Awaken on animal companions and casting from a scroll

[Kroax]

One of my players mentioned earlier today that he is considering buying a scroll of awaken so that he can awaken his wolf animal companion. He needs the scroll as he is only a 6th level druid.

Now two questions pop up in my head:

• Du you use the standard hd of the animal when you awaken it or does the hd from being an animal compainion also counts?

• Isn't there a rule that there is some danger in casting spells from scrolls that you aren't powerful to cast on your own yet? I believe i read something about it in DMG, but I can't find it.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[jgsugden]

The rules regarding awaken and animal companions are a bit unclear, but many DMS (as well as custserv@wizards.com) have agreed that casting awaken on an AC severs the animal companion link.

Awaken makes the animal companion into a magical beast. Animal companions must be animals, not magical beasts. Thus, once the animal companion becomes a magical beast, it is no longer eligible to be an animal companion and the tie is broken. If the PC wants the awakened animal to follow him around, he will need to use leadership.

In my game, I have added a house rule that treats an awakened animal as if it were one category higher on the chart. If the druid awakens his current animal companion and that animal companion has been 'advanced' in hit dice by the animal companion mechanic, the creature gains intelligence, but loses a few abilities and stays at the same HD (losing 2 for being reduced on the animal companion table and gaining 2 from the awaken effect). If the animal is not advanced via the animal companion (ie, an animal on the 7th level chart that is a companion to a 7th level druid), the bond is cut. This works pretty well, so far, though only NPCs have made significant use of the option.

 

[Tarlonniel]

In the Awaken spell description: "An awakened animal can’t serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount."

In the DMG section on scrolls:

"To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.

* The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, and bards) can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his or her class.)
* The user must have the spell on his or her class list.
* The user must have the requisite ability score.

"If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell’s caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell’s caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll’s caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap (see Scroll Mishaps, below). A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers."

 

[Kroax]

In the Awaken spell description: "An awakened animal can’t serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount."

Well, I know he can't use tha animal as a animal companion. I just want to know if the animal uses the hd it had as an animal companion or as its base creature.

In the DMG section on scrolls:

"To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.

* The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, and bards) can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his or her class.)
* The user must have the spell on his or her class list.
* The user must have the requisite ability score.

"If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell’s caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell’s caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll’s caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap (see Scroll Mishaps, below). A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers."

Ah, yes! This whas exactly what I whas I whas looking after. Thank you very much!

 

[Nail]

Good house rule, jgs.

 

[Kroax]

The rules regarding awaken and animal companions are a bit unclear, but many DMS (as well as custserv@wizards.com) have agreed that casting awaken on an AC severs the animal companion link.

Awaken makes the animal companion into a magical beast. Animal companions must be animals, not magical beasts. Thus, once the animal companion becomes a magical beast, it is no longer eligible to be an animal companion and the tie is broken. If the PC wants the awakened animal to follow him around, he will need to use leadership.

In my game, I have added a house rule that treats an awakened animal as if it were one category higher on the chart. If the druid awakens his current animal companion and that animal companion has been 'advanced' in hit dice by the animal companion mechanic, the creature gains intelligence, but loses a few abilities and stays at the same HD (losing 2 for being reduced on the animal companion table and gaining 2 from the awaken effect). If the animal is not advanced via the animal companion (ie, an animal on the 7th level chart that is a companion to a 7th level druid), the bond is cut. This works pretty well, so far, though only NPCs have made significant use of the option.

Hmm, I might consider using you house rule.

 

[Tarlonniel]

Well, I know he can't use tha animal as a animal companion.

Yes, but apparently "many DMS (as well as custserv@wizards.com)" were a bit unclear on the issue

 

[Conaill]

I believe the Sage's suggestion was that the awakened animal companion would gradually lose the extra HD he had gotten from being an animal companion. As in jgsugden's house rule, you could rule that he loses his first two extra HD immediately (which he gets back from awakening). If the animal companion had more than 2 extra HD (i.e. Drd6 or higher), the remaining extra HD could fade as the awakened animal goes up in levels. So rather than adding class levels, you'd swap out animal companion HD's for class levels.

Here's an example of how this would work out: A Druid11 wishes to cast Awaken on her Wolf animal companion. The Wolf starts with 2 racial HD and 6 bonus HD. Upon awakening, he loses two bonus HD, but also gains two new "racial" HD. He loses the Multiattack he got from being an animal companion to an 11th level Druid. The awakened wolf decides to start taking levels in Fighter. Each time he gains a Ftr level, he swaps out one more bonus HD, eventually winding up with a 4HD awakened wolf Ftr4. During all these levels, his ECL remains the same, but he does get small improvements from swapping suboptimal animal HD's for Fighter levels.

Contrary to jgsugden's house rule, I would recommend that the animal companion link be severed immediately upon awakening. Having an intelligent ally is worth a lot more than an animal companion. Hence the need for a *feat* to get one...


For more information on how exactly the Awaken spell works (including some Level Adjustment estimates), feel free come join us in the Awakened Animals thread over in General Monster Talk.