Character class for Awakened Animals.

[mmadsen]

If you like the Dog class, I also thought up a few ideas for a Cat class, following the same pattern. I don't see the same potential for a "better cat" as for a "better dog". I can't think of an epic cat (i.e., a cat that's the paragon of catness, a "better" cat), and I can easily see a cat as a Sorcerer or Rogue rather than a super-cat. Nonetheless, I thought I'd go through the skills looking for cat skills.

BAB: As Cleric (or Animal)
Hit Dice: d8, As Cleric (or Animal)
Good Saves: Fort and Ref
Skill Points: 4/level

Skills
(From the Monster Manual's Cat entry)
Balance
Climb
Hide
Listen
Move Silently
Spot

(Others)
Animal Empathy (Human Empathy? "Ooh, kitty!")
Bluff (you never know what a cat's thinking)
Innuendo (if cats could talk...)
Intimidate (they can scare off some surprisinly big dogs)
Jump (seems natural)
Tumble (they do always land on their feet)

Bonus Feats
(From Monster Manual)
Improved Trip (not much use when you're tiny...)
Pounce
Improved Grab
Rake

(Others)
Alertness
Combat Reflexes
Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Improved Initiative
Lightning Reflexes
Weapon Finesse (Bite and Claws)

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Those are a good start thanks!

 

[Nifft]

In one game I was a Druid from Chult, with an Awakened Leopard Cohort. He took a bunch of Psychic Warrior levels, and was a blast to play.

Psion & Psychic Warrior are great classes, especially for those with minds more evolved than their bodies.

-- N

 

[mmadsen]

Those are a good start thanks!

You're very welcome, Argent Silvermage. It's pretty easy to generate new animal classes by keeping the basic shell and just switching out skills and feats. Are there any particular animals you need classes for?

 

[mmadsen]

In one game I was a Druid from Chult, with an Awakened Leopard Cohort. He took a bunch of Psychic Warrior levels, and was a blast to play.

Sounds fun. I can't help but envision an Aztec theme; I see an Aztec Jaguar Warrior.

Psion & Psychic Warrior are great classes, especially for those with minds more evolved than their bodies.

Something about that sounds so profound...

 

[Nifft]

Sounds fun. I can't help but envision an Aztec theme; I see an Aztec Jaguar Warrior.

Something about Psionics seems to resonate with Aztec themes... all my psionic cannibal slaver cultures seem to have jungle ziggurats and serpant demon-gods.

The Aztec theme's probably what I was subconsciously going for.

-- N

 

[mmadsen]

Something about Psionics seems to resonate with Aztec themes... all my psionic cannibal slaver cultures seem to have jungle ziggurats and serpant demon-gods.

The Aztec theme's probably what I was subconsciously going for.

Cannibal slavers? Jungle ziggurats? Serpent demon-gods? I think you were subconsciously going for Robert E. Howard's Conan...

 

[Nifft]

Cannibal slavers? Jungle ziggurats? Serpent demon-gods? I think you were subconsciously going for Robert E. Howard's Conan...

... or there are just a limited number of fantasy stereotypes. I haven't read those yet, but they're now on my list.

-- N

 

[Conaill]

But Awakened animals can wear armour, Awakened War horses already do.

Ah. Yes, animals "trained for war" are proficient with armor.

HOWEVER, the change to magical beast (augmented animal) means that the awakened animal gains the traits of the *new* type. And there is no such exception for war-trained magical beasts to retain their armor proficiency!

So, "by the book" trained warhorses would lose their armor proficiency upon Awakening.

Just arguing as the devil's advocat here... Actually, I just started a brand-new Awakened Animal thread, in which I made the judgement call that war-trained animals should be allowed to keep their armor proficiency.

I decided to write out "Awakened Animal" as an actual template, just to force me to be as explicit as possible about these things. Dissenting opinions are welcome, of course. Please drop by and check it out!

 

[Scion]

So, "by the book" trained warhorses would lose their armor proficiency upon Awakening.

So that means that awakened animals lose all of their points in various skills? Somehow I would think that 'training' would still apply to some degree.