Is it unreasonable/game breaking for a PC to constantly be using their familiar to grant advantage for themselves in combat (via the ‘Help’ Action)? And is it also fair to say that a monster will attack the familiar in their face? I wouldn’t say it’s game breaking at all. Most familiars will be one-shotted by a foe if they remain in range enough to grant advantage with the Help action, so it has its balance.
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 12, 2018
Thanks. I have an Eldrich Knight trying to abuse it, who has actually raged hard at me for having monsters swing at the familiar. He tries to argue that “it’s on my shoulder!”… not realizing that if it’s helping him, it has to be in the monster’s face… and he also actually got mad at me when a monster in a Curse of Strahd game took a swing at it. It’s a raven, and you know what that means in Barovia…
— 👻 Jordan 👻 (@HowlVakarian) September 12, 2018
Ha! On your shoulder only further clarifies that it would be within range to be attacked. The familiar is helpful because it can lend that aid, and creature have to actually choose between it an PCs (so either it draws an attack away from others, or it keeps helping)
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 12, 2018
Yet the Ranger Beastmaster has to use an action to gain the Help action. I still can not fathom that a mere Familiar is more powerful that a class power. I could understand it if there were consequences if your familiar was killed while giving the Help. Like the old days – taking some HP from the owner of the Familiar.