warlock that is quite off topic. The statblock of the Skeleton states
Languages Understands Common plus one other language but can’t speak
Can the player decide what other language the Skeleton can speak or the DM or is there a dice roll like in the caracter creation?
That would make the Skeleton a perfect interpreter because the Skeleton then could understand literally any language that is needed in a specific scenario and the Warlock has a telephatic bond with the Familiar.
Nothing to add regarding "The familiar gains either a Fly Speed or a Swim Speed". It was already explained by some nice folks.
Your question, Indyday, was also asked in Questions about Investment of the Chain Master, but I think the interesting part for you is that the timing for Quick Attack was also discussed. In my opinion, the familiar takes the Attack action during your turn, immediately after you take your Bonus Action.
Not everybody agrees (and I agree it's debatable), so take a look when you have some time and choose your own adventure.
Thanks for the additional input. I hadn't even thought about that aspect.
Of course it would speed up the whole combat and make it smoother if the Familiar could do both Attacks on the Warlocks turn. And the Warlock gives up his Attack and Bonus Action instead.
But when I read the Text from "Quick Attack" it only sais that the Warlock commands the Familiar to take the Attack Action. It does not specifically sais when that Attack happens.
Since an Attack Action only can be made on your own turn, the Familiar should take the Attack Action on its own turn. But you are right, that is highly debatable.
In the end it's always up to the DM to decide how something works. DM > Rules
It would be so much easier if WotC just rewrites the Find Familiar text (beside like two dozen other vague spells) and adjust it in a way "Simulacrum" works.
(It obeys your commands and acts on your turn in combat. )
That the Familiar just has the same Initiative as the Warlock and acts on its own (with its own Action, Bonus Action, Reaction, Movement) but on the Warlocks turn.
I don't know why WotC has to complicate a spell like Find Familiar in such an unnessecary way and create such "heated" debates as a result.
*edit*: I think some homebrew is a better solution. The Familiar acts on the same turn as the caster. If the Caster is a Warlock with Pact of the Chain, the Warlock then can use his Attack Action to let the Familiar attack. With Investment of the Chain Master the Warlock can further more use his Bonus Action to let the Familiar attack a second time with its Bonus Action. That would solve all the problems I think. And that's what I ask my DM in terms of ruling. It makes it much more smoother to handle combat. Either the WL attacks or the Familiar attacks and everything happens on the same turn.
Hi everyone,
I found contradictory statements on the internet for the Part"Aerial or Aquatic. The familiar gains either a Fly Speed or a Swim Speed (your choice) of 40 feet."
Some people claim that the 40 ft swim/fly speed only applies to familiars that don't have such a Speed by default.
Others say that you can add the 40ft Flyspeed to a Familiar that already has a Flyspeed (for example a Giant Fly with its 60ft. Flyspeed would be upgraded to 100 ft Flyspeed).
There is a example in a Forum comparing it to a car. If you drive a car with 60 mph and you gain 40 mph you finally drive 100 mph.
Another point is the "Quick Attack. As a Bonus Action, you can command the familiar to take the Attack action." of the Invocation.
The "Pact of the Chain" states "Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own with its Reaction."
Some ppl say it is like a second attack for your Familiar (in addition to the Pact of the Chain Attack).
1st Familiar Attack uses up the Warlocks Attack Action and the Familiars Reaction. (Pact of the Chain)
2nd Familiar Attack uses up the Warlocks Bonus Action and the Familiars Attack Action (Investment of the Chain Master)
Others say the Investment of the Chain Master Attack replaces the initial Attack option from Pact of the Chain.
Are there any official rulings about those two aspects of the Invocation? Or is it up to clarify with your DM?
Aerial or Aquatic. The speed gain is a score, not a bonus that can be added to your Speed so you uses whichever is higher.
Quick Attack & Pact of the Chain do not replace each other but instead complement each other; so you can take the Attack action, forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own with its Reaction. AND As a Bonus Action, you can command the familiar to take the Attack action.
Thanks for the information.
I am just very unsure about the meaning of the word "gain" in the description of that mechanic.
It can be interpreted as both... gain like as "adding to something" or "getting something if you don't have it".
If gain $1.000 it will add up to my bank accounts balance. It won't replace the existing money in my bank account.
I also found this definition at https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/gain
Ironically on that site it is described as "increase in speed".
gain verb [I or T] (INCREASE)
Do you know any official ruling about that by chance? The description is super vague here.
So the Investment of the Chain Master would enable a level5 Warlock to use a Pseudodragon and let the Familiar use the "Sting" attack twice with the Spell DC of the Warlock instead of the default DC 12 Con Save?
That is quite powerful on enemies without Poison Immunity. A Warlock could disable two enemies per turn without even spending a single spellslot.
I think I might give it a shot and make a build around those options.
The issue with 'gain' isn't because of the word 'gain'. It is the fact that the article 'a' is included.
If you gain 40' of Fly Speed, that would mean 40' is added to your current Fly Speed (even if that was 0, barring other extenuating verbiage).
If you gain a Fly Speed of 40' then that is a specific instance. You might already have that Fly Speed or even more, at which point you don't want to use that instance.
It is the difference in gaining 30 mph of speed and gaining a speed of 30 mph.
The Fast Movement freature is an example of speed increase;
Oh nice. That little "a" changes everything.
So a "flying Deer" for a small player would be ok according to the rules?
It won't provoke Opportunity Attacks due to the Trait "Agile" and still could get 80ft. of Flyspeed with the Dash Action.
Unless I am missing something a deer (CR 0 Beast) is a legitimate choice for a familiar (there is no restriction on size, merely CR and that it be a Beast, if it is not one of the pre-approved creatures on the lists.
A Small creature can clearly ride a Medium creature.
Obviously it would be allowed to get the 40' Fly Speed. That is a major point of that Invocation.
There is nothing in the wording of Agile to suggest that the movement involved is limited to ground based movement. That said, a DM could decide that the designers merely forgot to take into account the fact that something might give the deer additional forms of movement and houserule that Agile does not apply, but I think the odds of that happening are fairly low. I know I would not make such a houserule (but I do feel obligated to mention it since the possibility exists).
Thanks a lot to everyone for the clarification.
A Pseudodragon that can attack twice or a flying Deer are quite potent options for combat.
So you just need an "Exotic Saddle" and your mobility on the battlefield is just mindblowing.
*edit* One last question about the Warlock that is quite off topic.
The statblock of the Skeleton states
Can the player decide what other language the Skeleton can speak or the DM or is there a dice roll like in the caracter creation?
That would make the Skeleton a perfect interpreter because the Skeleton then could understand literally any language that is needed in a specific scenario and the Warlock has a telephatic bond with the Familiar.
Monsters are the DM's purview unless noted otherwise but this is the sort of things that could be discussed with the player.
Nothing to add regarding "The familiar gains either a Fly Speed or a Swim Speed". It was already explained by some nice folks.
Your question, Indyday, was also asked in Questions about Investment of the Chain Master, but I think the interesting part for you is that the timing for Quick Attack was also discussed. In my opinion, the familiar takes the Attack action during your turn, immediately after you take your Bonus Action.
Not everybody agrees (and I agree it's debatable), so take a look when you have some time and choose your own adventure.
Thanks for the additional input. I hadn't even thought about that aspect.
Of course it would speed up the whole combat and make it smoother if the Familiar could do both Attacks on the Warlocks turn. And the Warlock gives up his Attack and Bonus Action instead.
But when I read the Text from "Quick Attack" it only sais that the Warlock commands the Familiar to take the Attack Action. It does not specifically sais when that Attack happens.
Since an Attack Action only can be made on your own turn, the Familiar should take the Attack Action on its own turn. But you are right, that is highly debatable.
In the end it's always up to the DM to decide how something works. DM > Rules
It would be so much easier if WotC just rewrites the Find Familiar text (beside like two dozen other vague spells) and adjust it in a way "Simulacrum" works.
(It obeys your commands and acts on your turn in combat. )
That the Familiar just has the same Initiative as the Warlock and acts on its own (with its own Action, Bonus Action, Reaction, Movement) but on the Warlocks turn.
I don't know why WotC has to complicate a spell like Find Familiar in such an unnessecary way and create such "heated" debates as a result.
*edit*: I think some homebrew is a better solution. The Familiar acts on the same turn as the caster. If the Caster is a Warlock with Pact of the Chain, the Warlock then can use his Attack Action to let the Familiar attack. With Investment of the Chain Master the Warlock can further more use his Bonus Action to let the Familiar attack a second time with its Bonus Action. That would solve all the problems I think. And that's what I ask my DM in terms of ruling. It makes it much more smoother to handle combat. Either the WL attacks or the Familiar attacks and everything happens on the same turn.