Awaken Animal

[Pax]

Um. Where is this spell? The only information I can find on it is on page 37 of Masters of the Wild, as well as a sidebar in Savage Species.

While the SavS siebar lets me know the HD and attribute changes ... I'd like to know if any effort went in to determining the Level Adjustment of such a creature -- especially as pertains to having an Awakened Animal as a cohort.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hypersmurf]

It's strictly just called "Awaken", though there is a tree version and an animal version.

You'll find it under "A" in the PHB.

-Hyp.

 

[Pax]

ARGH.

Here I am, searching the SRD for "awaken animal" ... ARGH. The least MotW and SavS could have done is state teh correct NAME of the bloody spell.

Thanks, Hyp. Much obliged, as always.

Any thoughts on a reasonable Level Adjustment? Specifically, I'm thinking of an Awakened Dire Boar

 

[Hypersmurf]

Any thoughts on a reasonable Level Adjustment? Specifically, I'm thinking of an Awakened Dire Boar

Um.

I've never really gotten into calculating LAs in a big way. I don't know if Soldarin's ECL calculator takes things like "no hands" into account, but it would be a reasonable place to start, I imagine.

Google should turn it up for you.

I'm about to start playing a Ranger with an Awakened Horse Druid ex-companion as a cohort... the DM just played the LA by ear and said "Yeah, that looks fine", so I didn't really think about it too hard

-Hyp.

 

[avatarolt]

If you have a DM that actually allows you to target your animal companion (shouldn't be hard -- Andy Collins suggested that AC's actually have type (animal)), you then have another issue to solve:

Are the bonus hit dice given to an animal companion as the druid advances a structure of the animal's growth (and thus "leveling" of sorts), or are they simply a function of druid class benefits?

Then when you awaken a creature, you simply take the number of hit dice it has and treat it as (Animal)(number of HD) i.e., a black bear without HD bonuses would be Bear3. Next level it would be a Bear3/Ftr1 or similiar.

Unfortunately, no set rules on any of those issues yet. It's a hum-dinger, isn't it? I just decided it wasn't worth sharing the exp.

 

[Conaill]

Calculating LAs for an Awakened animal is messy. I know, I've done it! There's no fixed LA really, it all depends on what animal you apply it to. For example, an Awakened Wolf grows to size Large because of the 2 extra HD, which gives it a big boost in stats. (It doesn't get Reach though - that would be another + 1 LA.)

I'll see if I can dig up the Awakened Wolf example I posted on the wizards board.

Meanwhile, a question for the experts...

An Awakened animal changes type to Magical Beast. Does that mean his HD changes to d10? Intuitively, I would say Yes, except... The only other example we have of creatures changing type is Templates. And there, the rule is: "Unless a template indicates otherwise, the new creature has the traits of the new type but the features of the original type." HD, BAB, saves etc. are all features. The only thing the Awakened animal would gain under this interpretation is darkvision 60ft.

 

[Conaill]

Here's the thread on the WotC boards where I posted my Awakened Wolf calculations:

Whats the Level Adjustment for Awakend Animals?

I came up with an LA of +3 for the standard (Large) Awakened Wolf, +2 for a Medium version

 

[Conaill]

As a rough estimate, I would give an LA of +4 for an Awakened Dire Boar. That comes to an ECL of 13 (9 HD + 4 LA).

+2.5 for stats (based on Soldarin's Calculator), +2 for natural armor, less than +1 for Ferocity, -1 for animal shape (Soldarin: No hands / Can hardly use equipment)

Anyone care to do an acid test comparison on this one?

 

[Pax]

If you have a DM that actually allows you to target your animal companion (shouldn't be hard -- Andy Collins suggested that AC's actually have type (animal)), you then have another issue to solve:

Who said anythign about an animal companion? The character will be a Windrider, and I want to HIRE someone to cast the spell, then have the animal as my companion.

Are the bonus hit dice given to an animal companion as the druid advances a structure of the animal's growth (and thus "leveling" of sorts), or are they simply a function of druid class benefits?

I'd say, benefits of the bond ... akin to Paladins and their steeds (or for that matter, Windriders nd theirs, heh).

Unfortunately, no set rules on any of those issues yet. It's a hum-dinger, isn't it? I just decided it wasn't worth sharing the exp.

Hmm. I think it's worth it ... to give the sucker osme levels of Barbarian (it fits, too, given the dire boar's described temperament ... heh).

Conaill said:
Calculating LAs for an Awakened animal is messy. I know, I've done it! There's no fixed LA really, it all depends on what animal you apply it to. For example, an Awakened Wolf grows to size Large because of the 2 extra HD, which gives it a big boost in stats. (It doesn't get Reach though - that would be another + 1 LA.)

Hmm. Other than obscene stats and a positively huge size .. Dire Boars get frenzy, and that seems to be it. well, okay, the 10HD ones ARE huge, which DOES give a 10' reach.

As a rough estimate, I would give an LA of +4 for an Awakened Dire Boar. That comes to an ECL of 13 (9 HD + 4 LA).

+2.5 for stats (based on Soldarin's Calculator), +2 for natural armor, less than +1 for Ferocity, -1 for animal shape (Soldarin: No hands / Can hardly use equipment)

Anyone care to do an acid test comparison on this one?

Hmm. There goes my hope of getting Frenzied Berzerker for it ... heh.

Dwarv knight/windrider on an Awakened Dire Boar Barbarian. You do not want to be in their way when they aren't happy! lol! Two thousand pounds of p*ssed pigmeat, with a ticked-off dwarf atopit ... hehehe ...

Both, FWIW, half-earth-elementals. "Ah, the power of cheese!" ('course, it's for an arena,so cheese becomes somewhat obligatory ...).