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How to Sneak Attack Rogue with a Familiar: how do you use Aid Another action when the Familiar goes on its own Initiative, and you and it go at different Initiative order?

Mary
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Jhyarelle Silver
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  • Can you please rephrase this so that it is gramatically coherent? I attempted an edit but it got pre-empted; as written, it's word salad. – KorvinStarmast Feb 01 '21 at 20:23
  • @KorvinStarmast I rolled back your edit because I think edition baggage is at the center of this issue - 3.5e has an "Aid Another" action. – Thomas Markov Feb 01 '21 at 20:24
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    @ThomasMarkov Using the wrong terms only makes this question worse, beyond the simple usage failures. (Your answer, on the other hand, is most helpful and very clear) – KorvinStarmast Feb 01 '21 at 20:25
  • related: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/128393/do-i-choose-the-target-or-the-ally-for-the-help-action – Steve Feb 01 '21 at 23:46

2 Answers2

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Help!

Find familiar states:

A familiar can't attack, but it can take other actions as normal.

One such action is the Help action:

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.

Your familiar would take the Help action on its turn, and you would then have advantage on your first attack on your next turn.

This may be a case of edition baggage, D&D 3.5e had an action called Aid Another that worked similarly to 5e's Help action.

The Help is directed at one ally, it cannot be stolen.

Again, for emphasis:

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.

You choose one ally to be the recipient of the Help. There is no conlfict with having other members in the party. They cannot steal the Help.

Thomas Markov
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    How does this interact with having others in the party? Might the help action be 'wasted' and not helping allow sneak attack? – SeriousBri Feb 01 '21 at 20:52
  • I think that is what this question is trying to get at, because it specifically mentions being used for the sneak attack. – SeriousBri Feb 01 '21 at 21:05
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    Read the Help action. You specify the target of your help. – Destiny Pugginty Feb 02 '21 at 14:28
  • @SeriousBri As Destiny has pointed out, the Help action targets a specific character: "If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the first attack roll is made with advantage." – Thomas Markov Feb 02 '21 at 14:31
  • Seems there is a lot of disagreement on that interpretation: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/128393/do-i-choose-the-target-or-the-ally-for-the-help-action?noredirect=1&lq=1 – SeriousBri Feb 02 '21 at 19:20
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You and the familiar don't need to be consecutive in the initiative order or operating on the exact same initiative to get advantage from the Help action.

The last section on the Help action says:

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, no matter where the familiar is in the initiative order it can use the Help action to give advantage to the first attack you make before the familiar's next turn.

Steve
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