So, we had to take a long rest in the middle of a dungeon, and I said that my familiar would stand watch all night, and that's where the session ended for the night, but my DM said he would have to think about it.
IMO, a warlock's familiar is a magical entity, not a living creature (in the traditional sense), so sleep isn't necessary.
It may be a spirit inhabiting the body, but the body its in still can suffer exhaustion. Unless the familiar specifically states it does not need sleep, it does.
It may be a spirit inhabiting the body, but the body its in still can suffer exhaustion. Unless the familiar specifically states it does not need sleep, it does.
Actually as per the description in the Find Familiar spell:
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.
So in my opinion it does not require sleep since it is not in the body of a beast. It is merely taking the form of a beast.
It may be a spirit inhabiting the body, but the body its in still can suffer exhaustion. Unless the familiar specifically states it does not need sleep, it does.
Actually as per the description in the Find Familiar spell:
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.
So in my opinion it does not require sleep since it is not in the body of a beast. It is merely taking the form of a beast.
I think that's the part where I interpret this differently. If the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, it has all the perks and negatives of being bound into that animal. If for some reason your familiar is a sea horse, it does breathe water even if its fey spirit. If the familiar was deemed to not require sleep, I'd think it would have been explicitly stated. Along the same lines, do you interpret that the familiar also does not need to eat?
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.
Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can’t attack, but it can take other actions as normal.
When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again.
While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.
As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.
You can’t have more than one familiar at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a familiar, you instead cause it to adopt a new form. Choose one of the forms from the above list. Your familiar transforms into the chosen creature.
Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll.
Now the way I read it, if you can dismiss it into a pocket dimension where it can pretty much just chill for as long as you want. I would say that it would not require food. Also the fact that when it drops to 0hp it just disappears leaving behind no physical form also helps dispel the notion that it is a normal beast in any sense.
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So, we had to take a long rest in the middle of a dungeon, and I said that my familiar would stand watch all night, and that's where the session ended for the night, but my DM said he would have to think about it.
IMO, a warlock's familiar is a magical entity, not a living creature (in the traditional sense), so sleep isn't necessary.
Your opinion?
It may be a spirit inhabiting the body, but the body its in still can suffer exhaustion. Unless the familiar specifically states it does not need sleep, it does.
Actually as per the description in the Find Familiar spell:
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.
So in my opinion it does not require sleep since it is not in the body of a beast. It is merely taking the form of a beast.
Thanks Guys!
I think that's the part where I interpret this differently. If the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, it has all the perks and negatives of being bound into that animal. If for some reason your familiar is a sea horse, it does breathe water even if its fey spirit. If the familiar was deemed to not require sleep, I'd think it would have been explicitly stated. Along the same lines, do you interpret that the familiar also does not need to eat?
Ok I think we need to read the entire spell:
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.
Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can’t attack, but it can take other actions as normal.
When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again.
While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.
As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.
You can’t have more than one familiar at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a familiar, you instead cause it to adopt a new form. Choose one of the forms from the above list. Your familiar transforms into the chosen creature.
Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll.
Now the way I read it, if you can dismiss it into a pocket dimension where it can pretty much just chill for as long as you want. I would say that it would not require food. Also the fact that when it drops to 0hp it just disappears leaving behind no physical form also helps dispel the notion that it is a normal beast in any sense.