D&D 5E Arguments about if the help action breaks invisibility. This is the second title. A third title, Thread = Dead.

[Todd Roybark]

I would also rule this removed any Invisibility. If the target creature can't see you, how are you really distracting it???

Untying you're shoe laces, breathing near you, whispering in your ear...all these things are distracting. An Invisible creature blowing in your ear would be scary as hell.

I'd say having the familiar do a 'help' action would break invisibility and Sanctuary. I see it as the equivalent to an attack.

Thank you for sharing your houserule. I respect your right to RPG Self Determination.
In the Real Rules.......Just kidding...

The Help action is a separate action that one can do in combat. The list of actions one can do in combat includes: Attack, Cast a Spell, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Help, Hide, Ready, Search, Use an Object.

As we all know, a familiar categorically can not use the Attack action, per the PHB:
Your familiar acts independently ofyou, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can't attack, but it can take other actions as normal.

Now I am no fan of Jeremy Crawford's rulings by tweet. In fact, like many of you on this thread, I have been downright dismissive of some of his tweets.

Even with that, I find it doubtful that the Lead Designer of D&D just forgot the rules of the Iconic Find Familiar spell. No offense to how people run their tables, but the rules as written seems clear:
-The Help Action is one of many action options a character can chose from.
-A Familiar can use any action except for the Attack action.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Untying you're shoe laces, breathing near you, whispering in your ear...all these things are distracting. An Invisible creature blowing in your ear would be scary as hell.

Untying my shoe laces in combat would require a grapple or something akin to an attack.
Lots of things are breathing near me in a general melee.
I doubt in all the hollering and yelling I would even hear a whisper in my ear.
Blowing in my ear would also require an attack roll, otherwise it might miss and not even blow on me at all!

The bigger point is, if you can't see a target, you focus on one of two things:
1. Your defense (so, your enemy is dodging, removing the advantage the helper gives)
2. You focus on the target you can see, which makes the concept of being distracted nonsensical.

As to the rest of your post, thanks for going over and beating the dead horse again! You got your thump in! Good job.

 

[Todd Roybark]

beating the dead horse again

The thread about Mounted Combat is two threads over...but the horse is alive due to constant Disengage actions.

 

[Seramus]

Not a direct solution, but 2 levels of Druid can allow you to poop out a new familiar for the cost of an action, twice per short rest.

Certainly nicer for the adventurer on-the-go compared to spending an hour and 10 gold.