Thanks. I have been a DM since early 2nd edition. I know what familiars are. I just never had a player ask me if their familiar could come to their aid with a health potion or something. While I consider myself a great DM, I know very little about these forums. People get entirely too carried away with their opinions. I didn't look long before deciding to post here. Posting in the DM area would have been wise.
Thank you for taking the time to offer some advice.
Foodgeek...Thank you again for offering advice on this post. I've been thinking about this, and I can't get over you explaining what familiars are. I had said in the previous answer that I was the DM, and yet you explained how they aren't animals. Basic information from the spell. Had you assumed I hadn't bothered to read the spell? I am choosing to beleive that you were trying to be helpful, but it was pretty condescending. I'm wasn't offended. I'm still not offended. I just don't understand the need to talk down to others.
I have been a DM for a long time, and run two games a week, sometimes three. I feel that familiars are WILDY underused. In my decades of being a DM I've never had a player ask me if their familiar could come to their rescue. Seems like an obvious thing now, like something the spell description should mention. I decided that it is possible, depending on the player. The familiar is NOT an animal. It is a celestial, fey, or fiend, and they have answered your summons, and have come to help you cast spells, and do cool magical stuff. If my player has been using his familiar in interesting ways, has given it a name, and makes it part his normal activity, then yes, if the wizard goes down in a fight the familiar would likely come to the players aid. If on the other hand the player hasn't mentioned this familar since first summoning it, the familair would not feel compelled to help, and would likely see this as a chance to leave a situatiuon which has been boring.
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If a wizard is reduced to zero hit points can his, or her, familiar come to their aid?
I am the DM, and one of my players is planning for future possibilities. He asked me, and I was hoping to get some advice from other DMs.
Thanks. I have been a DM since early 2nd edition. I know what familiars are. I just never had a player ask me if their familiar could come to their aid with a health potion or something. While I consider myself a great DM, I know very little about these forums. People get entirely too carried away with their opinions. I didn't look long before deciding to post here. Posting in the DM area would have been wise.
Thank you for taking the time to offer some advice.
Foodgeek...Thank you again for offering advice on this post. I've been thinking about this, and I can't get over you explaining what familiars are. I had said in the previous answer that I was the DM, and yet you explained how they aren't animals. Basic information from the spell. Had you assumed I hadn't bothered to read the spell? I am choosing to beleive that you were trying to be helpful, but it was pretty condescending. I'm wasn't offended. I'm still not offended. I just don't understand the need to talk down to others.
I have been a DM for a long time, and run two games a week, sometimes three. I feel that familiars are WILDY underused. In my decades of being a DM I've never had a player ask me if their familiar could come to their rescue. Seems like an obvious thing now, like something the spell description should mention. I decided that it is possible, depending on the player. The familiar is NOT an animal. It is a celestial, fey, or fiend, and they have answered your summons, and have come to help you cast spells, and do cool magical stuff. If my player has been using his familiar in interesting ways, has given it a name, and makes it part his normal activity, then yes, if the wizard goes down in a fight the familiar would likely come to the players aid. If on the other hand the player hasn't mentioned this familar since first summoning it, the familair would not feel compelled to help, and would likely see this as a chance to leave a situatiuon which has been boring.