Awakened Animal and Skill Points

[Crothian]

So, when an Animal is awakened does it gain any additional skill points?

The spell doesn't say they do, but they do gain +2HD. Animals don't gain skill points through advancement, but I don't think and awakened animal should still be considered an animal.

 

[kmdietri]

Sorry if I'm being obviously stupid but why don't animals gain sill points through advancement?

 

[Crothian]

Sorry if I'm being obviously stupid but why don't animals gain sill points through advancement?

That's the rules as in the MM.

 

[Caliban]

Sorry if I'm being obviously stupid but why don't animals gain sill points through advancement?

Because they only get a set amount of skill points. They don't get skill points based on their HD the way other creatures do.

Beasts are the same way, after the MM errata.

An awakened animal doesn't automatically gain new skill points, because the spell doesn't say they gain it. They can however, start gaining class levels, and gain skill points that way.

Awakened Animals are considered "Magical Beasts", because their Int is greater than 2, and they can magically speak.

 

[Crothian]

Awakened Animals are considered "Magical Beasts", because their Int is greater than 2, and they can magically speak.

As always, thanks Caliban.

Would this change his BAB and HD since Magical Beasts have a better attack progression and higher HD? And would this grant him Darkvision 60ft since all Magical Beasts have this?

 

[Caliban]

As always, thanks Caliban.

Would this change his BAB and HD since Magical Beasts have a better attack progression and higher HD? And would this grant him Darkvision 60ft since all Magical Beasts have this?

Generally, a sudden change of "type" like this doesn't grant any retroactive benefits. This is why familiars, monks, and paladins mounts don't gain extra BAB, Darkvision, or Feats when their type changes. (Familiars and Paladin's mounts become magical beasts, and Monks become Outsiders at 20th level.)

Generally, it just changes what types of spells you are vulnerable to.

(I say "generally" because it's not explicitly spelled out anywhere in the rules, and you only have the examples in the core rulebooks to go on. Some supplements and prestige classes may handle specific cases differently.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

Generally, a sudden change of "type" like this doesn't grant any retroactive benefits. This is why familiars, monks, and paladins mounts don't gain extra BAB, Darkvision, or Feats when their type changes. (Familiars and Paladin's mounts become magical beasts, and Monks become Outsiders at 20th level.)

I don't disagree about Monks.

Familiars and mounts, however... is there any text that states they are normal animals who become magical beasts?

The only references I can find say they are "magical versions of normal animals", or "a familiar/mount is a magical beast, not an animal". I can't find anything that says their type changes from animal to magical beast.

Does Summon Familiar / Summon Mount take an animal and effectively add a Familiar/Mount template to it... or does it call a creature who was already magical to serve the summoner?

-Hyp.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

Ludo the Barbarian

i can't wait

 

[Crothian]

Ludo the Barbarian

i can't wait

Well, spellcasting is a little difficult for the guy. I doubt the DM will allow him to become a Monk, although I might be able to bribe her by letting her live tomorrow night

Actually, I think fighter would make the most sense for him.

 

[Kibo]

Interesting question. Does an awakened animal become more "effective" due to its increase in intelligence , or is it more imbued with the life force of the caster? I would tend to lean towards the former myself, in which case the animal wouldn't get skill points to spend. In the later, to which I'm not nessecarily oppoesed, I can see how some of the competencies of the caster might be revealed to the awakened creature. I'd be inclined to go with 2 skill points plus intelligence bonus per hd. Maybe distributed evenly across the 4 or 5 highest skills of the caster.

Who knows maybe there's room for a greater awakening that is written with just such a transfer in mind that instills certain skills, and perhaps even feats the caster has to the lucky recipient.