Advancing an Owl

[Felix]

The Owl statblock in the SRD has it as a tiny animal, and it could be advanced to a medium or large animal. How would a Small Owl's statblock change? (Could you?) Would this small Owl be an option for a lowish level druid to wildshape into?

Much obliged.

 

[Shin Okada]

Monster Manual P12-14 contains monster advancement rule which tells you how to change their stats.

Unfortunately, Wildeshape works as polymorph spell. And Polymorph spell only allow you to change into a typical member of the creature. So you can't change into an advanced creature.

 

[Felix]

Thanks for the page quote. I'll look at it.

And I'll be darned if I can't find an Owl that in RL is as big as an Eagle (size small). I'd hope that isn't considered an advanced animal... I guess I'll have to put on my negotiating hat.

 

[Christian]

IMO, the advancement info for the owl in the MM is in error. It ought to be 1 HD (Small); 2 HD (Medium). A great horned owl isn't as large as a good-sized golden eagle, but they'd both be medium-sized in the D&D categories. I don't see how you could call anything with a wingspan of less than 7-8 feet size large, and there aren't any owls that get anywhere near that size IRL. That, plus the fact that size small is skipped in the advancement listed in the book, leads me to believe that it's an error.

A great horned owl (medium-size, 2 HD) makes a decent starting companion for a druid IME. Fun, not overpowered-I doubt you'll have a tremendous problem convincing a DM to allow it. Doesn't fit the 3.5 rules, of course, but that doesn't mean it couldn't get rule-zeroed in ...

 

[Felix]

Mistake in the MM? Possibly. A cat is a Tiny animal; owls could eat the heck out of a cat if it had a mind to. Anyway, I guess I'll talk to the DM about it.

I'm still up in the air about what kind of animal companion to get, actually. I was hoping to be able to wildshape into Owl so when I'm on watch I get the +8 to Spot. During the day I can go ahead and Wildshape Eagle to scout with a +8, but that's because of the small-sizedness.

I'll have to wait and see what the fabled sidebar is for the druid's animal companions, but otherwise I was thinking that having many low HD companions that can execute tasks is better than one big companion who becomes obselete in combat.

 

[Cyronax]

As Felix's DM, all I can say is that I just thought of my next homebrew monster: The a cat hengeyokai with the favored enemy strike feat against gnoll druids wildshaped in owls and other avian forms.

 

[Felix]

Gah! You dastard!

grumble...

I need a screenname that my DM doesn't know...