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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tessarael" data-source="post: 9856118" data-attributes="member: 12909">I had missed that the Pact of the Chain improved familiar damage was significantly better for Imp and Sphinx of Wonder in D&D 2024.At Warlock level 9, we can add in the Lifedrinker eldritch invocation for an extra +d6 weapon damage, which also works on the off-hand attack of a double-weapon pact weapon (or use the Polearm master for similar benefit with a Quarterstaff, Spear, or heavy + reach weapon). A highly optimized melee Pact of the Blade Warlock, who has cast Shadow of Moil, with say a double-bladed Scimitar +2 (2d4 main-hand, d4 bonus action attack) does d4+2 (magic weapon) +d6 Lifedrinker + 2d8, for 17 average damage, and assuming Charisma 20, that attack is at +11 (+4 proficiency bonus + 5 Charisma modifier + 2 magic weapon) vs. the Imp's or Sphinx of Wonder's being at attack +5.At Warlock level 7, they can use Spirit Shroud instead, but don't have Lifedrinker, and then the average damage is d4+2 (magic weapon) + d8, for 9 average damage. That attack is at +8 (+3 proficiency bonus + 4 Charisma modifier + 2 magic weapon) vs. the Imp's or Sphinx of Wonder's being at attack +5 but doing more average damage than this.I do agree that the familiar's attack damage is quite decent. The offensive boost of Pact of the Chain familiar's attack is really good at low levels, but a minor benefit for a high-level Warlock in my in game experience with an A5E Warlock using the A5E Frog Fangs eldritch invocation to allow the familiar to attack without use of my action or bonus action. The familiar also tends to go down very quickly in combat, if you're using it in melee at higher levels, which is a significant limitation on Pact of the Chain.Regarding Pseudodragon, I would treat its poison sting as an attack. There's no reason to try it otherwise IMHO.</blockquote>

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