RPGMemes

Because 5e has no mechanical incentive to keep familiars alive I made it a running joke to repeatedly kill my familiar with my AOE spells. It dies every combat session and normally to my own fireballs or lightning bolts. My familiar hates my wizard but is contractually obligated (magically bound) to obey my orders. When it glares at me I'll yell "you don't have a union!" made the GM laugh and the Ranger gasp the first time lol

But I think the GM is making a familiar union will my owl familiar as the founder.

When I DM, I always keep the idea in my back pocket that an enemy that has been distracted by a familiar too often will ready an attack to get rid of it the next time it is in range.

It'll still eat their action, might miss, and I telegraph it sufficiently that an attentive player might adapt their familiar's behavior, but it's a thing that can mix up combat and keeps players on their toes.

My pack of the chain pseudodragon has been getting fucked by aoe recently, makes me sad