ECL of an awakened magebreed clawfoot?

[brehobit]

OK,
My Talenta halfling is thinking of getting his mount awakened (an taking the leadership feat at the same time). The question is, what is the cohort level (ECL) of an awakened magebread clawfoot.

My guess is between 4 and 6 and I'm leaning toward 6....

 

[Conaill]

What the <bleep> is a magebreed clawfoot?

Have a look at thread in my sig for a good discussion of awakened animals, and some examples of the Level Adjustment estimation process. For reference, we came up with +1 LA for an Awakened riding dog (ECL 5), and +3 LA for an Awakened heavy warhorse (ECL 9).

If you post some of the salient features of that critter of yours, we should be able to figure it out...

 

[brehobit]

What the <bleep> is a magebreed clawfoot?

Have a look at thread in my sig for a good discussion of awakened animals, and some examples of the Level Adjustment estimation process. For reference, we came up with +1 LA for an Awakened riding dog (ECL 3), and +3 LA for an Awakened heavy warhorse (ECL 7).

If you post some of the salient features of that critter of yours, we should be able to figure it out...

Thanks for the offer!

A clawfoot is an Eberron dinosaur.

Clawfoot
Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 HP)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+4
Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d8+3)
Full Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d8+3 and 2 foreclaws -1 melee (1d3+1) and bite -1 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +1
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +12, Jump +20, Listen +10, Spot +10, Survival +10
Feats: Run
Environment: Warm forests
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -

Skills: A clawfoot receives a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.

The magebred template does the following:
* +2 natural armor
* Excllent Learner: better/more tricks (not important for awakened)

* ONE of the following:
swift: +10 movement
Thick-skinned +2 more to natural armor
Tracking: +4 to follow tracks

* +2 to two of the physical abilities, +4 to the other.

* ONE of the following feats: Alterness, Athletic, Endurance, improved natural attack, multi-attack.

 

[Conaill]

Just on first sight, this is a *lot* better than a riding dog, so I'd say the ECL would be 6 at a minimum, probably more. The Magebred template alone should be at least a +1 LA. (Note that I corrected the ECL values for riding dog and warhorse in my previous post - I forgot to add in the +2HD for Awakening.)

Another important question: this guy is bipedal, right? Can it manipulate anything with those foreclaws, e.g. wield a weapon? Or in case that's not specified in the Clawfoot description - would your DM let you get away with that?

 

[Glyfair]

A clawfoot is a velociraptor. So, it really doesn't manipulate with its foreclaws.

Actually, there is one in the War of the Dragon Queen Set.

 

[demiurge1138]

I'd like to point out that velociraptors, and other raptor-type dinosaurs, are maniraptors. Which means, approximately, "hand-snatchers". Raptors really did have semi-prehensile claws. Sure, it wouldn't know what to do with a weapon, but it could pick one up, certainly. And if it's awakened... and then class levels...

Awakened raptors with swords is definately cool in my book.

Demiurge out.

 

[Graf]

It’s profoundly frustrating that there are no rules for this.
Every halfling wants to play a dino rider, there are about 4 feats across three books specifically involving halflings and dino riding….
And no explanation for how to handle actually having a 2 hit die mount with claws…

Profoundly frustrating.
(You’re a very good player for giving up your 6th level feat for your mount…. I would just probably try to guilt the DM into giving it to me.)

 

[Dimensional]

This is great - I was just about to ask this very question.

one more quick adendum here - in our games Characters are generated with 32 pt buy and cohorts with 28pt buy method

in this case the Mount has been in play for quite a while already and has the average stats for it's race (as normal) .

it seems realy wierd to allow the recalculation of stats based on racial adjustments once the mount is awakened and becomes a cohort, but also seems a bit unfair to make the mount no heroic just because it's an established character.

posibly reduce the LA ?

Jeremy

 

[brehobit]

This is great - I was just about to ask this very question.

one more quick adendum here - in our games Characters are generated with 32 pt buy and cohorts with 28pt buy method

in this case the Mount has been in play for quite a while already and has the average stats for it's race (as normal) .

it seems realy wierd to allow the recalculation of stats based on racial adjustments once the mount is awakened and becomes a cohort, but also seems a bit unfair to make the mount no heroic just because it's an established character.

posibly reduce the LA ?

Jeremy

I'd suggest -1LA if it has average stats (15 points vs. 28 points is big).

 

[werk]

Seems odd to me that magebred doesn't change the type from animal to magical beast.