Is using a familiar in combat to grant advantage a common tactic?

[smbakeresq]

Also, a familiar is an ally and understands you. It certainly would be affected by Inspiring Leader if your group has it.

 

[Istbor]

In my current Eberron campaign, the group's wizard, Arthur d'Cannith, salvaged parts from an iron mutt construct named BNJ-1. He kept the name, but reworked the parts into a robo-owl familiar. He typically uses him for scouting or casting spells through him. Here he is exterminating some mutant flying kruthiks with a poisonous dragon breath while Arthur uses a shield spell to avoid their claws (art by @Valmarius).

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I like this.

I prefer my wizards use their powers in interesting ways and for self-promotion rather than just cheesy tactics.

Case in point, that same wizard in my campaign uses prestidigitation to make a poof of smoke whenever he arrives or leaves some where. (You usually get a quick glance of him running away from the smoke to 'complete' the illusion)

 

[smbakeresq]

If you MC and get Thaumaturgy you can make the ground shake and then announce your presence with authority.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Awesome. If a wizard's only concern is the numbers from their spells, their magic isn't going to feel as magical. Give me wizard that has a signature smell, or one that always has their mage hand appear as an opera glove, or one that just goes around mending all the shoes in every village they arrive at.

Get weird and magical. Have fun and be whimsical.

I prefer my wizards use their powers in interesting ways and for self-promotion rather than just cheesy tactics.

Case in point, that same wizard in my campaign uses prestidigitation to make a poof of smoke whenever he arrives or leaves some where. (You usually get a quick glance of him running away from the smoke to 'complete' the illusion)

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Also, a familiar is an ally and understands you. It certainly would be affected by Inspiring Leader if your group has it.

I wouldn't call that a certainty. The feat was designed to work on creatures of roughly human mass, by giving them an amount of tHP not greater than a quarter of their total (since you need to be level 4 in order to qualify for the feat). An extra 5 tHP to an owl with 1hp is a lot more than an extra 5 tHP to a humanoid with 20hp. It sounds like a prime case for DM adjudication.

Likewise, the Help rules were written for use by someone at least as large as a halfling. I wouldn't allow a tiny owl to grant Advantage on the barbarian's attack roll against a dragon. The owl can't meaningfully affect the dragon in any way, and it is beneath notice.

 

[Warforged DK]

In my current campaign, on of my players is a chainlock/Rogue, with a psuedodragon for a familiar. I don't ever have him roll the familiar's initiative, and the familiar pretty much hangs out in his rogue's space. We figure he has auto-on advantage and either advantage on magical saves, or resistance to magic when you save, I forget which. I like this way better than darkness/devil's sight cheese.
Every so often, his familiar gets wiped out and we take some time in game to have it come back.
It's super cheesy to play this way, but we're having fun and he does still miss. When his rogue only has 1 attack (disengage as a bonus action), hitting means a lot.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Just a note: pseudodragon famimiar does not confer its magic resistance to the warlock. That rule is a seperate kind of binding. It just happens to be called the same.

The ritual creates a creature that takes the form of something and is completely enslaved.
The monster manual familiars are individual creatures that are free to do as they wish and it is their own a ability to bind themself to a master. And this comes with shared magic resistance.
On the other hand, a tiny creature trailing you and granting you advantage all the time is totally ok. A chain warlock familiar could attack on its own and thus using the help action is the least he could do.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Likewise, the Help rules were written for use by someone at least as large as a halfling. I wouldn't allow a tiny owl to grant Advantage on the barbarian's attack roll against a dragon. The owl can't meaningfully affect the dragon in any way, and it is beneath notice.

Maybe the familiar "helps" by pointing out weak spots in the dragon's armour?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Maybe the familiar "helps" by pointing out weak spots in the dragon's armour?

Yeah. So the familar flies within 5ft on the dreagon and marks the spot of a missing scale. Then flys away. So everyone gets advantage on every sunsequent attack...

I'd rather allow you to take disadvantage on the attack roll to try and give you an automatic critical hit.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yeah. So the familar flies within 5ft on the dreagon and marks the spot of a missing scale. Then flys away. So everyone gets advantage on every sunsequent attack...

I'd rather allow you to take disadvantage on the attack roll to try and give you an automatic critical hit.

It does have a literary precedent...