Are familiars hurt by area attacks?

[Emperor Demonking]

When you play are familiars hurt by area attacks?

If you have a creature in a bag, is it imune to area atacks?

[Frosty]

If you roll a 1 on your saving throw, then your items have a chance of getting hurt, although a lot of DMs I know forget that rule.

[Saph]

When you play are familiars hurt by area attacks?

Yes, that's what their Improved Evasion ability is designed to help stop.

If you have a creature in a bag, is it imune to area atacks?

Unclear. Most DMs will call it one way or the other depending on how resistant the bag is to whatever it's being blasted with.

- Saph

[Arbitrarity]

Actually, let's see. If I have a bag (or w/e), it provides "total cover" to whatever is inside, unless the attack breaches the bag (or, realistically, is liquid/gas, but shh.) Now, AOE attacks don't damage my items, even a bag, unless I roll a 1, or they mention that they damage my items (acid fog ). Therefore, they continue to provide total cover, keeping my familiar safe. Familiar pocket is another option.

[Craig1f]

If your familiar is out, yes. That's why you should have your familiar away when you don't need it.

[icthius]

If your familiar is out, yes. That's why you should have your familiar away when you don't need it.

"away" where?

[BRC]

"away" where?

In familiarspace of course.

[Emperor Demonking]

"away" where?

Or in the bag, which is in the bag your carrying. The bag which is in fact being carried by the familiar, so is invulneravle to all harm.

[Craig1f]

"away" where?

Can't Wizards make their familiars "disappear"? I haven't played a wizard yet, so I'm not sure, and don't have the book in front of me.

[Newtkeeper]

Can't Wizards make their familiars "disappear"? I haven't played a wizard yet, so I'm not sure, and don't have the book in front of me.

Not in core. I believe there is a spell that allows the wizard to temporarily vanish his familiar (maybe in the Spell Compedium?).

[marjan]

Not in core. I believe there is a spell that allows the wizard to temporarily vanish his familiar (maybe in the Spell Compedium?).

Familiar Pocket from SC. And they can disappear if your DM has bad memory.

[John Campbell]

The way my DM handles it, the familiar can either be out and about, in which case it's affected normally by everything; or it can ride under its master's cloak or in his pack or whatever, in which case it's treated as a possession and only affected if the master botches a save, but it can't really do anything.

I always kept mine out where he could be useful - even to the point of sending him right into melee on a few occasions (polymorph is a wonderful spell, and even a 1-point bite will disrupt a mirror image) - but I was playing a 20 Con dwarven fighter/wizard... my familiar had more hit points than the sorceress.

[Riffington]

This is why you tell your familiar to go back to his pokeball when you aren't using him.

[Collin152]

Brilliant!
A new kind of magic item! A sphere that fits in your pocket to contain fabulous beasts! To the patent office!

[Inyssius Tor]

Brilliant!
A new kind of magic item! A sphere that fits in your pocket to contain fabulous beasts! To the patent office!

I have too much free time.

Spoiler

Show

Pokéball
...These fist-sized red-and-white spheres were originally designed for the purpose of capturing and taming rare creatures, although their obvious capacity for abuse makes them illegal in most high-magic cities and countries. Each ball contains an extradimensional space capable of confining and enslaving one living creature of size Huge or smaller, as long as that creature is not a Humanoid or Monstrous Humanoid.
...In order to activate the ball, the user must make a touch attack against the target creature--for this purpose, the pokéball is treated as a thrown weapon with a 10 ft. range increment. If the attack is successful, the item activates; the creature must make a Will or Fortitude save against DC 10 or be imprisoned within it. If the creature succeeds on this save, the pokéball is destroyed.
...Any creature trapped inside the ball does not need food, sleep, or air; if dying, it is automatically stabilized, but poison functions normally on it. Any creature trapped inside the ball is automatically charmed (as the spell). The owner of a pokéball can recall any creature enslaved in this fashion to its pokéball as a standard action.

Moderate conjuration and enchantment; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, charm monster, rope trick; Price 1200 gp.

Great Ball
...A stronger version of the pokéball, this device is designed to hold more powerful and dangerous creatures. It functions as a normal pokéball, but the save to avoid imprisonment is DC 18.

Strong conjuration and enchantment; CL 12th; Craft Wondrous Item, charm monster, rope trick; Price 4500 gp.

Ultra Ball
...The strongest variation of pokéball available on the black market, this device is quite rare. It functions as a normal pokéball, but the save to avoid imprisonment is DC 25.

Strong conjuration and enchantment; CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, charm monster, rope trick; Price 18,000 gp.

Masterball
...Shaped like an ordinary pokéball, this immensely powerful major artifact is capable of capturing and enslaving any living creature. No attack roll is required, although the target must be within 60 ft.

[Idea Man]

Yes, yes you do.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that as long as they were perched on your spellcaster, they counted as equipment, and therefore, the nat 1 save/equipment damage thing. Fortunately, they wouldn't be first on the list, and, as stated by Saph, they do get Improved Evasion to avoid these little problems. Off by themselves, they're just another target, and a tiny one at that, but that matters little to area effects.

[Khanderas]

Can't Wizards make their familiars "disappear"? I haven't played a wizard yet, so I'm not sure, and don't have the book in front of me.

Perhaps you are thinking of V 's crow familiar.
But I find it possible that is just a joke at how familiars are ignored (including area damage spells) when they are not on "active use". Basically they are just "not there" :)

[EvilJames]

I tend to go more with common sense rather than the rules. Unless you have a magic pocket the familiar will be affected if you are. If you make your save then it does to in that case. However animals generally don't like hiding in pockets (birds in particular) so in most cases keeping them in one is mistreating your familiar.

[Cuddly]

However animals generally don't like hiding in pockets (birds in particular) so in most cases keeping them in one is mistreating your familiar.

It's a good thing they're not animals, then.

[ZeroNumerous]

Familiar Pocket is an easy 1st level investment for when you don't want your familiar to die. With hours/level duration, it easily lasts through any combat scenario. (And with Extend, it lasts all day at just 8th level).