Awakened Hamster

[Major]

Does any D&D book have the stats for a hamster? If not what would be some good stats to give for an awakened hamster?

[Flickerdart]

The DMG has stats for a bunch of alternate familiar for Tiny or smaller masters. Check in there, it might have an appropriately sized rodent.

[Major]

I knew there was a hamster familiar somewhere. I totally forgot they had stats >.>

I normally keep them nowhere near combat so I didn't recall.

Thank you very much. I'll check DMG and the one book (I think it was a dragon magazine).

On a side note, I've never done "Awakened" animals. How exactly does that work?

[Gwendol]

Are we talking about Boo? :smallwink:

[blackjack217]

Are we talking about Boo? :smallwink:

Go for the Eyes!

[Urpriest]

I don't have it available at the moment, but I'd imagine that one of the Dragons that introduced Spelljammer material would have presented stats for Giant Space Hamsters.

[Drachasor]

Are we talking about Boo? :smallwink:

Boo is a miniature giant space hamster. The non-miniature kind are used to power gnomish Spelljammer ships (which travel between worlds). Crazy, but true (ok, I don't know if Minsc's claims are true, but the other stuff is).

Edit: As for the OP, typically picking something in the SRD that has a similar place in the ecosystem works. Might need a slight modification at worts. Base the hamster on the rat.

[Major]

I'm pretty sure that's what the hamster familiar in dragon magazine said. Base off rat. And what book is Awakening animals in?

[The Glyphstone]

I'm pretty sure that's what the hamster familiar in dragon magazine said. Base off rat. And what book is Awakening animals in?

Awaken is a Core spell in the PHB, or the SRD.

[Major]

Thank you I must have missed it somehow.

Edit: So... is there anyway around that two racial hit die?
Because the stats for a hamster would most likely suck, but due to the hit die you lose 2 levels.

What would you play with the following
Str: 2, Dex 15, Con 10, Int: 3d6, Wis 12, Cha 2+1d3
Racial Hit Die +2 (d8s)

[Flickerdart]

Thank you I must have missed it somehow.

Edit: So... is there anyway around that two racial hit die?
Because the stats for a hamster would most likely suck, but due to the hit die you lose 2 levels.

What would you play with the following
Str: 2, Dex 15, Con 10, Int: 3d6, Wis 12, Cha 2+1d3
Racial Hit Die +2 (d8s)
Well, that would actually be STR -8, DEX +4, INT -2, WIS +2, CHA -6

Get one of those HD wight-drained away and you could be a decent Rogue. You won't be UMDing anything soon, but you have an enormous attack bonus and a perfect disguise.

[blackjack217]

Well, that would actually be STR -8, DEX +4, INT -2, WIS +2, CHA -6

Get one of those HD wight-drained away and you could be a decent Rogue. You won't be UMDing anything soon, but you have an enormous attack bonus and a perfect disguise.

Warlock, stats don't matter for it. plus 24/7 flight

[Urpriest]

The hit dice are an advantage really. Two monster hit dice means you can have two non-associated class levels before your levels start counting one for one, and since the base creature has a CR less than one that basically means you're a level ahead of a normal NPC.

Racial Hit Dice are only a disadvantage for PCs, and PCs can't be Awakened animals because Awaken doesn't change ECL. If you've got an Awakened animal PC you're homebrewing already, so you might as well do whatever you feel is balanced with the hit dice.

[Flickerdart]

While flying death hamsters are the best thing ever, that steep CHA penalty means you could never take save-based Invocations - and the ability to turn your enemies into hamsters is so hard to resist for this character.

[Drachasor]

Thank you I must have missed it somehow.

Edit: So... is there anyway around that two racial hit die?
Because the stats for a hamster would most likely suck, but due to the hit die you lose 2 levels.

What would you play with the following
Str: 2, Dex 15, Con 10, Int: 3d6, Wis 12, Cha 2+1d3
Racial Hit Die +2 (d8s)

Way around two racial hit dice: DM fiat

Same with stats, really (-6 Strength +6 Dex might be reasonable for a point buy). You could also make a Psion with the Int.

[BillyBobJoe]

Here you go. Introduce some Were-Hamsters. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/animals/rodents/hamster-giant)

[Major]

Well, that would actually be STR -8, DEX +4, INT -2, WIS +2, CHA -6

Get one of those HD wight-drained away and you could be a decent Rogue. You won't be UMDing anything soon, but you have an enormous attack bonus and a perfect disguise.

Why int -2? I get the rest (as its 10-X=Stat) and could work. Not a great idea, but not bad either. I could try and swing that if a DM allows.


Warlock, stats don't matter for it. plus 24/7 flight

Damn good point. Dex matters, but that's one thing it has. Downside is while other players would be level 6, you'd be level 4 with monster hit die wouldn't you?


The hit dice are an advantage really. Two monster hit dice means you can have two non-associated class levels before your levels start counting one for one, and since the base creature has a CR less than one that basically means you're a level ahead of a normal NPC.

Racial Hit Dice are only a disadvantage for PCs, and PCs can't be Awakened animals because Awaken doesn't change ECL. If you've got an Awakened animal PC you're homebrewing already, so you might as well do whatever you feel is balanced with the hit dice.

How is it an advantage? That racial hit die would take up two levels wouldn't it? Say ECL 4 you would only have two classes wouldn't you? Or am I misunderstanding. I wasn't sure how the CR 1/4 effected it.

Shoot, I didn't notice that PCs couldn't be awakened animals...Assuming a DM allowed you to be an awakened animal (or take one as a cohort due to leadership) but still kept the racial hit die it would mess you up wouldn't it? Unless the 1/4 start hit die changed that.


While flying death hamsters are the best thing ever, that steep CHA penalty means you could never take save-based Invocations - and the ability to turn your enemies into hamsters is so hard to resist for this character.

Wait...how does that work? That sounds tempting to turn people into hamsters.


Way around two racial hit dice: DM fiat

Same with stats, really (-6 Strength +6 Dex might be reasonable for a point buy). You could also make a Psion with the Int.

I was hoping other than that for my RAW heavy DM. I might just see if I can get it in the more homebrew allowing games.

[Talentless]

How is it an advantage? That racial hit die would take up two levels wouldn't it? Say ECL 4 you would only have two classes wouldn't you? Or am I misunderstanding. I wasn't sure how the CR 1/4 effected it.


Far as I understand, it is the fact that the base creature has a CR less than 1 is reason enough for not counting the racial hit die towards ECL, because technically speaking, they do nothing except add health, seeing as non awakened hampsters don't get skill points or feats off the them... nor do the awakened versions.

Unless i'm wildly off target on RAW interpretation in this case.

Thats just how my last DM that allowed awakened animal PC shenanigans ran it.

[Flickerdart]

Average of 3d6 is 10.5, average of 4d6b3 is 12.5 (or 12?). Either way, it's a difference of 2.

Warlocks get Baleful Polymorph as an Invocation, so you can hamsterize people, but the save would be very low.

Edit: Oh, by the way? See if you can get a Maximized Awaken, turning that -2 Int into +6.

[Urpriest]

Far as I understand, it is the fact that the base creature has a CR less than 1 is reason enough for not counting the racial hit die towards ECL, because technically speaking, they do nothing except add health, seeing as non awakened hampsters don't get skill points or feats off the them... nor do the awakened versions.

Unless i'm wildly off target on RAW interpretation in this case.

Thats just how my last DM that allowed awakened animal PC shenanigans ran it.

You sir need to read my monster guide, linked in my sig. Now.

Suffice it to say almost everything in that set of statements is wrong.



How is it an advantage? That racial hit die would take up two levels wouldn't it? Say ECL 4 you would only have two classes wouldn't you? Or am I misunderstanding. I wasn't sure how the CR 1/4 effected it.

Shoot, I didn't notice that PCs couldn't be awakened animals...Assuming a DM allowed you to be an awakened animal (or take one as a cohort due to leadership) but still kept the racial hit die it would mess you up wouldn't it? Unless the 1/4 start hit die changed that.


ECL is for PCs only. An Awakened Hamster would be an NPC run by the DM, so CR is the relevant metric. You should also probably read my monster guide.

The racial hit dice would hold you back if your DM houseruled your LA to +0. If your DM houseruled your LA to -2 they wouldn't hold you back at all. And if your LA was houseruled to +20 you wouldn't be able to play the character until epic level. So it's probably a good idea to figure out the LA you're dealing with before determining whether the race is worth it.