The recent Narnia d20? thread brought up talking animals, naturally enough, and I'm wondering if anyone has used animals as characters in their game?
What would you recommend for PC Animals that should advance with the rest of the party? Animals using the Monster Manual quasi-class "get the shaft" when it comes to advancement (no Skill points, no Feats), and character classes don't always seem like a good fit, e.g. Lassie, Rin-Tin-Tin, and Benji are heroic dogs, not dog Fighters, Rogues, or Druids. The Awaken spell's mechanics also add complications; you can't have a 1st-level talking dog, for instance, since he gets extra Hit Dice.
My solution has been to create a full-fledged Animal class with separate subclasses for dogs, cats, etc. Just like the Monster Manual quasi-class it gets:
BAB: As Cleric (or Animal)
Hit Dice: d8, As Cleric (or Animal)
Good Saves: Fort and Ref
Skill Points: 4/level
Then I just pick appropriate Class Skills for that animal and Bonus Feats for that animal.
What would you recommend for PC Animals that should advance with the rest of the party? Animals using the Monster Manual quasi-class "get the shaft" when it comes to advancement (no Skill points, no Feats), and character classes don't always seem like a good fit, e.g. Lassie, Rin-Tin-Tin, and Benji are heroic dogs, not dog Fighters, Rogues, or Druids. The Awaken spell's mechanics also add complications; you can't have a 1st-level talking dog, for instance, since he gets extra Hit Dice.
My solution has been to create a full-fledged Animal class with separate subclasses for dogs, cats, etc. Just like the Monster Manual quasi-class it gets:
BAB: As Cleric (or Animal)
Hit Dice: d8, As Cleric (or Animal)
Good Saves: Fort and Ref
Skill Points: 4/level
Then I just pick appropriate Class Skills for that animal and Bonus Feats for that animal.