Find Familiar: Giant Fly

Find Familiar

Giant Fly

So... technically, a Giant Fly qualifies, right?

And technically, could be used as a mount, yeah?

That statblock is from this Magic Item, right? Figurine of Wondrous Power.

Assuming your DM allows it as a familiar (I'm honestly not sure it's intended), then both answers could be yes:

This ebony statuette, carved in the likeness of a horsefly, can become a Giant Fly (see the accompanying stat block) for up to 12 hours and can be ridden as a mount. Once it has been used, it can’t be used again until 2 days have passed.

Giant fly is a magic object not a real creature.

So it would not be attracted/enchanted by the Find Familiar spell. Nor would it qualify to be a beast to shapeshift into.

Find Familiar reads: "You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: Bat, Cat, Frog, Hawk, Lizard, Octopus, Owl, Rat, Raven, Spider, Weasel, or another Beast that has a Challenge Rating of 0."

A Giant Fly is both a "Beast" and has a CR of 0.  Exactly as the spell requires.

I'm not sure what "attracted/enchanted" means as that has nothing to do with the Find Familiar spell.

(I'm not saying a DM will allow it, but using RAW it is definitely allowed as a familiar.  In fact, it is definitely allowed as mount as it qualifies for that as well.  But I can see a DM saying "no" because it might affect the game in a negative way.)

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

It's explicitly described as both a creature and a Beast in the item description.

Yes it is but it only exists as a creature when transformed from the statuette. I guess the RAW could possibly be "yes" but I'm not sure that it is intended nor am I sure many DM actually would allow it.

Seems to me that an errata to give it a 1/4 CR instead wouldn't be a bad idea (more fitting for its size and movement too).

While technically a Giant Fly is a CR0 Beast that qualify for Find Familiar, wether it can be used at all will be up to DM. 

The Ebony Fly and the Giant fly could be two different things.

Quote from TheGnome5786 >>

The Ebony Fly and the Giant fly could be two different things.

 RAW it isn't though, it's not a typical creature found in the game world, it's a Figurine of Wondrous Power that become a living creature for up to 12 hours after you taking a Magic action.

In fact, most people likely don't even know such Giant Fly even exist, begging the question of how can a caster even choose such animal form for the spirit to take when gaining the service of a Find Familiar considering it's unique to the magic item.

And if really the Ebony Fly and the Giant fly can be different things, then the aspect that it can can be ridden as a mount isn't found in the Giant Fly statblock but in the Figurine of Wondrous Power itself.

If your DM disallows Giant Fly and you're a small creature, there's always Vulture, with its 50' fly speed.

It is almost like just using CR for the find familiar spell was a bad idea. 

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Quote from MyDudeicus >>

It is almost like just using CR for the find familiar spell was a bad idea. 

Eh. I think it's mostly fine. I think the issue is more that the Giant Fly's CR should be slightly higher.

That is the inherent problem with just using CR. They will make mistakes, they already have and as the game continues to produce supplements they will continue to. 

My DM allowed it lol