Familiars and cover

[TheAlopex]

I'm a level 1 Grave Cleric and I took the Magic Initiate feat (Var. Human) to have Find Familiar. I want desperately to keep mine alive while maximizing its use so I have a few questions, if you all wouldn't mind:

1. If I am in melee range, can my familiar (Tiny) use some movement to come in, use the Help action to grant me Advantage, then use its remaining movement to go behind my back, cling onto to me (Medium), and take Total Cover without generating an attack of opportunity since it technically didn't leave the enemy's reach? (Eg. A spider familiar moves 10ft, Help action by distracting the enemy by putting is furry legs up its nostrils, then moves 5ft to crawl to my back and stay there, in total cover from the enemy)

2. If yes to the above, can the familiar, in Total Cover, then move away directly behind me and leave the enemy's reach without causing an attack of opportunity since the enemy can't technically see the familiar until it is out of its reach? (Eg. Raven familiar is clinging to my back in Total Cover, it then flies 10ft directly behind me and then 20ft diagonally to reach my fallen comrade so I can use Cure Wounds through it.)

3. Can I ready my dismiss action so that my reaction triggers if the familiar is forced to make a saving throw? (Eg. Rat familiar is on my shoulder or up scouting, I have the dismiss action readied - an arrow trap gets triggered forcing a Dex saving throw and I use my reaction to dismiss my rat so it is safe.)

I realize the attack of opportunity concerns wouldn't be a concern at all with an owl, but I'm a Grave Cleric... a spider, a raven, or a rat just fit too well thematically.

Thanks everyone!

[nickl_2000]

1/2 - This one is a DMs call, you would have to speak with him or her to see if it's allowed. Personally, I wouldn't allow it. If you use your familiar in combat, expect that it will be attacked and killed. If you don't want it to bite the dust, don't use it in combat.


3 - No. A readied action is only available to you when you are in combat (initiative has been rolled). The situation that you describe wouldn't be in combat. You could certainly do this in combat, but it would be a waste of you action.

[thrdeye]

I would ask the DM, but going by the rules it won't work because a creature in combat can't end its turn in another creature's space. You could cast Sanctuary on your familiar which RAW isn't broken by the Help action but I'd also confirm that with the DM beforehand. That still leaves the possibility of your familiar being attacked, but it is a reduced possibility.

You will need to use your action and your concentration to ready the dismiss action, and it only lasts until the beginning of your next turn. Your readied action also takes place after the trigger occurs, so if the trigger is "my familiar has to make a saving throw" it already would have happened.

I would ask the DM to flavor the owl as something thematically appropriate for your character.

[nickl_2000]

I would ask the DM to flavor the owl as something thematically appropriate for your character.

What about a Black Witch Moth for this?

[Tanarii]

Be aware that familiars roll their own initiative and act on it, separate from the PC.

The biggest impact is that the familiars Help action may benefit someone else in the party, not you. That's mostly important when you're a Rogue using a familiar to get Sneak Attack.

[thrdeye]

What about a Black Witch Moth for this?

Had to look that one up, but it definitely fits the theme. My research shows that, if one lands on you, you will become rich. Make sure your DM knows so he can adjust your loot appropriately :smallbiggrin:

[CTurbo]

Owls have "Flyby" which lets them fly away from an enemy without provoking opportunity attacks. Makes them a little harder to kill from my experiences. If an enemy wastes his turn killing your owl, that's kind of a success too IMO because that's one less turn he's not attacking you or a friend.

[TheAlopex]

Thanks everyone so far!

Because it's a 1/day spell, I want to keep it as safe as possible - even if it would take one attack away from the party-mates, one attack per day is probably not worth it. Its main function in my build is ranged Cure Wounds, but I'd like it to be useful in combat when we're healthy too.

I know some DMs don't like combat familiars, so I was hoping to avoid the owl (easily the best familiar) but looks like there's not much choice! (I can make it work flavor-wise - my Cleric was a former cemetery curator who got sick and tired of the undead rising up and destroying her beautiful work so decided to do something about it. She became a night vigilante of sorts and owls are, of course, nocturnal).

I'm a +2 Dex Cleric with medium armor and +0 Str and have the highest AC so tend to be the party tank - I'd use the owl to Help me most often since, with a mace and therefore +0 to hit, I'd need the most help.

It doesn't seem OP to me, but I'd like to keep it RAW so I can at least make sure I'm doing my due dilligence. Shame that the same-space rule doesn't let a spider cling to my back! I was so happy with that image.

[Lunali]

For number 3, yes you can do this, but readied actions take place after the triggering action, so you can dismiss your familiar on a readied action, but only after the thing that causes the saving throw happens to it.

[Sinon]

I realize the attack of opportunity concerns wouldn't be a concern at all with an owl, but I'm a Grave Cleric... a spider, a raven, or a rat just fit too well thematically.

Hark! Peace! It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman,
Which gives the stern’st good-night.

Lady Macbeth in Act 2, Scene 2

[Ganymede]

3. Can I ready my dismiss action so that my reaction triggers if the familiar is forced to make a saving throw?

Aside from what others have said about using reactions out of combat, I don't think you can use metagame knowledge in order to ready an action. Your ready action has to trigger on a perceivable circumstance, of which "when my familiar is forced to make a saving throw" is not.

[Malifice]

I'm a level 1 Grave Cleric and I took the Magic Initiate feat (Var. Human) to have Find Familiar. I want desperately to keep mine alive while maximizing its use so I have a few questions, if you all wouldn't mind:

1. If I am in melee range, can my familiar (Tiny) use some movement to come in, use the Help action to grant me Advantage, then use its remaining movement to go behind my back, cling onto to me (Medium), and take Total Cover without generating an attack of opportunity since it technically didn't leave the enemy's reach? (Eg. A spider familiar moves 10ft, Help action by distracting the enemy by putting is furry legs up its nostrils, then moves 5ft to crawl to my back and stay there, in total cover from the enemy)

2. If yes to the above, can the familiar, in Total Cover, then move away directly behind me and leave the enemy's reach without causing an attack of opportunity since the enemy can't technically see the familiar until it is out of its reach? (Eg. Raven familiar is clinging to my back in Total Cover, it then flies 10ft directly behind me and then 20ft diagonally to reach my fallen comrade so I can use Cure Wounds through it.)

3. Can I ready my dismiss action so that my reaction triggers if the familiar is forced to make a saving throw? (Eg. Rat familiar is on my shoulder or up scouting, I have the dismiss action readied - an arrow trap gets triggered forcing a Dex saving throw and I use my reaction to dismiss my rat so it is safe.)

I realize the attack of opportunity concerns wouldn't be a concern at all with an owl, but I'm a Grave Cleric... a spider, a raven, or a rat just fit too well thematically.

Thanks everyone!

Cover doesn't stop attacks of opportunity.

Just take an Owl if you're concerned. They dont provoke AoO from movement out of a creature's space.

Refluff it as some different creature if you must.

[Lunali]

Cover doesn't stop attacks of opportunity.

"A target with total cover can't be targeted directly by an attack or spell," if you rule that hiding behind someone as suggested grants total cover, then there will be no attacks of opportunity for leaving reach afterwards. That said, moving into total cover does count as moving out of reach unless your DM rules otherwise.