Find Familiar

You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose. The familiar appears in an unoccupied space within range. It can be a bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, lizard, octopus, owl, poisonous snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, sea horse, spider, or weasel. The familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, but is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast. Your familiar acts independently but obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can't attack, but can take other actions. When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form, and reappears after you cast this spell again. You can communicate telepathically with your familiar within 100 feet, and as an action, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn (gaining any special senses the familiar has). As an action, you can dismiss your familiar to a pocket dimension or summon it from there to within 30 feet of you. You can only have one familiar at a time.

At a Glance

Level
1st
School
Conjuration
Casting Time
1 hour
Range
10 feet
Duration
Instantaneous
Concentration
No

How Find Familiar Works

Casting Time1 hour
Range10 feet
ComponentsV, S, M (10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs consumed in a brass brazier)
DurationInstantaneous
RitualYes — can be cast without a spell slot (adds 10 minutes)

Available to:

Common Mistakes

Common Mistake
Forgetting that familiars can't attack (but can take Help action, deliver touch spells, etc.)
Common Mistake
Not using ritual casting - this spell doesn't need to consume a spell slot
Common Mistake
Forgetting the 10 gp material component is consumed each time you cast it
Common Mistake
Not tracking the 100-foot telepathy range
Common Mistake
Assuming the familiar dies when reduced to 0 HP - it just disappears and can be resummoned

DM Tips

DM Tip
Familiars are incredible for scouting - especially owls with flyby and darkvision
DM Tip
The familiar's ability to deliver touch spells is extremely powerful for wizards
DM Tip
Consider the familiar as a character with personality, not just a tool
DM Tip
Being able to see through familiar's eyes breaks many puzzles - plan accordingly
DM Tip
Owl familiar with Help action every turn giving advantage is very strong in combat

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & Further Reading