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A wizard's familiar was recently petrified by a magical item (similar effect to a medusa). The item's description states that only spells such as greater restoration or wish can reverse the effect.

Right now, the wizard is carrying around a stone owl, so RAW, what are his options?
If he dismisses it to a pocket dimension, would it come back still in stone?
If he destroys it then summons it back, would it be stone (on the grounds that it doesn't die, just disappears and returns in a different form)?

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Sending the familiar to its pocket dimension doesn't help.

Making the familiar go to its pocket is merely movement and has nothing to do with the familiar's physical condition. It doesn't regain HP or shed any conditions when this happens. It might be more convenient to carry around a petrified animal by tossing it into an extradimensional space, but it won't solve the root problem.

Casting find familiar should fix the issue.

The find familiar spell says:

When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again.

So if it's killed, the familiar leaves behind no physical form when it vanishes, and when it reappears, the clear intent is that it comes back with a brand new body at full HP, bearing none of the injuries that killed it.

If it "reappears" without any injuries, I think it's logical to assume that any other effects attached to its old body are similarly left behind, whether that's poison, a curse, or petrification. (Or, for that matter, blessings and other beneficial effects.)

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    \$\begingroup\$ As a note to technicality, Petrification does not inflict damage or otherwise reduce Hit Points, nor does it directly cause death, it is merely a condition. Similarly, casting Find Familiar again doesn't say that it clears a familiars status conditions like being blinded or petrified. That being said, I agree with your answer, if you're making it a new body when you cast the spell, there's no reason that the new body would be subject to any adverse conditions affecting the old body. \$\endgroup\$
    – RevanantBacon
    Mar 30, 2021 at 18:44
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    \$\begingroup\$ @BaconyRevanant I didn't intend to imply that petrification deals damage. I was referring to the OP's question about what would happen if he destroyed the familiar and resummoned it. I've edited to make that more clear. \$\endgroup\$
    – Darth Pseudonym
    Mar 31, 2021 at 13:20
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    \$\begingroup\$ I wasn't saying that you did imply that. But since you left it out of your answer, I was just pointing out that by strict RAW reading, the familiar being petrified doesn't automatically kill it, and turning it into a new creature doesn't RAW clear any conditions it's suffering from. You would have to remove the condition with an effect that would specifically do so, such as Greater Restoration. \$\endgroup\$
    – RevanantBacon
    Mar 31, 2021 at 13:21
  • \$\begingroup\$ Right, and I agreed with you on that point. All I've been trying to say is the actual RAW should be in the answer as well, it shouldn't just be "this is how I would do it" \$\endgroup\$
    – RevanantBacon
    Mar 31, 2021 at 13:32
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    \$\begingroup\$ "If you cast this spell while you already have a familiar, you instead cause it to adopt a new form. Choose one of the forms from the above list. Your familiar transforms into the chosen creature." - the "transform" bit seems pretty unambiguous to me. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ben Barden
    Mar 31, 2021 at 13:40

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