Abusing Sneak Attack With Find Familar

[seventh_soul]

It says in the PHB that sneak attack occurs whenever you have advantage and not disadvantage. A familar can use the help action to give advantage. Free sneak attack every turn. Am i missing anything? Also, is there any more ways to abuse this? Finally, would you allow this at your table?

[Millstone85]

Familiars are very fragile, even those from Pact of the Chain.

That's about it.

[nickl_2000]

It says in the PHB that sneak attack occurs whenever you have advantage and not disadvantage. A familar can use the help action to give advantage. Free sneak attack every turn. Am i missing anything? Also, is there any more ways to abuse this? Finally, would you allow this at your table?

Absolutely it works and absolutely I would allow it. Having a Warlock pact of chain to get an invisible imp makes it much better. Also, if the familiar is helping in combat I would have the bad guys target it and make it go splat

[trctelles]

You are not really "abusing" it, it's supposed to work that way. I don't think getting sneak attacks is particularly hard, but sure, you can use the familiar to trigger sneak attack.
Just remember that the baddies can just choose to shoot your familiar if they know what he is doing "Look, that little owl is helping him! Shoot her down!".
I think most DM's allow it ( I don't see why they wouldn't).

It's just a matter of "will my DM punish me for using this every turn?"

[Beelzebubba]

Smart opponent 1 - With multiattack:

*Attacks Familiar*
*Familiar has bad AC and <3hp, so it dies in one swipe*

Smart opponent 2 - commander of enemies with ranged attack

*Sees what's going on*
"You, with the bow, kill that damn bird, it's distracting Gruck"
*Hurls a javelin at Famiar*
*Familiar has bad AC and <3hp, so it dies in one swipe*

Smart opponent 3 - spellcaster

*Fires attack cantrip at Familiar*
or *Devotes one magic missile to Familiar*
or *Uses small area of effect attack while the Familiar is in that space*
or...
*Familiar has bad AC and <3hp, so it dies in one swipe*

[strangebloke]

Familiars are very fragile, even those from Pact of the Chain.

That's about it.

This is why you need aid and inspiring leader in the party when you have a familiar.

[GlenSmash!]

This is why you need aid and inspiring leader in the party when you have a familiar.

Or any hirelings.

[Joe the Rat]

This is why you need aid and inspiring leader in the party when you have a familiar.

Shh, don't tell my players! Killing Whisper and Mr. Squeakers over and over again is part of the fun.
(strangely, they never think to buff them, just each other).
Seriously, this is great advice for making a tougher familiar. I think Mage Armor might work here.

You know what's absolute murder on familiars? Spirit Guardians. I love that spell on enemy casters.

[strangebloke]

Or any hirelings.

Fun fact: the THP has no expiration date.

Meaning, if visit some farmer and inspire him, he's going to have 2-3 times as much hp as anyone else the next time he gets in a fight, be that tomorrow or 3 years from now.

*cough*

Magic Initate is very good for a rogue. Arguably the best feat, competing only with sentinel.

[GlenSmash!]

Fun fact: the THP has no expiration date.

Meaning, if visit some farmer and inspire him, he's going to have 2-3 times as much hp as anyone else the next time he gets in a fight, be that tomorrow or 3 years from now.

*cough*

Magic Initate is very good for a rogue. Arguably the best feat, competing only with sentinel.

He becomes a local hero, or tyrant, having heard an inspiring speech once during his mercenary days.

[Vogie]

With a single level in Raven Queen Warlock, you get a free raven Faux-miliar, with the added bonus of:

If it is slain by a creature, you gain advantage on all attack rolls against the killer for the next 24 hours.
Which is absolutely delicious for a Rogue.

It also gives darkvision, will wake you up from sleep if attacked, you can see & hear through it while nearby, and comes back every short or long rest without the find familiar ritual.

[the secret fire]

Simply having intelligent enemies kill the little rats when they enter combat is sufficient to keep them from being abused. As mentioned already, getting advantage isn't all that hard, anyway.

Pact of the Chain familiars are much more problematic. I have no idea why the developers thought that invisible, flying familiars with 10ish HP was a good idea. But, then again, this goes for a good chunk of the Warlock's class features.

[Dudewithknives]

With a single level in Raven Queen Warlock, you get a free raven Faux-miliar, with the added bonus of:

Which is absolutely delicious for a Rogue.

It also gives darkvision, will wake you up from sleep if attacked, you can see & hear through it while nearby, and comes back every short or long rest without the find familiar ritual.

I like the fact that it is immune to pretty much everything while it is on your shoulder.

[the secret fire]

Fun fact: the THP has no expiration date.

Meaning, if visit some farmer and inspire him, he's going to have 2-3 times as much hp as anyone else the next time he gets in a fight, be that tomorrow or 3 years from now.

*cough*

Magic Initate is very good for a rogue. Arguably the best feat, competing only with sentinel.

Meh...you seem to be discounting the value of Mobile, Sharpshooter, Skulker, and Elven Accuracy. Sentinel can be good, but it's hard to tank effectively as a pure rogue, and making use of Sentinel generally means not making use of Cunning Action, as you have to stand in melee in order to get that juicy off-turn sneak attack.

[Catullus64]

The oft-mentioned fragility of familiars is a distinct reason why the Flyby trait of certain familiars (owls spring to mind, but I believe there to be others) is so good. The owl can take the Help action, and then fly into cover to avoid ranged attackers.

[solidork]

Fun fact: the THP has no expiration date.

It goes away on a long rest, fortunately. The duration isn't always specified in the effect that grants it, but its there in the rules specifically about temporary HP.

[strangebloke]

It goes away on a long rest, fortunately. The duration isn't always specified in the effect that grants it, but its there in the rules specifically about temporary HP.

I forgot that. In the game I play, long rests take a full week and therefore most commoners never take one.

[clash]

Sneak attack cant really be abused in 5th ed because rogues are balanced around getting it every turn. The fact that one rogue finds a way to get it easier than some of his pals doesnt really upset the balance. Now throw in 3-5 levels of champion fighter and elven accuracy and you might get a different beast entirely.