Can a Familiar use "help" action to give advantage on ranged attacks?

Question

According to this question, it appears a Familiar can take the Help action and grant advantage to an ally -- but can the same thing be said if I'm trying to hit with a ranged attack, such as eldritch blast or witch bolt, or even just a bolt from my crossbow?

Does this ability of the familiar to take the "help" action and confer advantage extend to ranged attacks, whether shooting with my light crossbow, or casting spells? If so, it would be another feather in the cap of the Chainlock -- and if not, nothing is lost.

I don't believe this is a duplicate of this question, because that one asks, more or less, what actions will and won't end invisibility -- I'm asking about conferring advantage.

Related: Is the 5-foot range of the Help action my range to the ally, the enemy, or both? — Rykara, Mar 05 '20 at 17:34
@GreySage Not really; that question/answer doesn't address whether the familiar can be, say, 60 feet away from me, but next to an enemy, and still give me advantage on a ranged attack. — Zeiss Ikon, Mar 05 '20 at 17:39
@rykara However, that question/answer does address my own question. Not directly a dupe, but it's close. — Zeiss Ikon, Mar 05 '20 at 17:39
@ZeissIkon I would say that the implication is that the OP in the dupe is at range, given that they are using a ranged ability, so it does exactly match your circumstance, but splitting hairs, whatever. — GreySage, Mar 05 '20 at 17:47
FYI the fact of whether a familiar can attack or not is irrelevant to the help action. — Eternallord66, Mar 05 '20 at 17:57
I'm having a hard time seeing Rykara's related not as a duplicate. The question covers about how does the help action work, which does include being ranged. GreySage's also seems like a possible duplicate with the requirement inherent in both. — NotArch, Mar 05 '20 at 18:41

score 9 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 16 '20 at 10:23

Yes, Help works on ranged attacks

Help says (emphasis mine):

[...] Alternatively, you can aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target, or in some other way team up to make your ally’s Attack more effective. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the first Attack roll is made with advantage.

So the only condition to using the help action in combat is that the Helper is within 5 feet of the target.

The Familiar can take the help action on it's turn to provide whomever you target with the Help action advantage. Who it targets is cleared up in the first half of the description:

You can lend your aid to another creature in the completion of a task. When you take the Help action, the creature you aid gains advantage on the next ability check it makes to perform the task you are helping with, provided that it makes the check before the start of your next turn.

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 05 '20 at 17:39

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The simple answer is, yes, they can help.

Alternatively, you can aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target, or in some other way team up to make your ally's attack more effective. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the first attack roll is made with advantage.

The longer answer is that the familiar must be within 5ft of the target. So while you are a safe distance away, your familiar is in the front lines. Also making them a target to the enemy.

Some familiars (namely the owl) have the "flyby" trait which would allow them to swoop in, help then fly out of harms way without incurring an Attack of Opportunity, but they still need to, at some point, be within 5ft of your target.

answered Mar 05 '20 at 17:39

MivaScott

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That's the beauty of a familiar. If it's "killed" in combat, I just have to recarst the ritual to give it a new body. – Zeiss Ikon Mar 05 '20 at 17:44
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@ZeissIkon yes, at the cost of 70 minutes and 10gp for incense each time – MivaScott Mar 05 '20 at 17:51
@MivaScott Yup. And you may not have enough of one or the other at any given time. – NotArch Mar 05 '20 at 18:50

Can a Familiar use "help" action to give advantage on ranged attacks?

2 Answers2

Yes, Help works on ranged attacks

The simple answer is, yes, they can help.