D&D 5E Pseudodragon as a familiar?

[Fanaelialae]

In my interpretation it requires both finding the pseudodragon and convincing him to join you, and casting the spell (otherwise p347 doesn't make a lot of sense).

The way I read p. 347 is that spellcasters who can cast find familiar will most likely have a familiar (as defined by the spell). A spellcaster might instead have a familiar as defined in the individual MM entries such as pseudodragon, etc.

 

[TarionzCousin]

In one campaign, I let every PC have something special at first level. My ex-girlfriend wanted a pseudodragon familiar for her wizard. I allowed it.

That was the best decision I ever made in that campaign. It was fantastic having a playful, prankster NPC as one of the party. Holy monkeys that was fun.

 

[Celtavian]

In my interpretation it requires both finding the pseudodragon and convincing him to join you, and casting the spell (otherwise p347 doesn't make a lot of sense).



I interpret it that once you come to an agreement with the pseudodragon and cast find familiar it becomes an actual familiar and gains any special familiar abilities (except the ability to change forms--since it is a specific creature rather than a celestial, fey, or fiend spirit), while not losing any of its own abilities. This means it can attack, and if it is killed you can revive it by casting find familiar on it again.

Without the ability to revive it, it is pretty useless.

I can revive it. He's still pretty useless. With multiple attacks, aoe attacks, legendary actions, and lair actions, it is easy to kill a creature with 7 hit points and a low AC without expending noticeable resources. They don't advance according to level. Their best use is scouting at higher level. Even an AoO kills them, so they can't move in and out of combat.

I imagine a design choice was to make the familiar a low level benefit with little game effect later in levels.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

The way I read p. 347 is that spellcasters who can cast find familiar will most likely have a familiar (as defined by the spell). A spellcaster might instead have a familiar as defined in the individual MM entries such as pseudodragon, etc.

That explanation is actually a pretty decent interpretation of the text itself. (I was going to say it might be the best explanation, but then I re-read it and I'm not sure it would follow correct structure if it were the intended meaning.)

I'm not going to use it though, because it makes the pseudodragon familiar useless (good luck with those 7 hp and then you stay dead).

I imagine a design choice was to make the familiar a low level benefit with little game effect later in levels.

I agree. I believe it was intended to remain useful primarily out of combat and for role-playing purposes--hence the 10gp revivification and the ability to *poof* it into and out of an extradimensional space when not needed.

 

[Celtavian]

That explanation is actually a pretty decent interpretation of the text itself. (I was going to say it might be the best explanation, but then I re-read it and I'm not sure it would follow correct structure if it were the intended meaning.)

I'm not going to use it though, because it makes the pseudodragon familiar useless (good luck with those 7 hp and then you stay dead).



I agree. I believe it was intended to remain useful primarily out of combat and for role-playing purposes--hence the 10gp revivification and the ability to *poof* it into and out of an extradimensional space when not needed.

It fits. Familiars are usually funny little creatures in stories with marginal use in combat save to maybe sacrifice themselves to save their master. I can't even recall a story I've read with a familiar. I know there are stories where they exist as well as traditional folktales of such creatures in service to witches. Not too many I've read. I think I remember watching a movie called Deathstalker with an ugly, imp-like familiar the wizard fed human flesh.