When Familiars Attack

[sir_argo]

Per PHB p.240, "A familiar can't attack."

But can it attack if it is...


charmed by an enemy?
polymorphed into a giant ape?
taken over with a magic jar?
possessed by a ghost?

[Coffee_Dragon]

5. painted as a still life, which is animated with animate objects?
6. suffering from amnesia and thinking itself a real animal?
7. wearing a belt of giant strength as a bandolier?
8. dead drunk?

[Occasional Sage]

Any exception to a Hard and fast rule is purely Ask Your DM territory.

I think it's a bad road to start down though.

Also, aren't familiars actually spirits wearing the guise of a normal creature? I don't see why possession would make them suddenly capable of something they normally just can't do.

[Coffee_Dragon]

9. copied by a mirror of opposition?
10. in possession of the dire template by mistake?
11. always angry?
12. having a baby shark tied to its back?

[Drackolus]

13. Are targeted by Planar Binding and then the wizard releases them of service?
14. Only attacking verbally?
15. Smells so bad that being around them is an attack in and of itself?
16. So attractive to a particular creature that it causes such nosebleed it causes hit point damage?

[Haldir]

17- Activating a doomsday device to tragically destroy all of it's own kind, but save the universe in the process?
18- during a karate class?
19- to knock some cookies off of the top shelf?

[RazDelacroix]

I know we all came here to help out with a serious question about whether or not we should allow familiars to attack in spite of the hard written rules in the book... But I just want to watch a show now about familiars attacking, complete with delightfully cheesy old-time narration.

Now, to be silly...


FAMILIARS!!!

Your little girl is thinking about taking up the arcane arts, the adorable little blighter, but is she aware of the HORRIBLE DANGER!? On her first day at magic school she might stumble across A MOST DIABOLICAL RITUAL!!! Where she might believe she is just getting a magical pet, the truth is so much more MONSTROUS!


FAMILIARS!!!

They will rip apart your family pet with all the aplomb of THE TARRASQUE QUITTING IT'S DIET!!!


FAMILIARS!!!

They will take over the beach, then use it for their litterbox!


FAMILIARS!!!

They will sweep your mother off her feet in a whirlwind romance of the ages, and leave ole daddy dearest alone in the tavern with the tab!


FAMILIARS!!!

If you think familiars are just cute, cuddly, magical creatures for your darling wizard-to-be-daughter to call up...

Think again!


FAMILIARS!!!

[sir_argo]

Actually all I'm trying to understand is why a familiar cannot attack. What is the rationale? If the rationale is that a familiar doesn't want to attack then it begs the question what if the body of the familiar gets taken over by something else or it gets dominated? Or does the body of the familiar itself lack the ability to attack? And if that's the case would it be able to attack if you polymorphed it to a different body? Or is it that the familiars mind is unable to comprehend how to to attack?

But hey I don't mind the humorous responses either

[JeenLeen]

I believe that familiars are unable to take the Attack action. That is, they simply cannot, and thus could not be compelled to by any means. That's the mechanics, and having their body changed or someone else controlling them (probably) wouldn't change that. The in-universe/in-character rationale... I have no clue. Something about the magical bond, I guess, makes it so rats and cats can't bite and scratch?*
*exception for warlock familiars via Pact of the Chain

Note that familiars can, by RAW, take the Help/Aid action (whatever it's called in 5e), which can distract a foe and give you advantage on attacks against it. It can also allow a rogue to sneak attack by standing/flying near an enemy. So, although they can't attack directly, they can still help in combat.

...I could see someone argue that, if a character had an ability that allows an ally to make an attack (but doesn't specifically mention the Attack action), a familiar could be impacted. Like, I think one of the fighter maneuvers lets an ally make an attack as a reaction. Maybe that could impact a familiar, since it's a reaction not the Attack action--but if the reaction is making an Attack action, it shouldn't work since familiars can't do that Action.

EDIT: I could see maybe a ghost possessing a familiar could attack with it, since the ghost is taking the action using the familiar's body.

[RazDelacroix]

If you want a potential explanation, you could say that the original Find Familiar spell did not have particular safeguards, which eventually led to familiars murdering their masters after one-too-many annoying commands. Now the 'modern' Find Familiar spell has an ironclad safeguard to prevent familiars from killing their masters in their sleep! This explanation would also prevent familiars that genuinely like their masters from commencing violence after being dominated by outside influences.

From a Doylist perspective, since their is no inbuilt way for familiars to improve alongside their masters, it may have been deemed silly to have familiars capable of attacking. I honestly do not know the actual reasoning -yet-, so I personally would allow a player to use a bonus action to command the familiar to attack.

[Haldir]

My post was actually a serious inquiry. It's very implausible to consider a trigger, more of a device that is activated than a weapon, and an intelligent being who cannot use it.

[Dracul3S]

Actually all I'm trying to understand is why a familiar cannot attack. What is the rationale? If the rationale is that a familiar doesn't want to attack then it begs the question what if the body of the familiar gets taken over by something else or it gets dominated? Or does the body of the familiar itself lack the ability to attack? And if that's the case would it be able to attack if you polymorphed it to a different body? Or is it that the familiars mind is unable to comprehend how to to attack?

But hey I don't mind the humorous responses either

The rationale is a game mechanic one: familiars cannot attack, to not give certain classes a low level action economy boost. That's all. If that's no problem at your table you are free to rule otherwise. Just remember you just gave some clases a substantial power boost. At higher levels the familars attacks won't matter that much as they have no scaling (just be careful about that variant rule from Volo).

[Battlebooze]

I so need to make a wizard/cleric MC to use their familiar to deliver inflict wounds spells.

I could murder with impunity, everybody knows that Familiars can't attack!

[Nupo]

I would guess it's because it was something that was occasionally abused in earlier editions, and the individuals writing this edition took the lazy way out and just said no.

[Battlebooze]

I suspect it's more like this. They couldn't give arcane Familiars the ability to attack freely when the original Ranger pets are basically robots.

[Contrast]

RAW they just can't. Its a game balance thing.

My internal rationale for the reason they can't attack in their normal form is the same reason you wouldn't roll an attack from a regular ant to bite someone - even if they suceed its going to be a distraction at best. Thats what the help action is for.

That said my personal inclination would be to let them attack if they were polymorphed. They've expended a resource. I would however point out that you have a cat or whatever which has just been turned into a gorilla. Its going to be terrified and terrible at using its new body. Its not going to adapt like a human would be able to. You're going to have to give it a chance to practice and get used to the form before throwing it into combat.

[Gignere]

RAW they just can't. Its a game balance thing.

My internal rationale for the reason they can't attack in their normal form is the same reason you wouldn't roll an attack from a regular ant to bite someone - even if they suceed its going to be a distraction at best. Thats what the help action is for.

That said my personal inclination would be to let them attack if they were polymorphed. They've expended a resource. I would however point out that you have a cat or whatever which has just been turned into a gorilla. Its going to be terrified and terrible at using its new body. Its not going to adapt like a human would be able to. You're going to have to give it a chance to practice and get used to the form before throwing it into combat.

Polymorphous terrible on familiars you can only change into another beast of the same CR. Familiars are what 1/8 CR.

[RickAllison]

Polymorphous terrible on familiars you can only change into another beast of the same CR. Familiars are what 1/8 CR.

CR 0, actually. I think Chain familiars go up to 1/2 or 1 but I can't remember exactly.

[Contrast]

Polymorphous terrible on familiars you can only change into another beast of the same CR. Familiars are what 1/8 CR.

Good point I'd forgotten that, was just responding to OPs original list. Problem solved :smalltongue:

[Millstone85]

CR 0, actually. I think Chain familiars go up to 1/2 or 1 but I can't remember exactly.The pseudodragon and sprite are CR 1/4. The imp and quasit are CR 1.

But the imp and quasit are also shapechangers. Post-errata, that means Polymorph will not work on them, even if they are willing.

[Sir cryosin]

How can a ghost possess a spirit aka ghost?