Can a Pact of the Chain Warlock in Gaseous Form have their familiar attack?

Question

Pact of the Chain Warlocks can enable their familiars to make an attack instead of them when they take the Attack action (emphasis mine):

You learn the Find Familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual. The spell doesn't count against your number of spells known. When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit or sprite. Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own with its reaction.

And the spell Gaseous Form says that its target cannot attack (again, emphasis mine):

While in the form of a misty cloud, the target can’t talk or manipulate objects, and any objects it was carrying or holding can’t be dropped, used, or otherwise interacted with. The target can’t attack or cast spells.

So my question is can a Pact of the Chain Warlock in Gaseous Form have their familiar attack? The spell doesn't say the target can't take the attack action, but that they can't attack, and in this case the Warlock won't be doing the attacking.

Related: Can a Battle Master with Extra Attack do a Commander Strike when he throws a net? — Sdjz, Apr 01 '19 at 13:28
@Sdkz That is interesting, but I don't think it's quite the same - in that case the Battle Master doesn't have an attack to give up, whereas in my question the Warlock does have an attack to give up but couldn't use it themselves. — liamvharris, Apr 01 '19 at 14:48
No worries, that link was simply to indicate that people who are interested in this question may also be interested in that one. They are definitely not duplicates. — Rubiksmoose, Apr 01 '19 at 14:52
You are correct. I am not claiming the question or the answer is the same. All my comment does is linking the questions because although different, I considered that the topics were similar and comparing/contrasting the two questions would be a useful thing for someone that happened upon either question. — Sdjz, Apr 01 '19 at 14:52

score 6 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 16 '20 at 10:23

Technically no, but it would probably not be gamebreaking to permit it

The rulebook makes a clear distinction between the Attack action and individual attacks or activities that are contained within the Attack action. Gaseous Form says "attack" not "Attack Action." So it is clearly referring to the act of rolling to hit.

So the real question (more generally) is, If a rule says "you can't attack" can you still forego an attack?

A plain English definition of "forego" dictates that the player must "give up" or "refrain" from making an attack (within the Attack action). That is not an option for the Warlock because s/he does not have the agency to make that decision, according to Gaseous Form.

Therefore, a strict reading of the rules would mean that, because the Warlock does not have the option of deciding not to make an attack roll, the Pact of the Chain's requirement that the Warlock make this decision can't be satisfied.

That said, I can't imagine a house rule that allows the familiar to attack despite Gaseous Form's limitation would be at all overpowered.

Can a Pact of the Chain Warlock in Gaseous Form have their familiar attack?

1 Answers1

Technically no, but it would probably not be gamebreaking to permit it

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