D&D 5.5E – New Familiars Make For Powerful Allies For Warlocks
Finding a Familiar has never been better if you’re a Warlock in the new D&D 5.5E Ruleset. Here’s why they’re such sleeper hits.
Warlocks get a nice level up in the new D&D 5.5E ruleset. The way the class has been restructured makes them a little more powerful—and a lot more versatile—right from the jump. And while some changes are real flashy, like the ability to make melee attack and damage rolls using your Charisma modifier from level 1, there are some subtler changes that I think will be just as far reaching, if not more so.
Finding a Familiar can be potent for Warlocks who opt for the Pact of the Chain, starting at level 1. With a range of potent new options, this gives you more mileage than ever out of a 1st level spell.
Warlocks Have a Familiar Boost in Power – Pact of the Chain is Surprisingly Off It
A big part of the Warlock’s class identity was often rooted in which Pact Boon you picked. You used to have to decide whether you had the benefits of a Pact of the Blade, Chain, or Tome. But now, you don’t have to. In D&D 5.5E, Pact of the Blade, Pact of the Chain, and Pact of the Tome are each their own individual Eldritch Invocation. You could theoretically have all three by Level 2. But more importantly, you can have at least one by level 1.
And Pact of the Chain has gotten a pretty significant leg up in the 5.5E ruleset. Yes, Pact of the Blade makes you into a single stat-focused character. But Pact of the Chain opens up a ton of options.
For starters, it gives you the Find Familiar Free which you can cast as a Magic action without expending a spell slot (so you can always summon your Familiar, even if you’re out of spell slots). But then it also gives you access to to eight different advanced familiar forms:
- Imp
- Pseudodragon
- Quasit
- Skeleton
- Slaad Tadpole
- Sphinx of Wonder
- Sprite
- Venomous Snake
And finally, it lets you , when making the Attack action, forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own with its Reaction. Currently, this is the only way any character’s Familiar can attack in combat – the Find Familiar spell is very clear about that:
“The familiar is an ally to you and your allies. It rolls own Initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can’t attack, but it can take other actions as normal.”
– 5th Edition Player’s Handbook, Revised, pg 272
Okay but What IS a Sphinx of Wonder?
So, presently, a Pact of the Chain Warlock is the only way a familiar ever gets to take an attack action. And conveniently enough, there are eight forms that have fairly beefy attacks and other abilities. A Pact of the Chain Warlock has an ever-ready ally that can do all sorts of things. For instance:
Imp familiars can become invisible at will, allowing them to close with targets to deliver a poisoned sting. They can also transform into a rat, raven, or spider to blend in with less fantastical animals. And that’s on top of the combat defenses they have, like being immune to fire and poison, and resistant to cold.
Pseudodragon familiars have a swift fly speed of 60 ft. and can make a multiattack, letting them bite a target twice, or they can make a single Sting attack, damaging, poisoning, and potentially knocking a target unconscious.
Quasit familiars have an attack that confers the poisoned condition with every hit, no save allowed. They can also become invisible to harass enemies, and can even cause a single creature to become Frightened if it fails a save.
Skeleton familiars are basically just skeletons wh were guys but now one of them is your familiar.
Slaad Tadpoles are resistant to every type of elemental damage and can burrow.
Sphinxes of Wonder are glowing, winged cats that feature starry wings. They not only deal an average of 12 damage with their hit, they can also help your party succeed thanks to its Burst of Ingenuity feature. A Sphinx of Wonder using Burst of Ingenuity can add 2 to any ability check or saving throw made within 30 feet of it, up to twice per day.
Sprite familiars inflict the Charmed condition on targets they hit in combat, and are one of only a few familiars to have ar anged weapon with which to do so.
Finally, the Venomous Snake familiar can bite and deal poison damage to whatever it hits.
Happy adventuring!
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