As far as I know, the spell description of Find Familiar tells what kind of creature you can have as familiar.
That sidebar in Volo's tells you the kind of familiar NPC wizards can have. If you can have a monster (not listed in the spell description) as familiar, the monster stats have a sidebar "Variant: Familiar", as it happens to Pseudodragon and Gazer.
Everything you need to know about the spell is in its description, including the available forms for the familiar. Exceptions are at the whims of the DM. Having a pseudodragon, sprite, imp, or quasit familiar is the realm of a Pact of the Chain Warlock; allowing anyone with the Find Familiar spell to obtain one of those familiars completely obviates the boon for chainlocks. However, in a Wizard's adventuring s/he may come across a friendly CR1 creature of Tiny size, the DM (as stated in the Monster Manual) can use a variant rule to allow a character to bond with that familiar. One of the key drawbacks to this variant is that the pseudodragon (or other) can end its service "at any time and for any reason".
A tiny creature can be appropriate for use as a familiar, but under normal circumstances only those listed in the spell description are available.
Various adventures also open up special familiar options. Storm King's Thunder allows players who complete a certain quest to unlock the Tressym as a familiar, and Tomb of Annihilation offers players access to the Almiraj.
As a DM my rule of thumb is, if you want to cast the spell and pull a Familiar out of thin air then that's fine. If you want to track down and befriend a Tiny creature (I also put a CR restriction on it so no Flame Skull familiars) then that is also fine but you have to roleplay out the negotiations with it.
In fact, now that I think of it I plan on including an exotic pet procurer in the next big city my players get too.
GM of The Bonus Role - We are playing a 5E game set in my homebrew world of Audra check us out Sunday's at 10 AM CST and follow us at the following social media links. https://www.twitch.tv/thebonusrole @BonusRole
Send me a DM with your info, I'll add you to my pool of potential players and contact you next time I'm starting a new series or looking to add someone to an existing one. I usually run TotM over VTT's with groups of 2-3, Game ratings are usually R for violence and adult content such as drinking, drug use, and manipulation of the fundamental forces of the universe.
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GM of The Bonus Role - We are playing a 5E game set in my homebrew world of Audra check us out Sunday's at 10 AM CST and follow us at the following social media links. https://www.twitch.tv/thebonusrole @BonusRole
As far as I know, the spell description of Find Familiar tells what kind of creature you can have as familiar.
That sidebar in Volo's tells you the kind of familiar NPC wizards can have. If you can have a monster (not listed in the spell description) as familiar, the monster stats have a sidebar "Variant: Familiar", as it happens to Pseudodragon and Gazer.
Link to thing in question. Scroll down a little from here.
Pretty sure that from the context it's referring to NPC casters, not modifying player rules.
PCs can get more powerful Familiars with DM permission, though should be quite limited so as to not step on the toes of PoC warlocks. If you want a permanent improved familiar, take 3 levels of warlock
The fun is with the terms of service like familiar leaves if it's ever bored, or only takes orders on even numbered days. It could also include things like if it's killed then powerful creature/diety wants revenge or gets your soul.
I make them rp and bargain such as currently my Druid is doing a quest for an Eye Tyrant (less murder y beholder) in exchange for basking in his glorious presence and a gazer familiar. As for psudodragons, imps, and quasits, neither of my parties contain pact of the chain warlocks so it would't step on their toes to include one. As usual it all comes down to the players and the party and whether they want to use that variant rule or not as for the ones who have to get it.To clarify the ones not in find familiar they are their own entity with their own character so they should not be given out for free.
According to VGtM a wizard can have any tiny monster as a familiar. Does that mean you could cast Find Familiar and get a Pseudo dragon?
As far as I know, the spell description of Find Familiar tells what kind of creature you can have as familiar.
That sidebar in Volo's tells you the kind of familiar NPC wizards can have. If you can have a monster (not listed in the spell description) as familiar, the monster stats have a sidebar "Variant: Familiar", as it happens to Pseudodragon and Gazer.
Find Familiar
Everything you need to know about the spell is in its description, including the available forms for the familiar. Exceptions are at the whims of the DM. Having a pseudodragon, sprite, imp, or quasit familiar is the realm of a Pact of the Chain Warlock; allowing anyone with the Find Familiar spell to obtain one of those familiars completely obviates the boon for chainlocks. However, in a Wizard's adventuring s/he may come across a friendly CR1 creature of Tiny size, the DM (as stated in the Monster Manual) can use a variant rule to allow a character to bond with that familiar. One of the key drawbacks to this variant is that the pseudodragon (or other) can end its service "at any time and for any reason".
A tiny creature can be appropriate for use as a familiar, but under normal circumstances only those listed in the spell description are available.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
Various adventures also open up special familiar options. Storm King's Thunder allows players who complete a certain quest to unlock the Tressym as a familiar, and Tomb of Annihilation offers players access to the Almiraj.
As a DM my rule of thumb is, if you want to cast the spell and pull a Familiar out of thin air then that's fine. If you want to track down and befriend a Tiny creature (I also put a CR restriction on it so no Flame Skull familiars) then that is also fine but you have to roleplay out the negotiations with it.
In fact, now that I think of it I plan on including an exotic pet procurer in the next big city my players get too.
GM of The Bonus Role - We are playing a 5E game set in my homebrew world of Audra check us out Sunday's at 10 AM CST and follow us at the following social media links.
https://www.twitch.tv/thebonusrole
@BonusRole
I want to be in that game.
GM of The Bonus Role - We are playing a 5E game set in my homebrew world of Audra check us out Sunday's at 10 AM CST and follow us at the following social media links.
https://www.twitch.tv/thebonusrole
@BonusRole
Disadvantage to finding one "in the wild" and having it become your familiar is if it dies it's gone, you can't recast it.
Link to thing in question. Scroll down a little from here.
Pretty sure that from the context it's referring to NPC casters, not modifying player rules.
Playtesting Fugare Draconis, an epic tale of adventure, loss, and redemption
PCs can get more powerful Familiars with DM permission, though should be quite limited so as to not step on the toes of PoC warlocks. If you want a permanent improved familiar, take 3 levels of warlock
The fun is with the terms of service like familiar leaves if it's ever bored, or only takes orders on even numbered days. It could also include things like if it's killed then powerful creature/diety wants revenge or gets your soul.
I make them rp and bargain such as currently my Druid is doing a quest for an Eye Tyrant (less murder y beholder) in exchange for basking in his glorious presence and a gazer familiar. As for psudodragons, imps, and quasits, neither of my parties contain pact of the chain warlocks so it would't step on their toes to include one. As usual it all comes down to the players and the party and whether they want to use that variant rule or not as for the ones who have to get it.To clarify the ones not in find familiar they are their own entity with their own character so they should not be given out for free.
I'm currently working on abusing the wording and instead getting an army of lich familiars who I control at Level 1