D&D 5E Any Eldritch Knights here use a familiar?

[Minsc]

I thought it would be so darn cool to have one, but I've never chosen the spell.

Any EK's of yours, or of other players at your tables ever had a familiar (not the improved warlock familiar)? Have you found it worthwhile?

 

[Shiroiken]

That's a hard choice. To give up your 1 non-special spell for a spell you'll only cast once is iffy. I could see it for a multi-class EK-Wizard, but not for a straight EK.

 

[Minsc]

That's a hard choice. To give up your 1 non-special spell for a spell you'll only cast once is iffy. I could see it for a multi-class EK-Wizard, but not for a straight EK.

My DM has rules about buying scrolls. I'm not sure if it's a house rule or official rule.

 

[Klaus]

That's a hard choice. To give up your 1 non-special spell for a spell you'll only cast once is iffy. I could see it for a multi-class EK-Wizard, but not for a straight EK.

Just pick Magic Initiate at level 4 and choose two cantrips + Find Familiar.

 

[Celtavian]

Find Familiar is highly useful for an Eldritch Knight or arcane caster. He can us it for scouting and to provide advantage on one attack per round. He can do this without expending any of his own actions, bonus actions, reactions, or spell slots once it is cast. It's one of your best 1st level options in the game. Sure, it can die a lot later on given it's low hit points. Even then that is one less attack towards you or a PC to kill it. You can get it back for 10 gold later.

Our Eldritch Knight archer is using it right now to great effect. Very powerful spell that lasts a long time absent it being killed.

 

[Zaran]

I'm a wizard who is going to multiclass into eldritch knight. He has a hawk familiar. It is a useful tool for scouting but I don't like using it in combat . One hit and the familiar dies. Then you have to find a wagon load of charcoal (I exaggerate but it's 15 gp worth of material including charcoal) to summon it back. I really wish they had made it a feat that levels with you.

 

[PnPgamer]

Find familiar is spiffy, even if there already exist a person who can already cast it and is a bigger caster than you. Gaining the advantage (by making the familiar use the help action) is useful

 

[krunchyfrogg]

I have one on my human archer eldritch knight.

It's an owl, and I've never used it for anything other than scouting. Still, very useful.

 

[Grakarg]

Yep, as a variant human with the Magic Initiate (wizard) feat, I took it at first level for my EK.

Super useful, as it helped expand my character's usefulness in exploration/scouting, and I've been able to use it frequently in combat to provide advantage by using the help action. If it dies, I can recast using the spell from the feat, rather than my normal spell slots. This also gives me the chance to swap its form into different forms if needed.

I prefer the Owl for helping in combat, since it doesn't provoke AOO's with movement, it can swoop in- help- then fly out of danger. While not super useful yet, I have had it deliver a couple of shocking grasps, making for a surprised opponent who would have normally been behind cover.

Note that the familiar moves/acts on its own initiative from you. So if it provides a 'help' action, it might be providing advantage for one of your teammates instead, not necessarily for you. Because its not always 'in sync' to provide help, I've found the ability to be much less of an issue than I'd feared it might be. It doesn't seem to be game breaking or over powered at all. All in all, I'm happy with the choice.

 

[iatesand]

Thats a great use for the Owl! Fly in "help" Fly out