New to these forums and I am pretty sure this question has been asked multiple times, but I need some help and I couldn't resist. I had an argument with my DM las night over Find Familiar. I have a level 4 sorcerer and I picked up the magic initiate feat. I cast find familiar and used it quite a bit, but was told by my DM that it only lasted an hour and with that my familiar dissipated. I can't seem to find anything anywhere about spell duration other than what the PHB says. So, is this accurate? Does my familiar only last for one hour after casting?
The casting time of the spell is 1 hour. The familiar, according to the spell, lasts until you drop to 0 hp, or until you use the spell again (because you can only have 1 familiar, but now you need a bat instead of a lizard). "When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again." Compare this wording to Phantom Steed, which has a casting time of 1 minute and a duration of 1 hour. "When the spell ends, the steed gradually fades, giving the rider 1 minute to dismount. The spell ends if you use an action to dismiss it or if the steed takes any damage." Find Familiar doesn't mention anything about the familiar leaving when the spell ends, because the spell has no duration -- it's instantaneous.
Thank you! I thought that was wrong, but I didn't want to say anything during the game. Too many chefs in the kitchen. I will discreetly let him know today. Thanks so much.
Find Familiar would be a pretty terrible spell if the familiar only stuck around for an hour considering it also takes an hour to summon it in the first place.
Find Familiar would be a pretty terrible spell if the familiar only stuck around for an hour considering it also takes an hour to summon it in the first place.
Special Familiars: in my campaigns the Rule I use is the character must find one of the creatures they want, incapacitate the creature and cast find familiar ON the creature. The creature is allowed a wis save vs Caster's spell save dc. On a fail, the creature is possessed by the familiar spirit. The exception here is imps, which gleefully accept a pact to serve as your familiar, (and the opportunity to drag you off to the 9 hells.)
The same system has worked well in my campaigns for find steed, allowing a tiefling to get a giant goat mount, and a kobold to get a guard drake mount.
With find familiar I am often annoyed at players whom don't use the spell as intended. The primary use of this spell is to give you advantage in combat, but half of the new players I've seen get this spell instead use it for things so stupid I'm not even going to list them.
With find familiar I am often annoyed at players whom don't use the spell as intended. The primary use of this spell is to give you advantage in combat, but half of the new players I've seen get this spell instead use it for things so stupid I'm not even going to list them.
I disagree. The Familiar’s purpose is to extend the influence of the caster. It can be your eyes and ears over distances. It can channel your touch ranger spells over distances. Depending on your familiar it can do many other things too. Birds can hunt small animals for the party’s supper while you travel. A spider can hide in the BBE’s pocket to spy on them, or crawl into the crevices nobody else can. And there are many other things that many other things.
I'm of the opinion that familiars have the most value as spy assistants rather than providing Help in combat. Help is probably the smartest use of your familiar in most combats, but the familiar is so weak that putting them in danger that way often ends up just being a good way to throw away 10 gp and an hour of time, unless you're really going out of your way to plan for it (such as an Arcane Trickster Rogue paired with an owl).
New to these forums and I am pretty sure this question has been asked multiple times, but I need some help and I couldn't resist. I had an argument with my DM las night over Find Familiar. I have a level 4 sorcerer and I picked up the magic initiate feat. I cast find familiar and used it quite a bit, but was told by my DM that it only lasted an hour and with that my familiar dissipated. I can't seem to find anything anywhere about spell duration other than what the PHB says. So, is this accurate? Does my familiar only last for one hour after casting?
The casting time of the spell is 1 hour. The familiar, according to the spell, lasts until you drop to 0 hp, or until you use the spell again (because you can only have 1 familiar, but now you need a bat instead of a lizard). "When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again." Compare this wording to Phantom Steed, which has a casting time of 1 minute and a duration of 1 hour. "When the spell ends, the steed gradually fades, giving the rider 1 minute to dismount. The spell ends if you use an action to dismiss it or if the steed takes any damage." Find Familiar doesn't mention anything about the familiar leaving when the spell ends, because the spell has no duration -- it's instantaneous.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Thank you! I thought that was wrong, but I didn't want to say anything during the game. Too many chefs in the kitchen. I will discreetly let him know today. Thanks so much.
Find Familiar would be a pretty terrible spell if the familiar only stuck around for an hour considering it also takes an hour to summon it in the first place.
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Special Familiars: in my campaigns the Rule I use is the character must find one of the creatures they want, incapacitate the creature and cast find familiar ON the creature. The creature is allowed a wis save vs Caster's spell save dc. On a fail, the creature is possessed by the familiar spirit. The exception here is imps, which gleefully accept a pact to serve as your familiar, (and the opportunity to drag you off to the 9 hells.)
The same system has worked well in my campaigns for find steed, allowing a tiefling to get a giant goat mount, and a kobold to get a guard drake mount.
With find familiar I am often annoyed at players whom don't use the spell as intended. The primary use of this spell is to give you advantage in combat, but half of the new players I've seen get this spell instead use it for things so stupid I'm not even going to list them.
So you think the primary purpose is to use the Help action?
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I disagree. The Familiar’s purpose is to extend the influence of the caster. It can be your eyes and ears over distances. It can channel your touch ranger spells over distances. Depending on your familiar it can do many other things too. Birds can hunt small animals for the party’s supper while you travel. A spider can hide in the BBE’s pocket to spy on them, or crawl into the crevices nobody else can. And there are many other things that many other things.
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I'm of the opinion that familiars have the most value as spy assistants rather than providing Help in combat. Help is probably the smartest use of your familiar in most combats, but the familiar is so weak that putting them in danger that way often ends up just being a good way to throw away 10 gp and an hour of time, unless you're really going out of your way to plan for it (such as an Arcane Trickster Rogue paired with an owl).
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Personally I think the best use of a familiar is to help you cheat at card games...
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
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Like Happy helped Nick! 😂🤣😂
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