Familiars and area effect spells

Raugrimm

First Post
Hi all, first post :D

This question came up in our last session when the party was hit by an Unholy Blight spell:

Is the familiar ( a tiny viper, carried by the character in one of his pockets) also affected by the spell or only when the charcater fails his save with a natural 1 ?
 

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The familiar is a creature, not an object, no matter how it's carried. It still gets its saving throw (and use of its Improved Evasion ability).
 

Thaniel said:
It still gets its saving throw (and use of its Improved Evasion ability).
Not against unholy blight, it doesn't.
Thaniel said:
The familiar is a creature, not an object, no matter how it's carried.
I disagree. I think it's reasonable to presume that a familiar carried entirely inside a pocket gains total cover and thus will not be affected by such spells. This of course also means that the familiar will not gain from certain beneficial spells.

Another arguable point in this is whether the familiar in such a circumstance is a possession. I would not treat it as such (unless carried in an extra-dimensional space) and thus if the familiar's owner would teleported by someone else, then the familiar would not go (it would have to climb out and be one of the few willing recipients).
 

Infiniti2000 said:
Not against unholy blight, it doesn't.
I disagree. I think it's reasonable to presume that a familiar carried entirely inside a pocket gains total cover and thus will not be affected by such spells. This of course also means that the familiar will not gain from certain beneficial spells.
Clothing is not a barrier against line of effect, else all adventurers would wear hooded cloaks and stride unhindered through fireballs and lightning bolts.

There are specific feats (Lurking Familiar) and spells (familiar pocket) intended to provide familiars with cover or total cover. If an ordinary pocket sufficed, these more expensive options would not exist.

Another arguable point in this is whether the familiar in such a circumstance is a possession. I would not treat it as such (unless carried in an extra-dimensional space) and thus if the familiar's owner would teleported by someone else, then the familiar would not go (it would have to climb out and be one of the few willing recipients).
That's correct, although if the familiar's owner is casting the spell, he can share it with the familiar to have it travel for free.
 



Ilium said:
I wonder how long I could carry a toad in my pocket before I sat on him. :D
And here we have the real reason why all familiars, even those of sedentary scholars, gain Improved Evasion. :lol:
 

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