Rules help: Familiars

[Guest 6801328]

Could I get some clarification on how Familiars work?

1) In order to personally get the benefit of improved senses (e.g. Advantage on Perception) I would need to spend an Action to start "seeing through it's eyes", correct? So it wouldn't benefit me detecting a trap or secret door while walking down a corridor, unless I told the DM "I stop and spend an action seeing through my familiar...". Correct?

2) Can my familiar detect traps/secret doors on its own, and then just tell me?

3) Based on RAW plus Twitter clarification from JC, it seems any familiar can use the Help action to grant Advantage on an attack. Does that seriously mean that an Owl can fly in, Help, then fly away and not provoke an opportunity attack? The Owl does not need to be next to the target on its master's turn?

4) Is there any reason the familiar can't Help somebody other than its master, and give them advantage instead?

5) Since familiars deliver touch attacks using their reaction, does that mean that they have to be next to the target on the master's turn? And, if so, the Owl therefore can't use its fly-by trick. Right?

6) If the answers to 3 & 4 are Yes and Yes, does that mean the familiar can both deliver a touch attack AND give Advantage to another character in the same round?

Thanks!

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

1) Yes you must see through the familiar's eyes to benefit from it's superior vision, and hear through it's ears to benefit from it's superior hearing.

However, you can have your familiar positioned near you, say perched on your shoulder for example, and walk around while using it's senses as your own without much hindrance if any.

2) Ask your DM - there is no specific mention one way or the other if the spirit taking the form of an animal to serve as your familiar cares/knows what indicates a trap or a secret door, so it is entirely up to your DM's interpretation.

If you were at my table, you could command your familiar to be on the look-out for signs of traps/secrets and it would obey, communicating those signs to you telepathically if it finds them.

3) Yes, that is exactly what it means, and no the owl doesn't need to be next to the target on your turn. The Help action doesn't require staying 5 feet from the intended target creature any more than having a reach of 5 feet with an attack means you have to stay next to the target after the attack or you'll miss.

4) No.

5) Yes, the familiar has to be in position to deliver the attack on the master's turn. Yes, that stops the owl, or any other familiar, from moving away immediately after delivering the spell.

6) Yes - the familiar uses its action to Help, and it's reaction to deliver the spell.

 

[Pandaemoni]

In agree with Aaron of Barbaria with one clarification on question 5).

Rather than have the familiar be next to the target on its master's turn, the master can "ready his action" to cast the spell when the familiar is in position. An Owl could then swoop in, triggering its master's casting the spell, after which the owl delivers the spell and flies away (without triggering the attach of opportunity because an owl has that special feature). While the familiar is less likely to be clobbered that way than it would be if it were adjacent to the target, the risk is that for the period of time after the master readies his action, until the spell is delivered, there is a risk that the master will be hit or otherwise take damage, fail a concentration check, and lose the spell that was being held while waiting for the familiar's turn.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I concur with [MENTION=6689321]Pandaemoni[/MENTION] on the clarification regarding question 5.

 

[Ovinomancer]

In agree with Aaron of Barbaria with one clarification on question 5).

Rather than have the familiar be next to the target on its master's turn, the master can "ready his action" to cast the spell when the familiar is in position. An Owl could then swoop in, triggering its master's casting the spell, after which the owl delivers the spell and flies away (without triggering the attach of opportunity because an owl has that special feature). While the familiar is less likely to be clobbered that way than it would be if it were adjacent to the target, the risk is that for the period of time after the master readies his action, until the spell is delivered, there is a risk that the master will be hit or otherwise take damage, fail a concentration check, and lose the spell that was being held while waiting for the familiar's turn.

Was reading, and said, "self, you must post and mention readying to cast when the familiar is in position!" Then I kept reading and said, "self, you were skunked to your very good point by Pandaemoi. You must crush Pandaemoi, drive him before you, and hear the lamentations of his women!" Then I realized that I was being silly and a bit sexist, so I decided to amend that to crushing, driving, and some XP.

PM me to set a date for your crushing and driving. Thanx!

 

[Guest 6801328]

PM me to set a date for your crushing and driving. Thanx!

That could be read in a number of ways.

 

[leonardoraele]

Agreed to everything that @AaronOfBarbaria said.

In addition, about items 1 and 2: In my table, the wizard commands his owl to be aware and to alert him in sight of dangers. But what is "danger" to an owl? I don't think wild animals can understand complex traps like pressure plates or wire traps. Maybe (MAYBE!) it can perceive obviously mechanical apparatus—like bear traps—if they are in natural environments, but it wouldn't probably distinguish such equipments from decorations in a building/dungeon. It would alert the wizard, however, if it sees a larger creature (than the owl itself) that frightens it, like wolves, goblins, gargoyles, golens, etc. Also, the owl may not regard to humanoids as dangerous, since it is used to "walk" with some of them.

 

[Ovinomancer]

That could be read in a number of ways.

It would be boastful of me to try to say it was intentional, so I will error on the side of humility and simply note that you've made an excellent and humorous observation.

 

[Pandaemoni]

PM me to set a date for your crushing and driving. Thanx!

This is a bad week for me to be crushed. Perhaps I can pencil you in for a date later in the month.

 

[Ovinomancer]

This is a bad week for me to be crushed. Perhaps I can pencil you in for a date later in the month.

I'm flexible!