Which is the Best Familiar in D&D 5e?
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The question of the “best” familiar in D&D 5e is a common one, and the answer, while often debated, leans heavily towards the Owl. While other familiars have their situational strengths, the Owl’s combination of Keen Hearing and Sight granting advantage on Perception checks relying on hearing or sight, combined with its Flyby ability and a respectable flying speed, makes it an invaluable asset for most adventurers. However, the “best” familiar truly depends on the specific needs of your character and the situation at hand. Let’s delve into why the Owl often reigns supreme, and then explore other contenders for the title.
Why the Owl is a Top-Tier Familiar
The Owl’s primary strength lies in its ability to provide unparalleled scouting and information gathering. The Keen Hearing and Sight trait is a game-changer. Advantage on Perception checks allows it to reliably spot hidden enemies, traps, and environmental dangers, effectively extending your character’s senses. This, coupled with its natural Darkvision, makes it a superb night-time scout as well.
The Flyby ability is equally crucial. It allows the Owl to move in and out of combat without provoking opportunity attacks. This makes it incredibly useful for various actions:
- Delivering Touch Spells: Your Owl can fly into melee, deliver a touch spell, and then fly away before anyone can react.
- Distracting Enemies: Even without directly attacking, an Owl buzzing around can break enemy concentration or draw attention away from party members.
- General Scouting: Its high movement speed allows it to quickly cover large areas and gather information without fear of being pinned down in combat.
These advantages are why the Owl is often the default choice for many players when selecting a familiar. However, other familiars can excel in specific situations.
Other Notable Familiar Options
While the Owl is arguably the most versatile, other familiars are excellent choices for specific niches:
Imps: The Powerful Warlock Familiar
For Warlocks of the Pact of the Chain, the Imp is the gold standard. It requires an Eldritch Invocation (often facilitated by the Eldritch Adept feat) but it’s worth it. Imps have several unique benefits:
- Devil’s Sight: The Imp can see through magical darkness, making it invaluable in certain situations.
- Magical Resistance: Imps have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, making them resilient against enemy spellcasters.
- Invisibility and Shapechanger: It can turn invisible and also shapeshift into a harmless looking animal, allowing it to infiltrate highly secure locations.
- Immunities: They are immune to poison and fire damage.
These features combine to make the Imp the most inherently powerful familiar in terms of combat and stealth utility.
Spider: Stealth and Inconspicuous Scouting
If you need a low profile, the Spider excels at stealth and infiltration. Unlike an Owl or Bat, it’s not unusual to find a spider in most environments, making it much more inconspicuous and therefore harder for enemies to identify as a familiar. This makes it a great option for scouting in urban or indoor environments.
Octopus: The Underwater Scout
For campaigns with a strong underwater element, the Octopus is a clear winner. It’s the most stealthy option for aquatic exploration and reconnaissance. While it’s limited to aquatic environments and not a versatile familiar option in land based encounters, it can be extremely useful for gathering information in underwater settings.
Tressym: The Defender
The Tressym is a unique familiar capable of detecting poison and invisibility. If protecting your caster is a priority, the Tressym is the most useful. However, it is worth mentioning, this familiar is not always readily available, typically requiring DM permission.
Familiars and Combat
It’s crucial to understand that familiars are not designed to be primary combatants. Their low hit points and lack of attack prowess make them incredibly vulnerable in open fights. Instead, their strengths lie in strategic roles such as scouting, delivering touch spells, or providing assistance with the Help action. For combat-oriented cantrips, Green Flame Blade or Booming Blade are good choices for melee-focused characters, but you will not be using your familiar for these specific spells.
The “Delivery” of Spells
Familiars can be utilized to deliver touch spells. When you cast a touch-range spell, your familiar can deliver it using its reaction. This allows you to stay out of harm’s way while still engaging your enemies through magic. It is important to consider, though, that this delivery of the spell must be within 100ft of your caster.
FAQs about Familiars in D&D 5e
Here are some frequently asked questions to further illuminate the role of familiars in D&D 5e:
1. Can any class have a familiar?
No, familiars are typically limited to spellcasting classes, specifically Wizards (through their Find Familiar spell) and Warlocks (through the Pact of the Chain feature). Other classes can gain a familiar by using the Magic Initiate or Ritual Caster feat. DM’s may allow familiars through other homebrew mechanics.
2. Can a Bard have a familiar?
Yes, a Bard can acquire a familiar using the Magical Secrets feature, or the Magic Initiate or Ritual Caster feats. Your DM may also permit a familiar through other means or class modifications.
3. How useful is a familiar in 5e?
Familiars are incredibly useful for a variety of purposes: scouting, spying, delivering touch spells, using the help action, and even acting as distractions. They greatly enhance a character’s versatility and provide crucial support. They can also be quickly replaced for a minimal cost of 10gp and some time.
4. Can a familiar cast a spell?
A familiar cannot cast spells independently. However, they can deliver spells with a range of touch when you cast them, using their reaction.
5. Can a Druid have a familiar?
No, Druids cannot summon familiars in the same way as Wizards in 5e. They can, however, gain animal companions as a Ranger class does or through feats.
6. What is the most powerful familiar?
In terms of raw power and utility, the Imp is often considered the most powerful familiar, especially for Warlocks. However, the Owl is generally considered the most well rounded and universally useful familiar for most spellcasters.
7. Can you have a Pseudodragon familiar?
A Pseudodragon can serve as a familiar if you have a DM that allows the homebrew, or you are using older edition content that specifically allows it. It establishes a magical and telepathic bond, allowing you to sense what the Pseudodragon senses up to a mile away.
8. What is the best familiar for stealth?
The Spider is generally considered the best familiar for stealth due to its small size and inconspicuous nature in most environments, but the Imp can become invisible for more effective infiltration.
9. What is the best underwater familiar?
The Octopus is by far the best purely aquatic familiar due to its stealth and natural camouflage in underwater settings.
10. Can you cast polymorph on a familiar?
Yes, you can cast Polymorph on a familiar, but you are limited to creatures of the same CR or less. This can create a useful temporary change for specific situations.
11. Can I cast dragon’s breath on my familiar?
Yes, your familiar can use the effects of the Dragon’s Breath spell as long as it is within range and you have cast it appropriately.
12. Is a Tressym a good familiar?
The Tressym is a strong option if defense and protection are a priority, due to its ability to detect poison and invisibility.
13. Can a familiar use the Help Action?
Yes, familiars can use their action to take the Help action, granting advantage on an ally’s attack or ability check.
14. Can you have a Phoenix as a familiar?
A Phoenix as a familiar is typically not allowed in most 5e settings. However, certain older editions or homebrew settings may permit this option.
15. What is the most overpowered subclass?
While it’s subjective, the Twilight Domain Cleric is often cited as one of the most overpowered subclasses, mainly due to its Channel Divinity granting significant temporary hit points. Some other overpowered subclasses also include the School of Divination (Wizard), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), and Aberrant Mind (Sorcerer).
Conclusion
In conclusion, while the Owl is the most commonly recommended familiar due to its versatile mix of scouting ability and mobility, the “best” familiar truly depends on the specific needs of your character and campaign setting. An Imp might be the best for a warlock, a Spider for stealth, an Octopus for underwater exploration, or a Tressym for protection. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each familiar will allow you to make the best choice for your unique needs.