[RPG] Can Find Familiar be cast using the Magic Initiate feat

dnd-5efeatsritualsspells

The Magic Initiate feat allows a character to take two Cantrips and one 1st level spell from a casting class of their choice.

Find Familiar is a 1st level spell that is a Ritual spell with casting time of 1 hour.

If a caster does not possess the Ritual Casting skill (such as Sorcerer), are they able to cast Find Familiar if they take Wizard spells as part of the Magic Initiate feat?

Best Answer

In 5th Edition D&D, a Ritual spell means the spell may be cast as a ritual, not that it must be cast as a Ritual.

Certain spells have a special tag: ritual. Such a spell can be cast following the normal rules for spellcasting, or the spell can be cast as a ritual. The ritual version of a spell takes 10 minutes longer to cast than normal.

It also doesn't expend a spell slot, which means the ritual version of a spell can't be cast at a higher level.

To cast a spell as a ritual, a spellcaster must have a feature that grants the ability to do so. The cleric and the druid, for example, have such a feature. The caster must also have the spell prepared or on his or her list of spells known, unless the character's ritual feature specifies otherwise, as the wizard's does.

Rituals, Player's Handbook, pg. 201

So if you get the Find Familiar spell through Magic Initiate, but don't have the ability to perform Ritual Casting, you are still able to perform the spell as normal. You simply won't be able to cast it using the Ritual Spellcasting rules.