5e Familiar thread (both warlock and animal/spirit thingies)

[Cleon]

Yeah they sound like good tweaks

Updated the Devadragonet.

I further tweaked the phrasing a bit from "and cannot be used again until the 1 to 3 minutes (4d6 + 6 rounds) after the devadragonet stops sensing the source" so:

If a devadragonet scents a powerful good or evil presence (a creature of Challenge # or higher or a magical effect of at least spell level # or caster level ##) its divining tongue ability is overwhelmed and cannot be used again until the presence has moved out of sense range and the devadragonet has a short rest. Divining tongue is also overwhelmed when the devadragonet is affected by overpowering mundane smells or tastes such as strong perfumes, chili, the spray of a skunk.​

became:

If a devadragonet scents a powerful good or evil presence (a creature of Challenge 9 or higher or a magical effect using a 5th level or higher spell slot or of at least caster level 12) its divining tongue ability is overwhelmed and cannot be used again until the presence has moved out of sense range and the devadragonet has a short rest. Divining tongue is also overwhelmed when the devadragonet is affected by overpowering mundane smells or tastes such as strong perfumes, chili, the spray of a skunk.​

and expanded:

The devadragonet can also use divination tongue on a single object or creature within 5 feet as a free action.​

to:

The devadragonet can also use divination tongue on a single object or creature within 5 feet as a free action, allowing it to determine the location of the sacred or unholy presence but not its identity.​

So I think we'ew done with the statblock now, unless there's anything you fancy adding?

 

[Casimir Liber]

Looks good

So Description looks like this currently:

Also nicknamed the "baby bahamut", the devadragonet is a minor celestial being native to the Upper Planes that occasionally ventures forth to the Material Plane, generally in the company of good-aligned wizards and warlocks with Celestial patrons. It is a stockily-built tiny dragon the size of a bobcat or badger. Its scales are silvery-white, with grey horns and claws, and sparkling white teeth.


Humble and Kind. Unlike many other draconic beings, the devadragonet is humble, with a calm and kind temperament. It generally avoids combat or making demands on others. If a being it associates with behaves in a cruel or evil manner, the devadragon prefers to slip away quietly rather than confront them.


Variant: Celestial Familiar. The devadragonet can enter into a contract to serve another creature as a familiar, forming a telepathic bond with its willing master. While the two are bonded, the master can sense what the devadragon senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. While the devadragonet is within 10 feet of its master, the master shares the devadragon’s Magic Resistance trait. If its master violates the terms of the contract, the devadragon can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.

(Original monster designed by Casimir Liber and Cleon on the Creature Catalog Monster Homebrews forum)

 

[Cleon]

Was D&D Beyond being uncooperative about the paragraph spacing? The Heavenscent Breath text has three paragraphs:

• Heavenscent Breath. The devadragonet exhales a puff of energised mist at one creature within 5 feet of it.
   A target that is not a fiend or undead immediately regains 1 hit point and enters a blissful delirium for 1d4 rounds. The target may attempt to avoid the delirium by rolling a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw. While delirious, the target regains 1 hit point at the end of each round but has disadvantage on all skill checks and attack rolls. On the target's turn they can choose to leave the blissful delirium as a free action but this also stops the healing. Once a target is healed by heavenscent breath they must take a long rest before they can regain hit points from another puff, but they can still suffer disadvantage from the blissful delirium. A puff of heavenscent breath heals a maximum of 3 (1d4 + 1) hit points to individuals who receive the full 1 to 4 rounds effect.
   A target that is a fiend or undead takes 10 (3d6) damage and enters a nightmare delirium for 1d4 rounds; if the target makes a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw they take half damage and avoid entering the delirium. While delirious, the target has disadvantage on all skill checks and attack rolls. The fiend or undead target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If they succeed, the nightmare delirium ends.

Did we decide on whether or not to change the duration its Divining Tongue can be overwhelmed from "short rest" to "1 to 3 minutes (4d6 + 6 rounds)"?

I wasn't 100% sure what decision we'd made so didn't amend the Devadragonet.

As for the Description, I'll have to comment on that later. Things to do need to be done…

 

[Casimir Liber]

Trying to break bulleted paragraphs in dndbeyond is....frustrating - the formatting is limited.

Sorry, meant to change "short rest" to "1 to 3 minutes (4d6 + 6 rounds)" - sentence now "...and cannot be used again until the presence has moved out of sense range and 1 to 3 minutes (4d6 + 6 rounds) have passed."

 

[Cleon]

Sorry, meant to change "short rest" to "1 to 3 minutes (4d6 + 6 rounds)" - sentence now "...and cannot be used again until the presence has moved out of sense range and 1 to 3 minutes (4d6 + 6 rounds) have passed."

Hmm, but what if the source is within range but just conceals itself magically or is killed or level-drained so its presence is no longer overwhelmingly strong?

How about "and cannot be used again until the devadragonet stops sensing the overwhelming presence for 1 to 3 minutes (4d6 + 6 rounds)"?

 

[Cleon]

Trying to break bulleted paragraphs in dndbeyond is....frustrating - the formatting is limited.

Yes, its not the first time we've been having problems persuading paragraphs to behave themselves.

I find Enworld a bit tricky too sometimes, I had to apply some creative use of linebreaks and em spaces to get the Heavenscent Breath to look like that.

 

[Casimir Liber]

"and cannot be used again until the devadragonet stops sensing the overwhelming presence for 1 to 3 minutes (4d6 + 6 rounds)" sounds good

 

[Cleon]

"and cannot be used again until the devadragonet stops sensing the overwhelming presence for 1 to 3 minutes (4d6 + 6 rounds)" sounds good

Updating the Devadragonet, previous text was:

If a devadragonet scents a powerful good or evil presence (a creature of Challenge 9 or higher or a magical effect using a 5th level or higher spell slot or of at least caster level 12) its divining tongue ability is overwhelmed and cannot be used again until the presence has moved out of sense range and the devadragonet has a short rest. Divining tongue is also overwhelmed when the devadragonet is affected by overpowering mundane smells or tastes such as strong perfumes, chili, the spray of a skunk.

Working on the Description will have to wait for another day.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Okay and waiting for you to tweak description on devadragonet here

 

[Cleon]

Okay and waiting for you to tweak description on devadragonet here

I'd completely forgotten about this little fellow! Presumably you noticed it in the Homebrews Forum after I mentioned getting back to the Sea Stars.

Might as well keep it simple.

It's basically the celestial equivalent and opposite of an Imp or Quasit, and those only get two paragraphs of description in the Monster Manual.

Demon, Quasit
Quasits infest the Lower Planes. Physically weak, they keep to the shadows to plot mischief and wickedness. More powerful demons use quasits as spies and messengers when they aren't devouring them or pulling them apart to pass the time.
 A quasit can assume animal forms, but in its true form it looks like a 2-foot-tall green humanoid with a barbed tail and horns. The quasit has clawed fingers and toes, and these claws can deliver an irritating poison. It prefers to be invisible when it attacks.

Devil, Imp:
Imps are found throughout the Lower Planes, either running errands for their infernal masters, spying on rivals, or misleading and waylaying mortals. An imp will proudly serve an evil master of any kind, but it can't be relied on to carry out tasks with any speed or efficiency.
 An imp can assume animal form at will, but in its natural state it resembles a diminutive red-skinned humanoid with a barbed tail, small horns, and leathery wings. It strikes while invisible, attacking with its poison stinger.

So maybe…

Devadragonet:
Nicknamed "baby bahamuts," devadragonets are native of the Upper Planes who gladly run errands for more powerful celestials. They are occasionally sent to the Material Plane, often to assist goodly wizards and warlocks with Celestial patrons. Deeply kind and humble beings, a devadragonet dislikes making demands but is fond of gentle persuasion. If an associate behaves unpleasantly it generally slips away quietly rather than argue. A baby bahamut always tries to avoid harming creatures who are not irredeemably evil, but shows no mercy toward intrinsicly malign entities such as undead or fiends.
 A devadragonet looks like a stockily-built dragon as big as a bobcat with silvery-white scales and beautiful rainbow like wings. It has bright golden eyes, horns and claws that shine like mother-of-pearl, and sparkling white teeth.