D&D 5E Familiars: what happens when the summoner dies?

[Will Doyle]

What happens to a familiar when its summoner dies? I don't have the books in front of me, but I can't remember this being mentioned in the spell description. Is it? If not, has this topic ever been discussed?

Is the world full of familiars summoned by long-dead wizards? Or do they return to wherever it is that familiars go to when they die?

 

[Paraxis]

It doesn't say, it would be a tough life never being able to take the attack action, but besides defending itself it wouldn't need to do that to hunt or anything as they don't seem to need to eat or drink either.

It might choose to return to where it came from by getting it's hit point knocked down to 0.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

In 2nd edition, IIRC, there was a chance it would live. There was an interesting 2nd edition adventure for low level characters about an imp that survived its masters demise (or possibly killed him, its been a while), looted his tower, and causes some mischief.

 

[Will Doyle]

There was an interesting 2nd edition adventure for low level characters about an imp that survived its masters demise (or possibly killed him, its been a while), looted his tower, and causes some mischief.

Would be great to find out what that adventure was - I actually posed this question because I have a similar idea!

 

[Laeknir]

What happens to a familiar when its summoner dies? I don't have the books in front of me, but I can't remember this being mentioned in the spell description. Is it? If not, has this topic ever been discussed?

Is the world full of familiars summoned by long-dead wizards? Or do they return to wherever it is that familiars go to when they die?

In 5E, technically, aren't they now a kind of bound spirit that takes animal form? I'd imagine they'd -poof- back to the plane they were summoned from. Although special familiars like pseudodragons are still monsters, and are rather more companions these days.

In older editions, they were like elite exemplars of their species, enhanced by magic with intelligence in some cases. So I think it depends on which edition you prefer.

 

[Laeknir]

Would be great to find out what that adventure was - I actually posed this question because I have a similar idea!

Certainly with an Imp or Quasit, I'd treat them like pseudodragons. They would go off and do things they'd normally do, after their master dies. If the master/summoner is brought back to life (raise dead or whatnot), then it might even be a fun side adventure to have them go track the beastie down and convince (pseudodragon) or force (imp, quasit) it back into service.

 

[Paraxis]

From the chain pact warlock section.

When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite.

From the spell find familiar.

You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose. The familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast.

So no matter what type of familiar, bat, cat, imp, or pseudodragon a familiar is a spirit that is celestial, fey, or fiendish in origin. You don't ever get a regular imp or quasit even if your warlock chooses to have the origin be fiend, other true imps probably make fun of your imp.

Sucks to be a familiar, just a spirit given form by a wizard or warlock who one day will die and leave you all alone.

But now that I think about it I want to play a warlock that goes against the grain a has a celestial quasit, or fiendish sprite.

 

[Ravenheart87]

They weep.

 

[Celebrim]

What happens to a familiar when its summoner dies? I don't have the books in front of me, but I can't remember this being mentioned in the spell description. Is it? If not, has this topic ever been discussed?

I believe is it left up to the DM. I can only tell you 'what I do'.

In my game, all familiars are spirits that have temporarily assumed animal form. These spirits do so in order to gain power and knowledge by associating with powerful spell-casters. The growth in power they experience over the course of the relationship is permanent, and allows them to transition to more powerful forms in the spirit world or wherever else they come from. In some cases they also have an interest in influencing the spell-caster as well, and are serving as an intermediary for higher powers of some sort. (This is particularly likely to be the case with lawful familiars.)

If the master dies before they are dismissed, most familiars choose to discorporate and return to their home. This happens involuntarily on a failed saving throw (they suffer much the same fate as a master whose familiar dies, which in my game is a sanity check), but generally happens even if they don't suffer great distress. With the relationship no longer existing, they gain no more power from it and their body becomes subject to the natural laws of its form.

However, some choose to hang around in their body for a while, at least until it starts to age and become unpleasant. This is most likely among actual animal spirits who are used to living as an animal, dying, and being reincarnated anew. So the world is certainly not full of familiar summoned by long dead mages, but it would be far from impossible to encounter the familiar of a recently dead mage.

In 5e, the familiar is so weak that I suggest it's probably just best to have them disappear never to return if the master dies, as encountering one would never be interesting.

 

[Lidgar]

Would be great to find out what that adventure was - I actually posed this question because I have a similar idea!

Pretty sure there was also a 3e adventure around this theme in Dungeon Magazine. Or perhaps I am mixing it up with the 2e version.

I have always liked the idea that the familiar slowly (or suddenly) goes mad, and wrecks all sorts of havoc.