familiars

[j_spencer93]

ok i am looking at the monster manual and its says, in the NPC area, that crawling claws can be familiars but in the stat blocks it doesn't say this. mistake?

[Madfellow]

Probably just an oversight.

[j_spencer93]

After finding it my Necromancer PC really wants it now. Any reason not to give it to him?

[SharkForce]

i'd probably require RPing the part where they get the hand (don't make it hard or anything, just have the scene happen and RP a bit), and call it an extra component of the find familiar ritual. it is worth noting that the ability to attack makes it slightly more powerful than a regular familiar.

on the flip side, the inability to distinguish friends from foe should reign that extra benefit in just fine :)

[j_spencer93]

ok, didn't realize that. The RPing is fine. Curious if it should give a benefit like the quasit's magic resistance or not.

[SharkForce]

i'd say no on the resistance. the creatures that grant resistance to their master are generally specified.

[Rowan Wolf]

After finding it my Necromancer PC really wants it now. Any reason not to give it to him?

Idle hand comments perhaps?

[jkat718]

That variant just means that any Tiny monster is suitable as a familiar. The only ones whose stat blocks change when they are familiars are Imps, Pseudodragons, and Quasits.

[MadGrady]

Should also be mentioned that familiars gained through Find Familiar (and not the warlock pact) are unable to attack - so I see no reason not to use the hand.

[j_spencer93]

oh ok MadGrady, wasn't aware of that. So Warlock's now have the best familiars? That is a little odd.

[SharkForce]

I would say that specific overrides general, and the hand specifically discusses that as a familiar it is possible to control it to attack.

and as I said, that ability is largely counterbalanced by the fact that the hand explicitly can't tell friend from foe. so unless there is a major difference (say, you're fighting ogres) you aren't going to want to use it, and let's face it, a bit of extra damage with a low proficiency bonus is not going to break the game. particularly since it has 12 HP and is going to be a real pain to get it back.

[Gnomes2169]

That variant just means that any Tiny monster is suitable as a familiar. The only ones whose stat blocks change when they are familiars are Imps, Pseudodragons, and Quasits.

Oh, really? Huh... So then the best thematic familiar for the Fey pact warlock in that case is the Fairy dragon. Though you would have to find that one to bind it, of course. After all, who doesn't want a perma-invisible scout critter that can inflict a nasty little debuff on enemies?

[j_spencer93]

Oh, really? Huh... So then the best thematic familiar for the Fey pact warlock in that case is the Fairy dragon. Though you would have to find that one to bind it, of course. After all, who doesn't want a perma-invisible scout critter that can inflict a nasty little debuff on enemies?

DUDE this is so F****** awesome, seriously, my players are going to freaking love this idea.

[j_spencer93]

I would say that specific overrides general, and the hand specifically discusses that as a familiar it is possible to control it to attack.

and as I said, that ability is largely counterbalanced by the fact that the hand explicitly can't tell friend from foe. so unless there is a major difference (say, you're fighting ogres) you aren't going to want to use it, and let's face it, a bit of extra damage with a low proficiency bonus is not going to break the game. particularly since it has 12 HP and is going to be a real pain to get it back.

lol His main reason for wanting it is simply because its a dead hand. He is a necromancer and wants it for the gruesome factor alone.

[jkat718]

Oh, really? Huh... So then the best thematic familiar for the Fey pact warlock in that case is the Fairy dragon. Though you would have to find that one to bind it, of course. After all, who doesn't want a perma-invisible scout critter that can inflict a nasty little debuff on enemies?


DUDE this is so F****** awesome, seriously, my players are going to freaking love this idea.

Unfortunately, the variant specifically calls out NPCs as being able to have other familiars. PCs don't gain anything from that rule. Of course, you can homebrew away, and I do believe there's a tweet out there somewhere where Mearls says that you can give other creatures as familiars, but be wary of overpowered ones.

[j_spencer93]

I usually play where if the NPCs can do it then so can the PCs. However, what i really thought was odd was that the other 3 mentioned in that area actually are available for PCs just crawling hand seems to have been missed. I find it a little weird it talks how to create one but its a little vague, a lot of thing in the monster manual hint at cool options but are left a little lacking of details. REALLY impressed with 5.0 so far though.

[Yrnes]

You could let him deliver touch spells through the hand, that'd be a cool thematic ability that's not horribly game-breaking.

[jkat718]

You could let him deliver touch spells through the hand, that'd be a cool thematic ability that's not horribly game-breaking.

Yeah, that'd be handy. Eh? Eh? I'll see myself out...

[GutterFace]

So could someone take something like a will-o-wisp as his/her familiar?

[Yrnes]

So could someone take something like a will-o-wisp as his/her familiar?

I think most of the "familiarable" critters are CR 0 - 1, correct? You can allow anything in your game, I suppose, but that's the current slate.

[j_spencer93]

I do think that 5th edition allows for a lot of roleplaying, but sometimes they leave it a little too open. Like that variant saying tiny creatures...i would have defiantly added a CR or HD limit also.

[Yrnes]

I do think that 5th edition allows for a lot of roleplaying, but sometimes they leave it a little too open. Like that variant saying tiny creatures...i would have defiantly added a CR or HD limit also.

Yeah, for things like that you've just gotta trust your DM to make the right call. Low CR familiars are flavorful and fun at low level, but underwhelming and a liability at higher ones. Maybe that's why there were no hard and fast limits on it?

[Anderlith]

Where does it say that Tiny Monsters can be familiars?

[jkat718]

Where does it say that Tiny Monsters can be familiars?

In the Monster Manual, under a variant rule in Appendix 2: NPCs.