If I cast Find Familiar, can an owl or hawk carry the Artillerist Artificer's Eldritch Cannon in flight? (If it gets shot down I lose the familiar and the cannon takes falling damage... but I still want to know)
Eldritch Cannon info below. You can choose if it is Small or Tiny. I know that carry capacity is usually 15xStrength... then 1/2 it since they are tiny... so Owl is 22.5 lbs., Hawk is 37.5 lbs. I believe the language is silent as to the weight of the Eldritch Cannon?
3rd-level Artillerist feature
You've learned how to create a magical cannon. Using woodcarver’s tools or smith’s tools, you can take an action to magically create a Small or Tiny eldritch cannon in an unoccupied space on a horizontal surface within 5 feet of you. A Small eldritch cannon occupies its space, and a Tiny one can be held in one hand.
Once you create a cannon, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest or until you expend a spell slot to create one. You can have only one cannon at a time and can’t create one while your cannon is present.
The cannon is a magical object. Regardless of size, the cannon has an AC of 18 and a number of hit points equal to five times your artificer level. It is immune to poison damage and psychic damage. If it is forced to make an ability check or a saving throw, treat all its ability scores as 10 (+0). If the mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. It disappears if it is reduced to 0 hit points or after 1 hour. You can dismiss it early as an action.
When you create the cannon, you determine its appearance and whether it has legs. You also decide which type it is, choosing from the options on the Eldritch Cannons table. On each of your turns, you can take a bonus action to cause the cannon to activate if you are within 60 feet of it. As part of the same bonus action, you can direct the cannon to walk or climb up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space, provided it has legs.
The "Pfeifer-Zeliska . 600 Nitro Express" is an absurdly large handgun that weighs approximately 13.2lbs, so even if the Tiny Artificer's Cannon were twice its size, a hawk would have no issue carrying it.
Just make sure your DM doesn't think along the lines that I do - that it's ridiculous to pretend flight carrying capacity would be the same as carrying capacity on the ground. But Sage Advice disagrees with me and it's a cool idea so good luck.
It's true that a real hawk is unlikely to be able to carry more than 5lbs.
Fortunately, the feature does say that a tiny arcane cannon can be held in one hand, so I think it is fair to compare it to a hand crossbow or revolver in terms of encumbrance. Both of which are officially listed as 3lbs.
I don't think it's unbalanced... it may shine in a particular scenario where there are only melee combatants and there's not a 10 ft tall ceiling... Though most encounters it just takes one javelin or ranged attack to lose the familiar and possibly the cannon...
That would cost the artificer two spell slots to get that combo back, and they are already limited on spell slots.
I will say, just because the familiar May arguably be able to hold it in flight RAW, if the cannon were to take a shot during flight... As a DM I would probably argue the familiar has to make an Athletics check to see if it maintains its grip from the force of the shot.
I'm really more interested on using it for strategic placement before or during a fight (eg. Sniper position on a ridge, or moving the support turret quickly across the battlefield for a split party who may have possible opportunity attacks between the two or other barriers)
Not sure what it actually gains you? The familiar is a lot more vulnerable than the cannon. You still have to be within 60' of the cannon to activate it and it is still you activating it, not the familiar.
There might be some niche situations where it allows you to fire over a wall at someone, but you would likely not be able to see to instruct your familiar.
Actually, I think the more interesting application would be to arm a fish familiar with it as an anti-ship weapon, attacking from below the surface where it likely would not be seen at all...
The primary benefit is that an invisible familiar can fly the cannon around to get it where it needs to be and the cannon can be fired without rendering the bearer visible.
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If I cast Find Familiar, can an owl or hawk carry the Artillerist Artificer's Eldritch Cannon in flight? (If it gets shot down I lose the familiar and the cannon takes falling damage... but I still want to know)
Eldritch Cannon info below. You can choose if it is Small or Tiny. I know that carry capacity is usually 15xStrength... then 1/2 it since they are tiny... so Owl is 22.5 lbs., Hawk is 37.5 lbs. I believe the language is silent as to the weight of the Eldritch Cannon?
3rd-level Artillerist feature
You've learned how to create a magical cannon. Using woodcarver’s tools or smith’s tools, you can take an action to magically create a Small or Tiny eldritch cannon in an unoccupied space on a horizontal surface within 5 feet of you. A Small eldritch cannon occupies its space, and a Tiny one can be held in one hand.
Once you create a cannon, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest or until you expend a spell slot to create one. You can have only one cannon at a time and can’t create one while your cannon is present.
The cannon is a magical object. Regardless of size, the cannon has an AC of 18 and a number of hit points equal to five times your artificer level. It is immune to poison damage and psychic damage. If it is forced to make an ability check or a saving throw, treat all its ability scores as 10 (+0). If the mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. It disappears if it is reduced to 0 hit points or after 1 hour. You can dismiss it early as an action.
When you create the cannon, you determine its appearance and whether it has legs. You also decide which type it is, choosing from the options on the Eldritch Cannons table. On each of your turns, you can take a bonus action to cause the cannon to activate if you are within 60 feet of it. As part of the same bonus action, you can direct the cannon to walk or climb up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space, provided it has legs.
The "Pfeifer-Zeliska . 600 Nitro Express" is an absurdly large handgun that weighs approximately 13.2lbs, so even if the Tiny Artificer's Cannon were twice its size, a hawk would have no issue carrying it.
Enjoy your cannon Drone!
It depends.. is your familiar a European or an African swallow?
Legitimate question.
Hold on, I think you might've did something
Just make sure your DM doesn't think along the lines that I do - that it's ridiculous to pretend flight carrying capacity would be the same as carrying capacity on the ground. But Sage Advice disagrees with me and it's a cool idea so good luck.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
It's true that a real hawk is unlikely to be able to carry more than 5lbs.
Fortunately, the feature does say that a tiny arcane cannon can be held in one hand, so I think it is fair to compare it to a hand crossbow or revolver in terms of encumbrance. Both of which are officially listed as 3lbs.
Are you referring to https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/06/04/what-are-the-rules-for-creatures-carrying-friendly-pcs/ Sage Advice?
I don't think it's unbalanced... it may shine in a particular scenario where there are only melee combatants and there's not a 10 ft tall ceiling... Though most encounters it just takes one javelin or ranged attack to lose the familiar and possibly the cannon...
That would cost the artificer two spell slots to get that combo back, and they are already limited on spell slots.
I will say, just because the familiar May arguably be able to hold it in flight RAW, if the cannon were to take a shot during flight... As a DM I would probably argue the familiar has to make an Athletics check to see if it maintains its grip from the force of the shot.
I'm really more interested on using it for strategic placement before or during a fight (eg. Sniper position on a ridge, or moving the support turret quickly across the battlefield for a split party who may have possible opportunity attacks between the two or other barriers)
I don't think this is any worse than find familiar dragon's breath combo which is RAW, so I'd allow this.
I think the funniest part is that you could alternatively do both which is what my boyfriend and I do all the time
Even without payload, I'd apply exhaustion to a constantly flying creature and apply it more quickly for sparrows with coconuts.
I want to give my eldritch cannon to my homunculus. That should be fun…
The primary benefit is that an invisible familiar can fly the cannon around to get it where it needs to be and the cannon can be fired without rendering the bearer visible.