I Want To Play An Intelligent Mouse

[mattcolville]

Ok, I've got Savage Species, but I'm not sure it has precisely the rules I'm looking for.

I want to play an intelligent mouse. Basically, I want to play a Mouse of NIMH. Not a rat. A mouse. Not a person with a mouse-head. A mouse. Mouse, mouse, mouse.

Should I be using the Anthropomorphic animals? It seems to imply in there that those are for people with animal attributes. Someone said I should play an Awakened Mouse, but I believe the Awakened rules are for undead and constructs.

Any help?

 

[Murrdox]

My first advise would mostly pertain to having a puff of whatever your DM is smoking when he creates a campaign that is playable by a mouse.

 

[Gez]

If you believe Awaken is only for undead and construct, open your PH in the Spell chapter... Or, look at the SRD:

Awaken
Transmutation
Level: Drd 5
Components: V, S, DF, XP
Casting Time: One day
Range: Touch
Target: Animal or tree touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The character awakens a tree or animal to humanlike sentience. To succeed, the character must make a Will save (DC 10 + the target's HD, or the HD the tree will have once awakened).
The awakened animal or tree is friendly toward the character. The character has no special empathy or connection with a creature the character awakens, although it serves the character in specific tasks or endeavors if the character can communicate the character's desires to it.
An awakened tree has characteristics as if it were an animated object, except that its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are all 3d6. Awakened plants gain the ability to move their limbs, roots, vines, creepers, etc., and have senses similar to a human's.
An awakened animal gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD.
An awakened tree or animal can speak one language that the character knows, plus one additional language that the character knows per point of Intelligence bonus (if any).
XP Cost: 250 XP.

While I'm at here, I'll also plug the link in my sig. Awakened items, but also oozes, vermins, and, thanks to another contributer, tomes!

And to go back on the subject: Nimh mouses would be anthropomorphic, except for the size change issue. They did wear clothing and walk upright, IIRC.

 

[ruleslawyer]

Just wait until the Redwall d20 supplement comes out...

Seriously, you would indeed want to play an awakened mouse. By this, I refer to a mouse affected by the awaken spell (Drd5). This spell grants an animal 3d6 Int, +1d3 Cha, and +2 HD. In the case of a mouse, I'd say you get something like the following stats (adapted from the Creature Catalogue):

Awakened Mouse
Fine Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d8 + Con bonus. The first hit die is maximized (8 hp).
Initiative: by Dex
Speed: 10'
AC: 10 +8 size + Dex
Attacks: +2 base +8 size
Damage: Err, um...
Face/Reach: 2½'/0'
Special Qualities: Scent
Base saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str -10, Dex +4, Con +0, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha -8 +1d3
Skills: (2 + Int modifier) x5. Mice have a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus to Balance checks. They use their Dexterity modifier for Climb checks.
Feats: Any one

I'd say this thing has no LA, for an ECL adjustment of +2. However, I also think that unless your DM allows you to deal full sneak attack damage and you advance as a rogue, you're not exactly going to be an effective character. I'd probably knock the ECL down to +1 and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[mattcolville]

Ok, so I guess my question then is: Is Stuart Little an awakened mouse, or an anthropomorphic mouse?

 

[mattcolville]

Just wait until the Redwall d20 supplement comes out...

Seriously, you would indeed want to play an awakened mouse. By this, I refer to a mouse affected by the awaken spell (Drd5). This spell grants an animal 3d6 Int, +1d3 Cha, and +2 HD. In the case of a mouse, I'd say you get something like the following stats (adapted from the Creature Catalogue):

Awakened Mouse
Fine Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d8 + Con bonus. The first hit die is maximized (8 hp).
Initiative: by Dex
Speed: 10'
AC: 10 +8 size + Dex
Attacks: +2 base +8 size
Damage: Err, um...
Face/Reach: 21/2'/0'
Special Qualities: Scent
Base saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str -10, Dex +4, Con +0, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha -8 +1d3
Skills: (2 + Int modifier) x5. Mice have a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus to Balance checks. They use their Dexterity modifier for Climb checks.
Feats: Any one

I'd say this thing has no LA, for an ECL adjustment of +2. However, I also think that unless your DM allows you to deal full sneak attack damage and you advance as a rogue, you're not exactly going to be an effective character. I'd probably knock the ECL down to +1 and let the chips fall where they may.

Hmmm...why -8 Chr?

Anyway, while good, this is a house rule you're presenting here. I'm hoping to find some kind of 'official,' meaning 'in something WotC's pulished,' rule for this.

My character, SQUEEE, was originally designed as an anthropomorphic mouse, but my GM isn't convinced that the anthropomorphic rules are for the Stuart Little type character.

SQUEE is going to have some combination of Rogue and Sorcerer levels.

 

[mattcolville]

SQUEEE needs either Sor or Wiz so he can ride his Cat Familiar, Moose, into battle.

Seriously.

 

[Murrdox]

If your mount is going to be named "Moose" you should name the character "Squirrel".

"Oh no, Boris! Is Moose and Squirrel!"

 

[Mike Sullivan]

Hmmm...why -8 Chr?

I'm guessing that he's basing it off the Rat, which, in the Monster Manual, has a 2 Chr. So that's -8 off the average. +1d3 for the Awakening.

What I want to know is where he got 2d8 hit points from. That seems like a hell of a lot for a mouse!

 

[mattcolville]

Mm..

Moose is an actual cat of mine. The choices are Moose or Brain. Brain is a big Maine coon cat. Brain might be better for a mount. He's more mount-like. But Moose is a bad-ass kitty that'd never think twice about taking on a bear.

I can't believe I'm talking about this seriously, but there you are.

Squee is "Squee! Master of the Mystic Arts!" And his mount is "Moose the Valiant!"