With the DM's blessing, anything can be a familiar.
Yes, but the pseudodragon actually has rules for it. You need the DM's blessing in the same way you need it for feats and multiclassing; it's an optional rule, but it's still an official option.
Generally a familiar that is more powerful than the ones listed in the spell is only available for a short time or to NPCs. Otherwise it steps on the toes of warlocks who have a class feature to get better familiars, including pseudodragons.
Generally a familiar that is more powerful than the ones listed in the spell is only available for a short time or to NPCs. Otherwise it steps on the toes of warlocks who have a class feature to get better familiars, including pseudodragons.
Sure, but stepping on toes might not be an issue in a given game, and therefore might be acceptable. If you've got a campaign with no warlock, for example, you don't have that burden. Or if the warlock in the party is a tome or blade warlock. Or if it's the warlock who is the one asking for a different familiar. It's handy that the MM has familiar variants of certain creatures. But like any other rule, the existence of those alone is no reason to not allow other variants, if the DM (who should be taking the rest of the party into account with the ruling) is okay with it.
I would allow a red Faerie Dragon for a warlock, but not for a wizard for more than a session or two. Even if you don't have any warlocks in your party (or people who might multiclass into it) pacts are a major feature of warlocks and shouldn't be given to other classes without removing something else.
Most DMs wouldn't allow a warlock to decide that Wild Shape is cool but they don't want to multiclass into druid so they should just have it for free. They might be able to get it by giving up something, perhaps as an alternative pact or invocation.
To give improved familiars to other classes should cost class features or count as a magical item (rare maybe?)
Generally a familiar that is more powerful than the ones listed in the spell is only available for a short time or to NPCs. Otherwise it steps on the toes of warlocks who have a class feature to get better familiars, including pseudodragons.
You can't compare something that's built into a class to something DMs can award players. Optional familiars like pseudodragons have more in common with magic items than spells or class features; they're something extra on top of the baseline options available to players.
And to be 100% clear, these options have nothing to do with the Find Familiar spell. You actually have to find a real, live pseudodragon and maintain a good relationship with it. You don't just say some magic words, burn some incense and get a servant for life.
Generally a familiar that is more powerful than the ones listed in the spell is only available for a short time or to NPCs. Otherwise it steps on the toes of warlocks who have a class feature to get better familiars, including pseudodragons.
You can't compare something that's built into a class to something DMs can award players. Optional familiars like pseudodragons have more in common with magic items than spells or class features; they're something extra on top of the baseline options available to players.
That's how I see it as well--I wouldn't stop and think "what do I have to take away from this character" before I give a paladin a powerful magic item. I also of course wouldn't just hand out a powerful magic item without some thought given to game balance. Holy Avengers at 1st level isn't great.
But if a variant variant familiar isn't going to cause balance issues, then why not?
One way it might not cause balance issues is simply because some players might have optimized characters better than others. Even if no one is objectionably power gaming, it's still possible (maybe common) that some characters are built to be able to do way more, combat or otherwise, than other characters. Those are times when magic items to the less powerful characters can help--or something like a cool familiar.
I would in no way feel constrained by the 'normal familiar rules' if I thought the campaign and party and character could benefit from this.
Generally a familiar that is more powerful than the ones listed in the spell is only available for a short time or to NPCs. Otherwise it steps on the toes of warlocks who have a class feature to get better familiars, including pseudodragons.
You can't compare something that's built into a class to something DMs can award players. Optional familiars like pseudodragons have more in common with magic items than spells or class features; they're something extra on top of the baseline options available to players.
And to be 100% clear, these options have nothing to do with the Find Familiar spell. You actually have to find a real, live pseudodragon and maintain a good relationship with it. You don't just say some magic words, burn some incense and get a servant for life.
The creatures in the back of the Players Handbook are for the Warlock Chain Pact versions of the special familiars - pseudodragon, sprite, imp and quasit. These can be summoned by a chain pact warlock as special options of the find familiar spell. These creatures are still fey, fiend or celestial spirits in the form of the summoned familiar. Of particular note, the imp in this case can not share magic resistance with its owner.
On the other hand, the monster manual contains additional rules for specific creatures to also become familiars. However, these require a specific deal with a specific creature and the creatures do not gain the abilities provided by the find familiar spell. These possibilities would be placed specifically by a DM as part of the campaign and any possible agreement to be a familiar would likely require role playing and some promises on the part of the character. These creatures use the variant familiar rules in the MM that do NOT apply to familiars summoned using the Find Familiar spell.
If a DM wants to allow it, then almost any creature could become a familiar but that depends on house rules.
Faerie dragons sometimes ally with spellcasters, serving as curious, occasionally reckless, but always true familiars. An arcane spellcaster of at least 7th level with an alignment within 1 step of chaotic good who has the Improved Familiar feat may select a faerie dragon as a familiar.
Faerie dragons sometimes ally with spellcasters, serving as curious, occasionally reckless, but always true familiars. An arcane spellcaster of at least 7th level with an alignment within 1 step of chaotic good who has the Improved Familiar feat may select a faerie dragon as a familiar.
Definitely from an older edition, there's no "Improved Familiar" feat in 5E.
RAW, Probably not unless it fits into the campaign story. However, non RAW so long as not impeding on another players fun or stepping on another PCs class toes then I say... rule of cool > all.
I mean 5e is a flexible edition for a reason. No one likes rules lawyers at tables taking fun away from someone that has a creative idea. Especially when the DM can make anything possible happen in their games universe.
Hm. Comparing a faerie dragon (younger) to an imp, I would probably errata Euphoria Breath to either allow a save every round (rather than only only on a 5-6) or end on taking damage, and then it's as reasonable as a Pact of the Chain familiar.
Generally a familiar that is more powerful than the ones listed in the spell is only available for a short time or to NPCs. Otherwise it steps on the toes of warlocks who have a class feature to get better familiars, including pseudodragons.
I would like to first agree, that yes this does "step on the warlocks toes", a little with Pact of the Chain; however there are 2 things here as a DM/player I would like to point out.
Warlock Pact of the Chain have many other benefits with their familiars than just having an imp, pseudodragon, etc. which as mentioned anyone (read any class) can get. 1 example: Chain Locks can keep summoning them using Find Familiar, so lets be honest here, no issue for others getting them, because they die if they die, and can't be summoned back.
Which I will call the best for last. Chain Locks "stole" those special familiars from Magic Users of DnD who have had the ability to not only have them, but also summon them since AD&D 1st Ed. , the introduction of the 4e mess broke all of that. So, really, Chain Locks have "stepped" on the toes of Magic Users/Wizards who have had this ability; grandfathered rules apply for me & my games, especially when looking at ANYTHING introduced in 4e.
They should have just scrapped everything that was created in 4e and just called it a variant timeline (at best; travesty and poor excuse closer to reality). Lore, history, races, events, all a mess because they wanted to re-brand. 5e is better in many ways, but a far cry short of what they could have and should have done. Introduction of the ONLY new class since 3.0 in PHB came from 4e, the Warlock; that should say it all.
Nothing against new players, but it is like getting a history lesson from someone who knows nothing about the history.
Yup. If you have a warlock, I think it's fair for you to get a young faerie dragon as an alternate pseudodragon. It inherits all of the pseudodragon stats but swaps out Sting for Innate Spellcasting (red variant) and has swapped Con and Cha compared to a standard pseudodragon. Basically trades out the poison capabilities of a a pseudodragon for a limited Pact of the Tome benefit.
Faerie Dragons are not a registered familiar. However, I would argue that if you go Pact of the Chain Warlock, you could easily flavor a Pseudodragon familiar so that it looks like a Faerie Dragon. The "Sting" attack could be flavored to seem like the "Euphoria Breath," and (with the DM's permission) you might be able to flat-out replace it. Spells delivered by touch can be cast through the familiar, so you should be able to cast Faerie Dragon spells. Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Mirror Image, Suggestion, Major Image, Hallucinatory Terrain, and (through an Eldritch Invocation) Polymorph are all obtainable through the Warlock class, regardless of the subclass. The Faerie Dragons' Superior Invisibility could be the familiar's pocket dimension, though Warlocks also get the Invisibility spell, and Archfey Warlocks get Greater Invisibility.
As most people said, you should always talk to your DM. They might be willing to work with you to get you an actual faerie dragon, or at least make some of the flavor mechanics work better.
Yup. If you have a warlock, I think it's fair for you to get a young faerie dragon as an alternate pseudodragon. It inherits all of the pseudodragon stats but swaps out Sting for Innate Spellcasting (red variant) and has swapped Con and Cha compared to a standard pseudodragon. Basically trades out the poison capabilities of a a pseudodragon for a limited Pact of the Tome benefit.
From a balance perspective, which normally this forum doesn't focus on, what theoretically matters is the CR of the familiar, although it should be noted that familiars can't attack base, so for anyone who doesn't have a special rule changing this (which Chainlocks do have), you need to remove their attack output from their CR for comparative analysis.
Some guidance:
Tomelocks, baseline rules: CR usually 0, but the poisonous snake is CR 1/8.
Most supplements that offer variant familiars stick to CR 0.
Tomelocks, specific supplement upgrade: Avernus offers, with GM permission, the CR 1/4 abyssal chicken.
Tomelocks/Chainlocks, specific supplement upgrade, 2 feats (one of which can be loaded into a background if you have access to these rules), L4+: exactly 1 CR 1/4 creature is added to your list, chosen from a menu.
So pseudodragons aren't the best balance argument here, imps and quasits are. Faerie Dragons, even red ones, are incredibly powerful, as they can maintain invisibility while attacking, which is significantly more powerful than any poison it gives up (e.g. it'll form a nasty self-sustaining combo with magic stone), but to be fair, it lacks the devil's sight of the imp, so I can see an argument for the red variant being on par with an imp. It's radically better than a pseudodragon.
I hav been told repeatedly that Faerie Dragons can be familiars. I can’t find that anywhere. Where is it? That sounds useful.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Whomever told you that probably confused them with pseudodragons. However, you need to find one, befriend it, and get your DM's blessing.
With the DM's blessing, anything can be a familiar.
We have a member of our party right now who has a rock as a familiar.
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
There's even a specific variant of the Pseudodragon in the Monster Manual. :)
Pseudodragon (familiar variant)
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Yes, but the pseudodragon actually has rules for it. You need the DM's blessing in the same way you need it for feats and multiclassing; it's an optional rule, but it's still an official option.
Generally a familiar that is more powerful than the ones listed in the spell is only available for a short time or to NPCs. Otherwise it steps on the toes of warlocks who have a class feature to get better familiars, including pseudodragons.
Sure, but stepping on toes might not be an issue in a given game, and therefore might be acceptable. If you've got a campaign with no warlock, for example, you don't have that burden. Or if the warlock in the party is a tome or blade warlock. Or if it's the warlock who is the one asking for a different familiar. It's handy that the MM has familiar variants of certain creatures. But like any other rule, the existence of those alone is no reason to not allow other variants, if the DM (who should be taking the rest of the party into account with the ruling) is okay with it.
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
I would allow a red Faerie Dragon for a warlock, but not for a wizard for more than a session or two. Even if you don't have any warlocks in your party (or people who might multiclass into it) pacts are a major feature of warlocks and shouldn't be given to other classes without removing something else.
Most DMs wouldn't allow a warlock to decide that Wild Shape is cool but they don't want to multiclass into druid so they should just have it for free. They might be able to get it by giving up something, perhaps as an alternative pact or invocation.
To give improved familiars to other classes should cost class features or count as a magical item (rare maybe?)
You can't compare something that's built into a class to something DMs can award players. Optional familiars like pseudodragons have more in common with magic items than spells or class features; they're something extra on top of the baseline options available to players.
And to be 100% clear, these options have nothing to do with the Find Familiar spell. You actually have to find a real, live pseudodragon and maintain a good relationship with it. You don't just say some magic words, burn some incense and get a servant for life.
That's how I see it as well--I wouldn't stop and think "what do I have to take away from this character" before I give a paladin a powerful magic item. I also of course wouldn't just hand out a powerful magic item without some thought given to game balance. Holy Avengers at 1st level isn't great.
But if a variant variant familiar isn't going to cause balance issues, then why not?
One way it might not cause balance issues is simply because some players might have optimized characters better than others. Even if no one is objectionably power gaming, it's still possible (maybe common) that some characters are built to be able to do way more, combat or otherwise, than other characters. Those are times when magic items to the less powerful characters can help--or something like a cool familiar.
I would in no way feel constrained by the 'normal familiar rules' if I thought the campaign and party and character could benefit from this.
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
The creatures in the back of the Players Handbook are for the Warlock Chain Pact versions of the special familiars - pseudodragon, sprite, imp and quasit. These can be summoned by a chain pact warlock as special options of the find familiar spell. These creatures are still fey, fiend or celestial spirits in the form of the summoned familiar. Of particular note, the imp in this case can not share magic resistance with its owner.
On the other hand, the monster manual contains additional rules for specific creatures to also become familiars. However, these require a specific deal with a specific creature and the creatures do not gain the abilities provided by the find familiar spell. These possibilities would be placed specifically by a DM as part of the campaign and any possible agreement to be a familiar would likely require role playing and some promises on the part of the character. These creatures use the variant familiar rules in the MM that do NOT apply to familiars summoned using the Find Familiar spell.
If a DM wants to allow it, then almost any creature could become a familiar but that depends on house rules.
Found This Dont Know If Its 5e
Faerie dragons sometimes ally with spellcasters, serving as curious, occasionally reckless, but always true familiars. An arcane spellcaster of at least 7th level with an alignment within 1 step of chaotic good who has the Improved Familiar feat may select a faerie dragon as a familiar.
Definitely from an older edition, there's no "Improved Familiar" feat in 5E.
I'd allow faerie dragons as familiars in my campaign. Nice idea there.
RAW, Probably not unless it fits into the campaign story.
However, non RAW so long as not impeding on another players fun or stepping on another PCs class toes then I say... rule of cool > all.
I mean 5e is a flexible edition for a reason. No one likes rules lawyers at tables taking fun away from someone that has a creative idea. Especially when the DM can make anything possible happen in their games universe.
Hm. Comparing a faerie dragon (younger) to an imp, I would probably errata Euphoria Breath to either allow a save every round (rather than only only on a 5-6) or end on taking damage, and then it's as reasonable as a Pact of the Chain familiar.
I would like to first agree, that yes this does "step on the warlocks toes", a little with Pact of the Chain; however there are 2 things here as a DM/player I would like to point out.
They should have just scrapped everything that was created in 4e and just called it a variant timeline (at best; travesty and poor excuse closer to reality). Lore, history, races, events, all a mess because they wanted to re-brand. 5e is better in many ways, but a far cry short of what they could have and should have done. Introduction of the ONLY new class since 3.0 in PHB came from 4e, the Warlock; that should say it all.
Nothing against new players, but it is like getting a history lesson from someone who knows nothing about the history.
Yup. If you have a warlock, I think it's fair for you to get a young faerie dragon as an alternate pseudodragon. It inherits all of the pseudodragon stats but swaps out Sting for Innate Spellcasting (red variant) and has swapped Con and Cha compared to a standard pseudodragon. Basically trades out the poison capabilities of a a pseudodragon for a limited Pact of the Tome benefit.
Faerie Dragons are not a registered familiar. However, I would argue that if you go Pact of the Chain Warlock, you could easily flavor a Pseudodragon familiar so that it looks like a Faerie Dragon. The "Sting" attack could be flavored to seem like the "Euphoria Breath," and (with the DM's permission) you might be able to flat-out replace it. Spells delivered by touch can be cast through the familiar, so you should be able to cast Faerie Dragon spells. Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Mirror Image, Suggestion, Major Image, Hallucinatory Terrain, and (through an Eldritch Invocation) Polymorph are all obtainable through the Warlock class, regardless of the subclass. The Faerie Dragons' Superior Invisibility could be the familiar's pocket dimension, though Warlocks also get the Invisibility spell, and Archfey Warlocks get Greater Invisibility.
As most people said, you should always talk to your DM. They might be willing to work with you to get you an actual faerie dragon, or at least make some of the flavor mechanics work better.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/17108-faerie-dragon-older
https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16986-pseudodragon
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/class/warlock
From a balance perspective, which normally this forum doesn't focus on, what theoretically matters is the CR of the familiar, although it should be noted that familiars can't attack base, so for anyone who doesn't have a special rule changing this (which Chainlocks do have), you need to remove their attack output from their CR for comparative analysis.
Some guidance:
So pseudodragons aren't the best balance argument here, imps and quasits are. Faerie Dragons, even red ones, are incredibly powerful, as they can maintain invisibility while attacking, which is significantly more powerful than any poison it gives up (e.g. it'll form a nasty self-sustaining combo with magic stone), but to be fair, it lacks the devil's sight of the imp, so I can see an argument for the red variant being on par with an imp. It's radically better than a pseudodragon.