Alas, another shifter question

[Caliber]

I always gelt templates were okay, although I wouldn't allow a Shifter to transform into a Half-Dragon anything after meeting one. Only a Half-Dragon/Half-Whatever it was the Shifter met, if you are following me.

That aside, of course, I am curious about something. As far as I know, the only difference between an Awakened Animal and a non-Awakened Animal is that one is intelligent and one isn't. So wouldn't a Shifter (or even regular 'ole Joe Druid) already be in the Awakened form of an animal, seeing as they already intelligent and all that?

Just curious.

 

[Crothian]

That aside, of course, I am curious about something. As far as I know, the only difference between an Awakened Animal and a non-Awakened Animal is that one is intelligent and one isn't. So wouldn't a Shifter (or even regular 'ole Joe Druid) already be in the Awakened form of an animal, seeing as they already intelligent and all that?

Just curious.

Sure, point that out.

 

[avangel]

Templates are ok. You must be familiar with the creature you are turning into first. So.. if you met a human vampire and studied it than you can change into a human vampire. If you meet a drow vampire you could turn into a drow vampire.

If you meet a drow and then a vampire you CANNOT turn into a drow vampire.


(side note)

I'm playing a lvl 5 wizard/ lvl 8 shifter in a campaign. I took the long list of monsters that some kind soul made and are trimming off all the monsters that are just too odd, too weird, too rare, or too over-powered to have just "encountered" beginning a fresh 13th lvl character. http://www.spacefortress.com/shifterlist.html

Let me know if you think this is useful.

Also, Wizards has put up MotW FaQ! http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/er/er20021018a

Let me know if I can help with Shifter questions!

First advice: IGNORE the TRICK. Keep the HD cap to the shapechange. It will give your character something to look forward too. You cannot change into a creature who normally has more HD than you do.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Awakened Animals are a template; their type changes to magical beast. Of course, they have no special abilities (but if there's a HD limit, know that they enjoy +2 HD).

 

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

This one was more of a fun idea. Could a shifter shift into a paladin's mount?/B]

I dreamed up something similar the other day. In DotF it says that mounts can be cohorts. Technically they use the special cohort list in the DMG, but I was thinking it would be pretty funny if a Paladin had a druid as a mount. Then you could have whatever mount fit the situation. Is it really all that different from having a dragon mount?

Then there are the endless jokes that could go with the situation...