Give me some of the creative ways you have used this that cant just be done with a normal familiar.
The fact that the Imp has hands, and can carry items, open doors pull leavers, drop ball bearing etc seems to open up some possibilities. The shapechanger is also really cool since it allows it a larger fly speed, or the ability to become as smalls as a spider and slip under doors. I guess you could also have it grab and item and unsummon it, or have it go invis to get it out of a situation?
Use a magic item, like Wand of Magic Missles, that doesn't require attunement.
Cast Dragons Breath (from Sorc spell list) on familiar. Familiar can use an action to breathe fire. Does not require an attack. Requires concentration.
Get your invisible Imp in position next to BBEG and cast Inflict Wounds (Cleric spell list or Divine Soul Sorc.) for an assassination attempt. The invisible imp would have advantage on the attack. If this doesn't work your imp is in trouble...
I just got to 3rd level and summoned an imp familiar. One thing that can in handy right away was looking through the imp's eyes in conjunction with casting Misty Step. Since the imp can fly and turn invisible, its an easy way to get you around a problematic area and accomplish it discreetly.
Also since the imp can see through magical darkness, it can be a good spotter for area of effect spells. I know warlocks can get Devil's Sight, but if you didn't take that invocation you can still leverage the imp's ability to help you.
Lastly, the imp can set off a trap or cause similar damage from a distance that keeps the warlock safe. don't underestimate a familiar with hands, that can also be temporarily dismissed at the right time.
Play a super flying warlock, Agonizing Blast, Eldritch Lance. Go up in the air, have your imp be invisible on the ground. See through its senses... The target is still in range as long as you are within 300 feet, and *you* can see the enemy through the invisible imp regardless of magical darkness (via Imp Devil Sight). Blast from safety no matter the cover.
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Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
I took the Inspiring Leader feat with my Pact of the Fiend Warlock, and that temp HP boost applies to my imp as well. Nice way to keep it from being one-shotted so easily. Doesn't guarantee he won't be killed in one hit, but it lessens the chances.
I also keep mine invisible and providing the help action since from my table's understanding of the rules, the help action wouldn't break his invisibility, only casting a spell or making an attack, or losing concentration because he's caught in an AoE.
Play a super flying warlock, Agonizing Blast, Eldritch Lance. Go up in the air, have your imp be invisible on the ground. See through its senses... The target is still in range as long as you are within 300 feet, and *you* can see the enemy through the invisible imp regardless of magical darkness (via Imp Devil Sight). Blast from safety no matter the cover.
This is pretty hilarious but even with invocation I think a lot of DMs rule that using your familiars senses is still an action.
Play a super flying warlock, Agonizing Blast, Eldritch Lance. Go up in the air, have your imp be invisible on the ground. See through its senses... The target is still in range as long as you are within 300 feet, and *you* can see the enemy through the invisible imp regardless of magical darkness (via Imp Devil Sight). Blast from safety no matter the cover.
This is pretty hilarious but even with invocation I think a lot of DMs rule that using your familiars senses is still an action.
sure, to start using their senses... but nothing says it ends at the end of the turn. Turn one, imp goes invisible. you fly up and pew. turn two, fly up higher, see through Familiar senses. turn three, fly up and pew. repeat.
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Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
Hmmm... Although the idea is funny, I probably would not allow it without possibly severe penalties. Casting a spell with a save is fine by seeing through the senses of a familiar, so is probably casting a spell with an origin poing in space. Casting a spell such as fireball is already chancy, sure you can see the end point, but it does not allow you, while blind, to point your finger in the right direction, there is a large chance that you will miss the right angle. And I would at least put disadvantage on spells requiring an attack at range, firing at a probably moving target from a different angle would make it really tough to aim, and this is what it is about.
I had a situation our last session where we put up a Darkness spell to provide cover and I attempted to have the imp use the help action to be the spotter for a Shatter spell. Needless to say my range ended up off and the area I tried to target was a big miss. Using the familiar's sight is an action and we decided that had I even done that I'd need him perched on my shoulder to allow my warlock to aim the spell with the benefit of the familiar's sight. At least at our table, the flying Warlock gambit would not work.
If you are a small enough warlock (kobold...) an imp can carry you; with a strength of 6 an imp can carry 45 pounds.
No : "A willing creature that is at least one size larger than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount, using the following rules."
Imp: Tiny
Kobold: Small
A mount would have to be at least medium-sized to carry a kobold.
But he isn't trying to mount. Have the imp grapple you and drag you around in the air, the imp is now carrying you since most kobolds are under 45 pounds.
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Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
It has to be including equipment, but it's true that JC has confirmed that carrying capacity is the same for flying creatures and average gnome weight is 40 pounds. It only leaves you 5 pounds of equipment though.
I must say I'm not too happy about this but it seems to be RAW.
That's where the Handy Haversack proves it's value
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"Semper in faecibus sumus, solum profundum variat" playing since 1986
I also keep mine invisible and providing the help action since from my table's understanding of the rules, the help action wouldn't break his invisibility, only casting a spell or making an attack, or losing concentration because he's caught in an AoE.
Even if it does not break its invisibility, helping will make it lose its "hidden" status, assuming that it was even hidden, meaning that enemies can still know where it is and can possibly do nasty things to it.
Yeah, that's probably true. I guess the DMs we have (most of us trade off on DMing) have just been nice about enemies ignoring familiars most of the time. If all they do is Help, anyways. Once they attack or are used to cast a spell, that gets the enemy's attention. Otherwise it's just RP'd as an annoyance to the enemy, who has much more deadly threats to worry about. Every table is different, though. The way we handle it, though, makes Find Familiar a worthwhile investment. If the DM had enemies kill the familiar in the first turn if combat every time that'd make us less likely to choose the spell or invocation.
But then, you need to be naked with the haversack on your back, because the haversack always weights 5 pounds and clothes about 4... :p
It's about a Kobold, not a Gnome, and they range 35 to 45 pounds .. ;-) Besides, when confronted to a naked Gnome, all opponents have disadvantage, and are prone, because they are ROTFLOL
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"Semper in faecibus sumus, solum profundum variat" playing since 1986
Play a super flying warlock, Agonizing Blast, Eldritch Lance. Go up in the air, have your imp be invisible on the ground. See through its senses... The target is still in range as long as you are within 300 feet, and *you* can see the enemy through the invisible imp regardless of magical darkness (via Imp Devil Sight). Blast from safety no matter the cover.
This is pretty hilarious but even with invocation I think a lot of DMs rule that using your familiars senses is still an action.
sure, to start using their senses... but nothing says it ends at the end of the turn. Turn one, imp goes invisible. you fly up and pew. turn two, fly up higher, see through Familiar senses. turn three, fly up and pew. repeat.
"as an action, you can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn"
Play a super flying warlock, Agonizing Blast, Eldritch Lance. Go up in the air, have your imp be invisible on the ground. See through its senses... The target is still in range as long as you are within 300 feet, and *you* can see the enemy through the invisible imp regardless of magical darkness (via Imp Devil Sight). Blast from safety no matter the cover.
This is pretty hilarious but even with invocation I think a lot of DMs rule that using your familiars senses is still an action.
sure, to start using their senses... but nothing says it ends at the end of the turn. Turn one, imp goes invisible. you fly up and pew. turn two, fly up higher, see through Familiar senses. turn three, fly up and pew. repeat.
"as an action, you can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn"
...oh, would you look at that. ...
...well, curse my memory then.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
I also keep mine invisible and providing the help action since from my table's understanding of the rules, the help action wouldn't break his invisibility, only casting a spell or making an attack, or losing concentration because he's caught in an AoE.
Even if it does not break its invisibility, helping will make it lose its "hidden" status, assuming that it was even hidden, meaning that enemies can still know where it is and can possibly do nasty things to it.
sure but depending on what level you are and what you’re fighting, it might be difficult for an enemy to take out an imp familiar in one round. All attacks against it are at disadvantage, has 10 hit points, and has a bunch of immunities and resistances, including non-magical weapons.
Find Familiar Text snipped- "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."
Pact of the Chain Master- "You can communicate telepathically with your familiar and perceive through your familiar’s senses as long as you are on the same plane of existence. Additionally, while perceiving through your familiar’s senses, you can also speak through your familiar in your own voice, even if your familiar is normally incapable of speech."
I will point out that there's a lot of room for interpretation on this because the argument I've made in the past is that this supersedes the find familiar sensory rules at least to some degree. Case in point, when combining these there is nothing saying you can't have something like a bat familiar for example with echolocation based blindsight be the familiar and just have that going 24/7. It might be awkward at first but like driving a car you're going to get the perspective down at some point. I mean the bat's also not a great example but the idea of rolling in some shenanigan like blindsight at level 3 is something I'm big on.
Despite my pal Skreeech the top hat dwelling seeing ear rodent, I find a lot of this differs heavily on the DM and what they'll let you get away with.
"I once knew this fella, Aasimar raised in the Underdark. Was like a brother to me. When he escaped we couldn't take much with us. Poor, emaciated husks of the living we were. 'ts okay though. We survived and made our ways. I'll never forget the way the people from my home looked at us when we walked in the archway. Though, I'm frighteningly certain the feelings they would have, had they but the opportunity ta see us leave." --Manolovo the Traitor, Memoirs of a Scoundrel
I love this combo, but it's not AL legal. but i love doing this, then casting spells from another room because i can hav line of sight via my sprite and as long as there in range nothing says i can not be in another room lol.
Pact of the Chain allows for a few good "creative" uses... but most of them are specific to the familiar chosen.
-Sprite is by far the best of the group for capturing and interrogating. It can (with a bit of luck) knock a target out for a hour at range (doing very little damage in the process) and then, using it's other ability to detect the state of mind of another creature, tell if that creature is lying or not. It can be used as a scout too thanks to its invisibility and has the highest AC on the list making it the hardest of them all to hit.
-Pseudodragon is the best bloodhound on the list. Advantage on all types of perception checks and can also act as a free "Alert" Feat by sitting on your shoulders and using its Blind Sense ability. <Nothing can get within 10ft of you without it knowing.
I suppose a "creative" use of its telepathic communication ability is to make a enemy think/see that there is another creature attacking from behind; thus allowing the Pseudodragon the ability to give a attacker advantage from 100ft out. Definitely up for debate and at the DM's discretion. This unique feature of this familiar can possibly be used to setup advantage on charisma checks as well as it can give off feelings... or emotions... something. Yeah, pretty weird, But it doesn't say that the images/feelings etc. can't be used for such things.
-Imp is by far the best combat oriented of the list. It is also the best for stealth and/or stealing things. It carries more than the Sprite (though both can go invisible) and it can also change into smaller creatures (such as spiders etc.) to squeeze through door cracks and such. <This also allows it the potential to unlock or open doors that might have a latch or something keeping it from opening on the other side.
Though you could possibly do the same with the Sprite, the Imp could be used as a alternative to the Mage Hand cantrip. <It flies, it's invisible, and it can lift a few pounds.
-Quasit is... weird... has mostly similar stats to the Imp but comes with it's unique feature "Scare". Scare (1/Day). One creature of the quasit's choice within 20 feet of it must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the quasit is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success.
This could theoretically (aka at the DM's discretion) be used to cause a creature to fall off a wall or down some stairs or generally run scared.
Example: It goes invisible, gets behind a creature and then jumps out and scares the crap out of the target. The target then runs away from it (and/or the area) either towards you (where you then ambush it) or away from you and thus allows you to continue on without confrontation. Alternatively, it scares a target and that targets only escape is off the side of a wall...
It's kinda hard to figure out all of the possibilities without thinking out the multitude of possible scenarios, but I definitely prefer Pact of the Chain over most of the other options if only to have access to these unique abilities.
Oh and almost forgot the most basic thing. Each of these creatures have their own languages. Pseudodragon aside, which can technically communicate with anything and understand draconic... yet doesn't speak it, you can use them (individually) to read and write Infernal, Abyssal, Elvish, and Sylvian. Their intelligence modifier is more than high enough for them to read and write it.
Oddly enough, I think I need a second opinion on IF a pseudodragon can actually read draconic... the wording being "Understands" so... yeah. I mean, it's definitely intelligent enough I would think, but not certain.
Give me some of the creative ways you have used this that cant just be done with a normal familiar.
The fact that the Imp has hands, and can carry items, open doors pull leavers, drop ball bearing etc seems to open up some possibilities.
The shapechanger is also really cool since it allows it a larger fly speed, or the ability to become as smalls as a spider and slip under doors.
I guess you could also have it grab and item and unsummon it, or have it go invis to get it out of a situation?
What other stuff am I missing?
Help action!
Use a magic item, like Wand of Magic Missles, that doesn't require attunement.
Cast Dragons Breath (from Sorc spell list) on familiar. Familiar can use an action to breathe fire. Does not require an attack. Requires concentration.
Get your invisible Imp in position next to BBEG and cast Inflict Wounds (Cleric spell list or Divine Soul Sorc.) for an assassination attempt. The invisible imp would have advantage on the attack. If this doesn't work your imp is in trouble...
I just got to 3rd level and summoned an imp familiar. One thing that can in handy right away was looking through the imp's eyes in conjunction with casting Misty Step. Since the imp can fly and turn invisible, its an easy way to get you around a problematic area and accomplish it discreetly.
Also since the imp can see through magical darkness, it can be a good spotter for area of effect spells. I know warlocks can get Devil's Sight, but if you didn't take that invocation you can still leverage the imp's ability to help you.
Lastly, the imp can set off a trap or cause similar damage from a distance that keeps the warlock safe. don't underestimate a familiar with hands, that can also be temporarily dismissed at the right time.
The sprites read emotion ability is an easy discrete lie detector.
Play a super flying warlock, Agonizing Blast, Eldritch Lance. Go up in the air, have your imp be invisible on the ground. See through its senses... The target is still in range as long as you are within 300 feet, and *you* can see the enemy through the invisible imp regardless of magical darkness (via Imp Devil Sight). Blast from safety no matter the cover.
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
I took the Inspiring Leader feat with my Pact of the Fiend Warlock, and that temp HP boost applies to my imp as well. Nice way to keep it from being one-shotted so easily. Doesn't guarantee he won't be killed in one hit, but it lessens the chances.
I also keep mine invisible and providing the help action since from my table's understanding of the rules, the help action wouldn't break his invisibility, only casting a spell or making an attack, or losing concentration because he's caught in an AoE.
This is pretty hilarious but even with invocation I think a lot of DMs rule that using your familiars senses is still an action.
sure, to start using their senses... but nothing says it ends at the end of the turn. Turn one, imp goes invisible. you fly up and pew. turn two, fly up higher, see through Familiar senses. turn three, fly up and pew. repeat.
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
I had a situation our last session where we put up a Darkness spell to provide cover and I attempted to have the imp use the help action to be the spotter for a Shatter spell. Needless to say my range ended up off and the area I tried to target was a big miss. Using the familiar's sight is an action and we decided that had I even done that I'd need him perched on my shoulder to allow my warlock to aim the spell with the benefit of the familiar's sight. At least at our table, the flying Warlock gambit would not work.
If you are a small enough warlock (kobold...) an imp can carry you; with a strength of 6 an imp can carry 45 pounds.
But he isn't trying to mount. Have the imp grapple you and drag you around in the air, the imp is now carrying you since most kobolds are under 45 pounds.
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
That's where the Handy Haversack proves it's value
playing since 1986
Yeah, that's probably true. I guess the DMs we have (most of us trade off on DMing) have just been nice about enemies ignoring familiars most of the time. If all they do is Help, anyways. Once they attack or are used to cast a spell, that gets the enemy's attention. Otherwise it's just RP'd as an annoyance to the enemy, who has much more deadly threats to worry about. Every table is different, though. The way we handle it, though, makes Find Familiar a worthwhile investment. If the DM had enemies kill the familiar in the first turn if combat every time that'd make us less likely to choose the spell or invocation.
It's about a Kobold, not a Gnome, and they range 35 to 45 pounds .. ;-)
Besides, when confronted to a naked Gnome, all opponents have disadvantage, and are prone, because they are ROTFLOL
playing since 1986
"as an action, you can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn"
...oh, would you look at that. ...
...well, curse my memory then.
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
sure but depending on what level you are and what you’re fighting, it might be difficult for an enemy to take out an imp familiar in one round. All attacks against it are at disadvantage, has 10 hit points, and has a bunch of immunities and resistances, including non-magical weapons.
Find Familiar Text snipped-
"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."
Pact of the Chain Master-
"You can communicate telepathically with your familiar and perceive through your familiar’s senses as long as you are on the same plane of existence. Additionally, while perceiving through your familiar’s senses, you can also speak through your familiar in your own voice, even if your familiar is normally incapable of speech."
I will point out that there's a lot of room for interpretation on this because the argument I've made in the past is that this supersedes the find familiar sensory rules at least to some degree. Case in point, when combining these there is nothing saying you can't have something like a bat familiar for example with echolocation based blindsight be the familiar and just have that going 24/7. It might be awkward at first but like driving a car you're going to get the perspective down at some point. I mean the bat's also not a great example but the idea of rolling in some shenanigan like blindsight at level 3 is something I'm big on.
Despite my pal Skreeech the top hat dwelling seeing ear rodent, I find a lot of this differs heavily on the DM and what they'll let you get away with.
"I once knew this fella, Aasimar raised in the Underdark. Was like a brother to me. When he escaped we couldn't take much with us. Poor, emaciated husks of the living we were. 'ts okay though. We survived and made our ways. I'll never forget the way the people from my home looked at us when we walked in the archway. Though, I'm frighteningly certain the feelings they would have, had they but the opportunity ta see us leave." --Manolovo the Traitor, Memoirs of a Scoundrel
I love this combo, but it's not AL legal. but i love doing this, then casting spells from another room because i can hav line of sight via my sprite and as long as there in range nothing says i can not be in another room lol.
Pact of the Chain allows for a few good "creative" uses... but most of them are specific to the familiar chosen.
-Sprite is by far the best of the group for capturing and interrogating. It can (with a bit of luck) knock a target out for a hour at range (doing very little damage in the process) and then, using it's other ability to detect the state of mind of another creature, tell if that creature is lying or not. It can be used as a scout too thanks to its invisibility and has the highest AC on the list making it the hardest of them all to hit.
-Pseudodragon is the best bloodhound on the list. Advantage on all types of perception checks and can also act as a free "Alert" Feat by sitting on your shoulders and using its Blind Sense ability. <Nothing can get within 10ft of you without it knowing.
I suppose a "creative" use of its telepathic communication ability is to make a enemy think/see that there is another creature attacking from behind; thus allowing the Pseudodragon the ability to give a attacker advantage from 100ft out. Definitely up for debate and at the DM's discretion. This unique feature of this familiar can possibly be used to setup advantage on charisma checks as well as it can give off feelings... or emotions... something. Yeah, pretty weird, But it doesn't say that the images/feelings etc. can't be used for such things.
-Imp is by far the best combat oriented of the list. It is also the best for stealth and/or stealing things. It carries more than the Sprite (though both can go invisible) and it can also change into smaller creatures (such as spiders etc.) to squeeze through door cracks and such. <This also allows it the potential to unlock or open doors that might have a latch or something keeping it from opening on the other side.
Though you could possibly do the same with the Sprite, the Imp could be used as a alternative to the Mage Hand cantrip. <It flies, it's invisible, and it can lift a few pounds.
-Quasit is... weird... has mostly similar stats to the Imp but comes with it's unique feature "Scare". Scare (1/Day). One creature of the quasit's choice within 20 feet of it must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the quasit is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success.
This could theoretically (aka at the DM's discretion) be used to cause a creature to fall off a wall or down some stairs or generally run scared.
Example: It goes invisible, gets behind a creature and then jumps out and scares the crap out of the target. The target then runs away from it (and/or the area) either towards you (where you then ambush it) or away from you and thus allows you to continue on without confrontation. Alternatively, it scares a target and that targets only escape is off the side of a wall...
It's kinda hard to figure out all of the possibilities without thinking out the multitude of possible scenarios, but I definitely prefer Pact of the Chain over most of the other options if only to have access to these unique abilities.
Oh and almost forgot the most basic thing. Each of these creatures have their own languages. Pseudodragon aside, which can technically communicate with anything and understand draconic... yet doesn't speak it, you can use them (individually) to read and write Infernal, Abyssal, Elvish, and Sylvian. Their intelligence modifier is more than high enough for them to read and write it.
Oddly enough, I think I need a second opinion on IF a pseudodragon can actually read draconic... the wording being "Understands" so... yeah. I mean, it's definitely intelligent enough I would think, but not certain.