What happens if you polymorph your familiar?

[ghost_warlock]

Mechanically, this doesn't seem to be a breach of RAW but would it still, technically, be a familiar and follow the normal familiar rules or would it no longer be capable of serving in that capacity? Since the familiar would retain its alignment and personality, presumably it would still remain loyal to the spellcaster (for the sake of argument, assume they were on good terms).

Browsing through the Monster Manual, I came across these qualifying forms: baboon, badger, deer, eagle, giant fire beetle, goat, hyena, jackal, scorpion, and vulture. None of these has anything spectacular as far as abilities go, but there is the advantage that a number of them have more than a single hit point. Obviously, this isn't exactly the One True Path to Power, but I imagine it would be handy in a pinch.

Of course, a chain-pact warlock has a few more options, given the higher CR of their familiar. Still, I have a feeling that none of the beast-type creatures that polymorph is capable of mimicking are going to offer abilities on-par with what these familiars already have.

[pwykersotz]

It'd probably stick. So you'd have a spirit disguised as a beast, polymorphed into another creature. You've still got CR limitations though.

[Maxilian]

It'd probably stick. So you'd have a spirit disguised as a beast, polymorphed into another creature. You've still got CR limitations though.

Unless you transform the first to stone and then to a beast (will have CR 9 limitation), but in that case i'm not sure if it will still be loyal to you or not

[Dalebert]

Given that the familiar is essentially a spirit which is loyal to you and that takes on a solid form via the spell, and considering that it's already a shape-shifter via the actual FF spell, I can't really see any reason why changing its form should in any way make it no longer loyal to you unless the change has some significant mind-altering affect that would otherwise change its normal motivations.

[Jlooney]

My only thing from all the polymorph threads is that it looses all its ability scores and are replaced. What good is a familiar that has INT 2 or 3. I think that would subvert any bonus you might gain.

[ghost_warlock]

My only thing from all the polymorph threads is that it looses all its ability scores and are replaced. What good is a familiar that has INT 2 or 3. I think that would subvert any bonus you might gain.

The Find Familiar spell doesn't say anything about the familiar having an Intelligence higher than the base animal's in the first place.

[Dalebert]

The Find Familiar spell doesn't say anything about the familiar having an Intelligence higher than the base animal's in the first place.

True. I actually think that can be attributed to sloppiness/short cuts in the write-up. Let's face it. There's a lot of that throughout this edition. By RAW it does have animal stats, but they strongly imply that it's smarter than an animal. It's not an animal after all. It's a spirit taking on animal form.

[ghost_warlock]

I personally feel that the target of a polymorph spell's new form should have more to do with the caster's level/CR than the target's, but I suppose that's neither here nor there. :smalltongue:

[Dalebert]

The Find Familiar spell doesn't say anything about the familiar having an Intelligence higher than the base animal's in the first place.


True. I actually think that can be attributed to sloppiness/short cuts in the write-up. Let's face it. There's a lot of that throughout this edition. By RAW it does have animal stats, but they strongly imply that it's smarter than an animal. It's not an animal after all. It's a spirit taking on animal form.

Actually, I just discovered further evidence of a conflict in the RAW. They say the familiar always obeys your commands. That means it understands your language which an animal intelligence cannot do. So again, it is strongly implied that it's a spirit that's more in line with human intelligence. I think they mean to say (RAI) that it's non-mental stats are those of the animal.