You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, Lizard, Octopus, owl, Poisonous Snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, Sea Horse, Spider, or Weasel. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the familiar has the Statistics of the chosen form, though it is a Celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast.
...
When the familiar drops to 0 Hit Points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again.
As far as I can understand this as well as other things I've read about familiars, they're a celestial, fey, or fiend spirit that the wizard has magically taken out of their native plane and forced to take on a facsimile of an animal body and bound them to obey commands. When their faux animal body dies, they go back to their native plane.
Given that, is it possible to learn the familiars true name and then use Gate...
You conjure a portal linking an unoccupied space you can see within range to a precise location on a different plane of existence. ... When you cast this spell, you can speak the name of a specific creature (a pseudonym, title, or nickname doesn't work). If that creature is on a plane other than the one you are on, the portal opens in the named creature's immediate vicinity and draws the creature through it to the nearest unoccupied space on your side of the portal. You gain no Special power over the creature, and it is free to act as the DM deems appropriate. It might leave, Attack you, or help you.
...to summon your familiar's true celestial, fey, or fiend spirit form? If so would it then be free to not obey your commands?
You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, Lizard, Octopus, owl, Poisonous Snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, Sea Horse, Spider, or Weasel. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the familiar has the Statistics of the chosen form, though it is a Celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast.
...
When the familiar drops to 0 Hit Points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again.
As far as I can understand this as well as other things I've read about familiars, they're a celestial, fey, or fiend spirit that the wizard has magically taken out of their native plane and forced to take on a facsimile of an animal body and bound them to obey commands. When their faux animal body dies, they go back to their native plane.
Given that, is it possible to learn the familiars true name and then use Gate...
You conjure a portal linking an unoccupied space you can see within range to a precise location on a different plane of existence. ... When you cast this spell, you can speak the name of a specific creature (a pseudonym, title, or nickname doesn't work). If that creature is on a plane other than the one you are on, the portal opens in the named creature's immediate vicinity and draws the creature through it to the nearest unoccupied space on your side of the portal. You gain no Special power over the creature, and it is free to act as the DM deems appropriate. It might leave, Attack you, or help you.
...to summon your familiar's true celestial, fey, or fiend spirit form? If so would it then be free to not obey your commands?
If that isn't possible, why not?
Taking a stab at this, I wouldn't say the mechanical actions you're asking about are impossible, but the result isn't going to be what you think.
A Familiar is just a simple spirit of that creature type. Having a Familiar that is celestial doesn't mean their "true form" is like a Deva or something... it's just a weak little spirit with the stats on par with a CR 0 creature.
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You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
I think the idea of this is entirely within the worldview of your DM. It sounds like it has potential for a super cool high level moment with a huge cinematic feeling.
It's not necessarily spelled out in the rules anywhere tho so it's also possible yeah, you just get a tiny lil spirit guy.
Taking a stab at this, I wouldn't say the mechanical actions you're asking about are impossible, but the result isn't going to be what you think.
A Familiar is just a simple spirit of that creature type. Having a Familiar that is celestial doesn't mean their "true form" is like a Deva or something... it's just a weak little spirit with the stats on par with a CR 0 creature.
I agree here. I think the general lore supports the idea that many of the non-material planes are somewhat populated with minor spirits and entities without form. These might be fey energies, sparks of celestial fluff, malevolent but formless fiendlings or wild proto-elementals floating invisible in a sea of fire. These maybe are going to evolve Pokémon-style into an actual creature of that type at some future point, or maybe they join together to become stronger. Mostly they just seem to just hang around waiting to be summoned and given material form by a magic-user.
Possibly one could have a true name, and possibly you could summon one in its native form - but you are likely to end up face-to-face with something possessing all the powers and personality of a regular candle flame.
It's long been canon that the planes are inhabited by celestial, fiendish, and elemental versions of standard animals. Fifth Edition's version of Find Familiar presumably is just summoning a rat from the Abyss or a Beastlands owl when you cast it.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Taking a stab at this, I wouldn't say the mechanical actions you're asking about are impossible, but the result isn't going to be what you think.
A Familiar is just a simple spirit of that creature type. Having a Familiar that is celestial doesn't mean their "true form" is like a Deva or something... it's just a weak little spirit with the stats on par with a CR 0 creature.
I mean, if I wanted a Deva I could presumably just learn the name of one and use Gate. This was specifically about trying to meet the non-enslaved and non-magically shape-changed version of my familiar. Whatever that is.
Find familiar spell:
As far as I can understand this as well as other things I've read about familiars, they're a celestial, fey, or fiend spirit that the wizard has magically taken out of their native plane and forced to take on a facsimile of an animal body and bound them to obey commands. When their faux animal body dies, they go back to their native plane.
Given that, is it possible to learn the familiars true name and then use Gate...
...to summon your familiar's true celestial, fey, or fiend spirit form? If so would it then be free to not obey your commands?
If that isn't possible, why not?
Taking a stab at this, I wouldn't say the mechanical actions you're asking about are impossible, but the result isn't going to be what you think.
A Familiar is just a simple spirit of that creature type. Having a Familiar that is celestial doesn't mean their "true form" is like a Deva or something... it's just a weak little spirit with the stats on par with a CR 0 creature.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
I think the idea of this is entirely within the worldview of your DM. It sounds like it has potential for a super cool high level moment with a huge cinematic feeling.
It's not necessarily spelled out in the rules anywhere tho so it's also possible yeah, you just get a tiny lil spirit guy.
Reminds of of the kodamas from Princess Mononoke.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
I agree here. I think the general lore supports the idea that many of the non-material planes are somewhat populated with minor spirits and entities without form. These might be fey energies, sparks of celestial fluff, malevolent but formless fiendlings or wild proto-elementals floating invisible in a sea of fire. These maybe are going to evolve Pokémon-style into an actual creature of that type at some future point, or maybe they join together to become stronger. Mostly they just seem to just hang around waiting to be summoned and given material form by a magic-user.
Possibly one could have a true name, and possibly you could summon one in its native form - but you are likely to end up face-to-face with something possessing all the powers and personality of a regular candle flame.
It's long been canon that the planes are inhabited by celestial, fiendish, and elemental versions of standard animals. Fifth Edition's version of Find Familiar presumably is just summoning a rat from the Abyss or a Beastlands owl when you cast it.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I mean, if I wanted a Deva I could presumably just learn the name of one and use Gate. This was specifically about trying to meet the non-enslaved and non-magically shape-changed version of my familiar. Whatever that is.
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I want a tiny lil spirit guy. :D
Omg yes!
That would be really cool too. Better than feeling forced to have an owl as the current situation is.