[RPG] Do familiars reproduce? If ‘yes’, what kinds of offspring result

dnd-5efamiliarsspells

The spell Find Familiar summons a simple yet common creature of the caster's choice (like a cat, rat, raven or weasel). Such a creature's organs all function healthfully, including eating and sleeping. This creature is not a beast however:

Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form – though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast.

Can a coupling of (matching) summoned familiars reproduce? If 'no', why so? If 'yes', what offspring is produced (a 'common' beast, some 1/2 beast + 1/2 spirit hybrid or one of the three types of spirits)?

Best Answer

The rules don't specify, so it's up to the DM to make a ruling

If you are the player, raise the question with the DM and see if they want to explore this idea to its logical, or illogical, conclusion.

If you are the DM, you decide: does this intrigue you, or is this a hole down which you'd rather not go? If you do you opt for this, you need to carefully assess the "power" of these part-fey/part-mundane offspring. You are in home brew territory.

  • Example 1: Fey-Kittens
    A cat familiar mates with a mundane cat, which later produces a litter of unusual kittens. They are more sensitive to fey creatures, and (for a 5e example) might have Advantage to Perception checks rolled to detect or sense fey creatures. (I saw something similar to this in an AD&D 2e campaign; kittens that were sensitive to unseen things, sold for a premium price, and they liked to chase brownies).

  • Example 2. Fey-Ravens
    A raven familiar mates with a mortal raven. All offspring from the next batch of eggs are a bit more aware. In a 5e setting, let's say that they gain Common language proficiency similar to Kenku's. (See Volo's Guide to Monsters for the limitations on that). Or, the ravens (which can per the MM mimic some sounds already) gain Common language proficiency but their INT (2) limits their speaking ability ... though they respond with a cryptic "Nevermore!" to any rhetorical question. (Yes, we had a DM provide us with a talking Raven in a AD&D 1e campaign who did that for comic relief ... at least, it amused the DM to no end).

What the DM needs to consider is: if you offer this, how will your players exploit it? One thing you can be sure of is that the players, if offered a new toy, will find unique and often surprising ways to play with it. It could be fun, or it could become a nuisance. Given how few HP a familiar or small/tiny beast tends to have, they are easily killed off.

And, the DM can always rule that famliars 'don't / can't / don't-want-to breed' and be done with it. Given the telepathic link between wizards and familiars, at some tables this can be the kind of line that some players don't want cross - does the wizard really want to be telepathically connected to a mating cat? (See Lines and Veils)

Your follow up comment ...

All the other organs in a familiar are healthy and work normally. - hence the need for food, sleep, air and so forth (see link, above). Why would reproductive organs NOT function?

... can be addressed simply: the physical form, to include reproductive function, is all beast and thus there is nothing unusual about their offspring: any offspring are mundane cats, ravens, ferrets, etc.

Discuss with your DM, or, as DM, make a ruling.