Find Familiar - Before First AL Adventure?

[Kilgore Trout]

Hi -

If I have the 10gp from Profession Kit to pay for the component cost, can I cast Find Familiar before a character's first AL adventure?

Or, do I have to wait until surviving the first adventure so I can use Downtime Days?

Thanks!

KT

 

[kalani]

I personally do not see an issue with this, as it is usually cast as a ritual spell (and therefore does not consume spell slots). With that being said, expect some measure of table variation as some few DMs may have issues with this and may wish for you to cast it during your first session instead.

 

[Tyranthraxus]

I have no issue with a character starting with a Familiar before the game starts.

 

[NeverLucky]

There are precious few adventures where you can't just say "I spend an hour after waking up to cast Find Familiar" at the very start.

 

[Dracoprimus]

why should a character have to go through the first adventure without a significant class feature? I say let the PC start with the familiar

 

[kalani]

Going without access to spells or your L2 tradition benefit would be a "significant class feature". Not being able to start the game with a spell precast hardly qualifies as such.

Despite your hyperbole however, I still don't see a problem with a player starting with a familiar pre-cast via ritual, and I doubt more than a handful of DMs would have an issue with it either. If however, you are unfortunate enough to run into one of those DMs who does take issue with a pre-cast familiar, you will need to accept this fact and simply compromise with the DM (by casting it at your first opportunity). There are also a small handful of DMs who wouldn't allow your familiar to carry over from a previous session with a different DM either and may expect you to recast it at the start of their sessions.

Expect table variation (although in this case, those tables where variation occurs will be few and far between as this is hardly a controversial issue).

 

[Dracoprimus]

as long as the familiar is a valid type, I don't get why a DM, especially one running organized play, would nitpick something like this. Particularly the not letting a familiar carry over from a previous session. You're not supposed to be casting the spell constantly, you cast it once, until you lose the familiar.

 

[Byakugan]

Yeah, Dracoprimus.

This one probably falls under the 'we didnt really think about this when we made the rule' category. I've never seen a DM actually intervene with this. Of course, I also rarely see wizards that don't constantly forget about the familiar in their pocket. myself included.

 

[kalani]

as long as the familiar is a valid type, I don't get why a DM, especially one running organized play, would nitpick something like this. Particularly the not letting a familiar carry over from a previous session. You're not supposed to be casting the spell constantly, you cast it once, until you lose the familiar.

I doubt that anyone would nitpick over this but you never know. In any event, when it comes to running their own table - a DM has the right to ask players to recast any spells which summon a creature at their table. While this is more likely to occur in respect to summoned undead (animate dead), simulacrums and other such creatures - you never know whether you will run into a DM who expects the same in respect to familiars as well.

It is highly unlikely that a player would run into such a DM - but in the off chance that they do, I suggest that players always expect table variation in this regard. Personally (speaking for myself), I would not play at a table with a DM who was that high strung and inflexible (due to the fact that if they were that high strung over a simple familiar, they would be more inflexible over things that really matter) - but not everyone feels they have the option to say "I'll go to a different table / I'll start a new table".

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Really appreciate the feedback and insight. I'm new to organized play for 5e, so it's helpful to have the experience of others to draw upon.

KT