Shapechange, Awaken and Animal Growth

[-Eä-]

Say, a Wizard and a Druid teams up. The Wizard shapechanges into some animal, say a baboon. Then the Druid casts a double empowered Awaken on him (a shapechanged is considered the animal type), and thereafter animal groth on him.

For simplicity, let's say that both the druid and the wizard is level 17. Then the wizard gets a bonus of (average) 21 to intelligence, has 38 HD, can speak in animal form, and is quite remarkable in every area?

This is a tactic a friend of mine and I are going to try in a little while.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

where did you come up with this: (?)

Then the wizard ... has 38 HD

empower wouldn't affect the HD (it's not a 'variable numeric effect')

personally, i wouldn't allow it. Awaken takes an entire day to cast and the wizard couldn't hold his shape for that long. at some point during the casting, the druid would lose his target...

 

[-Eä-]

Actually, I'm planning on transforming entirely into a baboon, and I am currently researching a spell to allow me to instantaneously transform into a baboon (with a steep XP-cost and long casting time).

Say you are a 17th level wizard. Then add 2 hd for awaken. Then animal growth, which doubles the hd. Then it's a 38 HD wizard baboon.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

animal growth! sorry, that slipped right by me...

 

[Dingleberry]

Masters of the Wild (p. 37) clarifies that awaken changes an animal into a magical beast, so technically, animal growth no longer works on the creature.

 

[-Eä-]

Masters of the Wild (p. 37) clarifies that awaken changes an animal into a magical beast, so technically, animal growth no longer works on the creature.

Well, we only use the Core Rulebooks, so this rule does not apply to us (-: This also means that we don't use other clarifications that are found in supplements.

If it's not an independent errata, it is not valid in the campaign in which I play.

 

[Crothian]

Awaken permently changes the characters Int. So, you're wizard will be getting dumper as he needs a 19 Int to cast Shapechange, but Awaken can only grant an 18 Int, but more then likely a 10.

 

[Kraedin]

He's Empowering awaken. If you buy an Empower metamagic feat rod, you can do so three times, giving and Int of (3d6)(1.5+.5+.5), or an average of 26.25 Int. It also gives you +1d3 * (1.5+.5+.5) Cha, or +5. What's really fun is doing this with a druid and a sorcerer. Because awaken is an Instantaneous spell, it stacks with itself.

 

[dkilgo]

Might I ask, why you would want to actually become a smart baboon?

First it makes role play dificult, and the wizard turned into a baboon would not be able to cast spells with the verbal componant anymore. Only due to the fact that the baboon could not pronounce the appropriate syllables that are required for the verbal componant spells. Unless the spell was actually a baboon created spell. Highly unlikely!

 

[-Eä-]

Might I ask, why you would want to actually become a smart baboon?

First it makes role play dificult, and the wizard turned into a baboon would not be able to cast spells with the verbal componant anymore. Only due to the fact that the baboon could not pronounce the appropriate syllables that are required for the verbal componant spells. Unless the spell was actually a baboon created spell. Highly unlikely!

Actually, you are wrong. According to Awaken, the targeted animal gets to speak one language chosen by the druid, plus one per positive intelligence modifier, so this is in fact no problem.

Role playing is part of the idea: The wizard will pose as the druid's animal companion, and therefore seem less of a threat than if there was a person strolling by his side.