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D&D 5E - Investment of the Chain Master: Sprite is the new Imp?

So, looking at the new warlock invocations in Tasha's, Investment of the Chain Master jumped out at me. Specifically, these two bits:
  • As a bonus action, you can command the familiar to take the Attack action.
  • If the familiar forces a creature to make a saving throw, it uses your spell save DC.
These are, uh... significant improvements. All of the special warlock familiars have potent debuffing attacks, but the save DCs are only 10-11, and you have to give up one of your own attacks to use them. This invocation removes both restrictions.

Now, familiars still have one big weakness, which is their abysmal hit point totals. Zipping in to engage big monsters in melee when you have 10 hit points or less is a risky plan. That's where the sprite comes in: Unlike quasits, imps, and pseudodragons, the sprite can attack at range. This allows it to snipe from the sidelines, duck behind cover, and take advantage of whatever tanking your party has to offer. It also has a quite respectable fly speed of 40, and the best attack bonus and AC of the lot (+6 and 15 respectively).

So, as long as you can keep your sprite alive, you now get a bonus-action attack each round: +6 to hit, and on a hit, the target takes 1 damage and has to make a Con save against your spell save DC. If it fails, it's poisoned... for the rest of the fight, with no chance to shake it off. If it fails by 5, it's also knocked unconscious! It can be woken up by damage or being shaken, but otherwise it's out for the full minute.

To be clear, I am not claiming this is OMGBROKEN: When all's said and done, the sprite still only has 2 hit points. One stray arrow or AoE and it's out. But if you can land just one of those poison hits per combat, I'd say the invocation has more than paid for itself. And if you can in fact keep the sprite alive, it will be devastating.

DMs with warlock players using Tasha's: If you feel it's unsporting to target a familiar in combat, you may wish to reconsider that attitude. :)

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Tamela Phillippe

Update: 2024-06-23