Awaken and Animal Companions

[fourthmensch]

This has probably been asked many times before. Or at least, I remember ignoring threads about it, back in the day, thinking, "this will never come up."

Is anyone aware of the reasoning for the druid spell awaken not being allowed to affect animal companions? When I read that I was really surprised--it seems to me that this would be the primary use for the spell: to gain a more intelligent (and therefore more useful, in terms of guarding, giving instructions, relaying information, etc) companion. In fact, after reading the proviso against awakening animal companions, I wondered why anyone would use it at all. Aside from random fun projects like creating your own personal forest of Huorns, and the like.

Can anyone give me some insight on this? Just as important, is there a good rules reason (ie, potential abuses I'm not seeing) why I shouldn't house rule that it can be used on animal companions?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

This has probably been asked many times before. Or at least, I remember ignoring threads about it, back in the day, thinking, "this will never come up."

Is anyone aware of the reasoning for the druid spell awaken not being allowed to affect animal companions? When I read that I was really surprised--it seems to me that this would be the primary use for the spell: to gain a more intelligent (and therefore more useful, in terms of guarding, giving instructions, relaying information, etc) companion. In fact, after reading the proviso against awakening animal companions, I wondered why anyone would use it at all. Aside from random fun projects like creating your own personal forest of Huorns, and the like.

In a forest, the Awaken spell is the equivalent of Summon Treant. And you can cast it before the battle, and it can even last for several battles. "Please Mr. Tree, could you help me travel to the other side of your forest?" There are a lot of powerful uses for the spell, other than animal companions.

As to why it's been disallowed... Well, in 3.0 it didn't work, because an animal companion became a magical beast. Now an animal companion remains an animal, so they had to specifically rule it out in the spell. Why is Awaken barred from animal companions at all? Because any creature with an Int of 3+ can theoretically take class levels, and there were druids out there arguing that their companions be allowed to claim a share of the party xp and take barbarian levels and what have you. This is (presumably) far beyond the scope and power level of what the designers meant the animal companion to be, so they added a line into the spell to prevent it.

Can anyone give me some insight on this? Just as important, is there a good rules reason (ie, potential abuses I'm not seeing) why I shouldn't house rule that it can be used on animal companions?

The abuse is two-fold. It gives extra bonus-HD to the companion making it permanently stronger than it was meant to be. And it (arguably) allows the companion to claim a share of the party xp and take class levels. Personally, I play it RAW because I don't think the companion needs or deserves free HD. But if you do house rule it, I suggest you rule away xp and class levels straight away.

 

[fourthmensch]

Ah, thanks Pendragon. That clears some things up.

I think what I'll do is houserule that a modified version of the spell can be used on animal companions: no free HD (and definitely no xp or class levels).

The reason I ask in the first place is because one of my players, relatively new to the game, plays a ranger. He got all excited about an animal companion, planning on using it to scout ahead, report enemy positions, and such (intelligence gathering, which the other players are woefully bad at), and then realized that animal companions have an Int of 2 and can only respond to simple commands. So, just allowing the thing greater intelligence, and therefore allowing the ranger to use it in the way that he envisioned, doesn't seem like a bad idea.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

So, just allowing the thing greater intelligence, and therefore allowing the ranger to use it in the way that he envisioned, doesn't seem like a bad idea.

Definitely not. I'd allow this myself as well.

 

[mikebr99]

Perhaps you'd consider a lesser version of Awaken to do that?

Awakening, Lesser

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Transmutation​

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Level: Drd 4, Rgr 4 ​

Components: V, S, DF, XP​

Casting Time: 24 hours​

Range: Touch​

Target: Animal touched​

Duration: Instantaneous​

Saving Throw: Will negates​

Spell Resistance: Yes​

You awaken an animal to humanlike sentience. To succeed, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + the animal’s current HD). The​

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awakened animal is friendly toward you. You have no special empathy or connection with a creature you awaken (unless one existed before), although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it. An awakened animal gets 3d6 Intelligence, and +1d3 Charisma. Its type remains Animal, with the Augmented subtype.​

An awakened animal can speak one language that you know, plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any).​

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XP Cost:​

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250 XP.​

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Mike​

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[Tetsubo]

One thing I've never understood is why Awaken is bad for a Druid companion but an Arcane Familiar can have human like intelligence? In the group I GM for the Sorcerers Ferret is one point away from being the brightest member of the party! How can an Awakened Animal Companion unbalance the game?

 

[youspoonybard]

Animal Companions are a LOT stronger than familiars.

Hands down stronger...and a major reason why Anti-Magic Field doesn't stop the Druid as much as it can hurt other casters.

 

[brehobit]

What I'd recommend is allowing Awaken to work on an animal companion, but making the druid burn a feat on leadership. In fact, the few druids I've seen in play at these levels have always done so, and even awakened another player's mount (who also took the leadership feat.)

Awakened beasts can be much more powerful than you might expect. Between spying and otherwise being able to do things in a "smart" way they are very useful. Keep in mind the EXP cost....

Mark

 

[Lord Pendragon]

One thing I've never understood is why Awaken is bad for a Druid companion but an Arcane Familiar can have human like intelligence? In the group I GM for the Sorcerers Ferret is one point away from being the brightest member of the party! How can an Awakened Animal Companion unbalance the game?

It isn't the smarts that's unbalancing. It's the bonus HD and the (arguable) capability of earning xp and taking class levels. Cut out the bonus HD and the possibility of earning xp, and giving an animal companion humanlike intelligence will not break the game.

As to why animal companions don't have humanlike intelligence, it's a matter of flavor. The animal companion is a powerful melee combatant (very powerful). But in fitting with the druid/ranger flavor, he's still an animal, and has to be controlled like an animal. He uses the "trick" mechanic. etc. etc.

On the other hand we have the familiar, who is absolutely atrocious in combat. His only possible role in combat is to deliver touch spells, and if he's doing that regularly he'll soon be dead. But that's not really the familiar's role. With his humanlike intelligence, he makes a good spy, scout, messenger, etc.

 

[Gez]

As to why it's been disallowed... Well, in 3.0 it didn't work, because an animal companion became a magical beast.

Hrrrm, nope. In 3.0, they stayed animals -- unmodified animals. They didn't gain extra HD or tricks, and it was even one of the reasons Animal Companion got modified in the revision. People were complaining that a druid had to dismiss his AC (hereafter referring to Animal Companion rather than Armor Class) often to replace it by a more powerful one, rather than keep the same old friend.

Masters of the Wild first tried to fix that by introducing a ritual that allowed a druid to advance his AC, and then the revision ditched this solution in favor of a Familiar/Mount-like advancement.

Because any creature with an Int of 3+ can theoretically take class levels, and there were druids out there arguing that their companions be allowed to claim a share of the party xp and take barbarian levels and what have you.

Just like a mount or familiar? It doesn't hold water.

Especially given that tagalong NPCs (and a familiar, mount, or AC is one, even if played by a player, it's not a PC) never gain XP for adventuring with the PCs. They need to be allies (DM-controlled adventuring NPCs) or cohorts (player-controlled adventuring NPCs).

So, the druid or ranger player would need to take Leadership in order to give a share of XP to his AC.