D&D 5E Is Find Familiar essentially "gain Advantage on all skill checks and attacks"?

[Clancey]

Thanks for your input! I have actually taken this feat and used the owl to scout ahead, while I was still with the party - I've sort of thought of it as GoT "Warging." Blindsight would be useful in some circumstances, but 120' darkvision is certainly more benificial and more accurate in most circumstances.

I agree that the Ritual cast would've probably been a good alternative, but I didn't choose any attack cantrips, since my Int score is pretty low and if cantrips could only be used as 1st level (like the 1st level spell,) which my DM would certainly argue, I chose mage hand and light, two abilities i could use at will that could be useful to a rogue.

I have yet to try the owl on the shoulder as we have been outside since I chose the feat.

If my dm will see the owl on the shoulder as I do, the owl's perception is good enough that I might be able to talk the dm into treating it as an assist - giving me advantage on perception rolls that depend on sight. Really useful in checking for traps, secret doors and MAYBE picking locks.

 

[Herobizkit]

Mage Hand and Prestidigitation are the Rogue's "I Win" buttons. ^_^

 

[Minsc]

Mage Hand and Prestidigitation are the Rogue's "I Win" buttons. ^_^

Can you please elaborate?

 

[Herobizkit]

Well, Mage Hand allows a Rogue to grab any light object and move/place it anywhere. This is useful from everything to a distraction to moving a Greek fire very silently across a floor. With the right imagination, there's very little to limit what it can do.

The Arcane Trickster takes it one further and allows him to open locks and (I think?) pickpocket at range as well.

As for Prestidigitation, any minor sound or sight illusion can be created so long as it fits in a 5'x5' cube. Need cover to hide? Illusion up a rock, or a cloud of smoke. Or, add a blind-screen to a bush. The auditory ability mimics any reasonable sound, so you can have crowd murmur, footsteps, warning bells, insects...

Both are only limited by your imagination and what the DM will let you get away with for two cantrips that can be cast for free, all day every day.

 

[Herobizkit]

Also, I was drunk on 7 overnight shifts. I meant Minor Image instead of Prestidigitation.

 

[SailorNash]

(Deleted)

 

[Guest 6801328]

If you interpret RAW such that the assisting character (or NPC, or familiar) would have to be able to attempt the action itself, and is instead helping the player, then by RAW you would have to give up your Action to order it to attack.

And the meta-reason this must be the correct interpretation (RAI) is that otherwise a single 1st level ritual would have the potential to grant Advantage on all attacks, forever. Which is just dumb.

But, hey, it's your game. If you can talk (badger) your DM into the sloppy interpretation, more power to you. Literally.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I would argue that a raven flapping around someone's head is a distraction even if it can't attack for damage.

I would argue that a Barbarian trying to cleave someone's head with his Great Axe is even more distracting than a raven, but it doesn't grant Advantage to allies.

 

[Clancey]

You're right. I did not read the spell description well enough. I caught the flaw and did not use the tactic. Badgering a DM is never a good idea, as it usually makes him more creative in his disagreement with you (if he's a good dm) or wastes precious game time to resolve if he argues with you. I've learned a lot more about 5e since I made my initial post.

If you interpret RAW such that the assisting character (or NPC, or familiar) would have to be able to attempt the action itself, and is instead helping the player, then by RAW you would have to give up your Action to order it to attack.

And the meta-reason this must be the correct interpretation (RAI) is that otherwise a single 1st level ritual would have the potential to grant Advantage on all attacks, forever. Which is just dumb.

But, hey, it's your game. If you can talk (badger) your DM into the sloppy interpretation, more power to you. Literally.

 

[Psikerlord#]

A familiar cant help on attacks because it cannot attack itself - PHB p.175 - "Working together".

Similarly I would probably tend to rule that unless the familiar is trained in a skill, it cant help with that either (for balance reasons).

A familiar is already a cool pet with super scouting powers. It doesnt need anything further for a level 1 ritual.