If I wanna play an awakened animal

[Mezmote]

So lets say that I want to play an animal character (not the antropomorphic, cus that is just doped) and i got the DM permission through background story and such, how would it work?

The background is something like; a druid of immense power and benevolence decided to cast Awaken on an Owl. The owl got sentience and became a magical beast. Gaining enough intelligence to actually speak, write (dunno how that works without hands) and cast spells, how would it work as a character? Does the 2 extra HD from the Awaken spell count as levels? Lets say the party is level 10. Would I then only have 8 class levels; or less?

I'm interested in knowing how much I can build on a character like that.

[blazingshadow]

wizard familiars get intelligence gains and i think they keep their enhancements after the wizard dies. if you choose raven you have the ability to speak as well as avoid many of the problems of the animal companion.

animal companion hit dice are not class hit dice though

[Urpriest]

The DM decides how it works, since there aren't any rules for it. You would probably keep the two hit dice, which would of course count towards your level since they're hit dice and all hit dice do that. You would also have a level adjustment, depending on what the DM decides is the level adjustment for an awakened owl.

If you want to know how monster characters work in general, the guide in my sig may be of use.

[Thurbane]

Racial hit dice count towards total ECL (effective character level), so if your awakened animal has 2 RHD, yes, your class levels would be 8 while everyone else was 10. (Technically an awakened owl would have 3 RHD - 1 from owl, and 2 from Awaken).

There is also the issue of LA (Level Adjustment) for your race - unfortunately, Awaken doesn't list LA for an awakened animal. The DM would need to houserule it. LA +0 to +2 should be OK. Awakened animal have many disadvantages (mainly not having hands), but some will have high ability scores, and some have special abilities like flight etc.

Sadly, awakened animals as PCs was something that WotC pretty badly neglected to cover in their rules. :smallannoyed:

[The Dark Fiddler]

...write (dunno how that works without hands)

Dip talons in ink, write with them.

[DonutBoy12321]

Not related to the question, but see if you can take Leadership. Make your cohort this guy, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195049) and pretend to be his familiar.

[Rubik]

If you're playing an animal without hands (such as your owl), make sure you play a class that doesn't need hands to function.

Most caster classes, for instance, are out. Psionics is fine, though, and is the go-to system for a handless caster.

A martial character could work as well if you have decent natural weaponry (and owls really don't; especially smaller types). ToB (and again, psionics, for gishing) is generally the way to go if you're a tiny martial type with no hands. Swordsaging would do well for you, methinks.

Other than that, I'm not really sure. Maybe some factotum, if you can find some form of telekinesis that will let you substitute that for hands (a hand of the mage, for instance).

I can't really give you a whole lot of advice beyond that, except that I hope your DM is willing to homebrew some stuff for you.

[Thurbane]

If you are willing to buy a pdf, I've heard good things about The Noble Wild - a 3rd party supplement based entirely on animals as PCs. It comes in three versions: 3.5 D&D, d20 Modern and Pathfinder.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2cfa4iq.jpg

[lord pringle]

If you are willing to buy a pdf, I've heard good things about The Noble Wild - a 3rd party supplement based entirely on animals as PCs. It comes in three versions: 3.5 D&D, d20 Modern and Pathfinder

I second this motion.

[The Dark Fiddler]

If you're playing an animal without hands (such as your owl), make sure you play a class that doesn't need hands to function.

Most caster classes, for instance, are out.

If your DM is at all reasonable, he'll let you do somatic components in your natural form. At most for a feat (point at Natural Spell and tell him not to be a jerk). Make sure you ask, though, rather than assume.

[Thurbane]

If your DM is at all reasonable, he'll let you do somatic components in your natural form. At most for a feat (point at Natural Spell and tell him not to be a jerk). Make sure you ask, though, rather than assume.
The official feat for this is Surrogate Spellcasting (Savage Species).

[Coidzor]

If you have a bite attack, ECL 10 WBL is enough to cover any +1 Mouthpick (Lords of Madness) weapon that you want, since the Mouthpick property will allow you to be auto-proficient with it. So a Heavy or Kaorti Resin Exotic weapon (and one of the nifty ones) would be workable.

Otherwise... Might see if Gloves of Man(Savage Species?) work on your talons. There's the Horned Helmet in the MIC that gives a gore attack as well.

[DrDeth]

I'd just play a magical beast. Take any animal, then add levels of magical beast, gives INT, good saves, etc. You don't need classes even. Mind you, the DM should give you something like Great Magic Fang PERM, plus the ability to wear armour, but that last is no big deal.

[lunar2]

any creature can cast spells in their natural form. some aboleths are wizards without hands. celestial chargers are half celestial unicorn clerics. dragons have no hands, nor do couatl, but both cast as sorcerers.

[Flickerdart]

If you can find a friendly Wight or Vampire, you can drain away all of that pesky Racial HD, and then get normal people levels instead.

[gurgleflep]

If you are willing to buy a pdf, I've heard good things about The Noble Wild - a 3rd party supplement based entirely on animals as PCs. It comes in three versions: 3.5 D&D, d20 Modern and Pathfinder.

*Book cover*

Would there, by chance, be any dinosaurs in there? A velociraptor perhaps? I'm hopeful :smallsmile:

Edit: Whoops :smalleek: thread necro'd! I gotta start checking dates!

[Chronos]

I can't think of any situation where any LA above 0 would be justified for an awakened animal. The RHD are pretty much always going to be payment enough for the ability scores and other specials you can get.

[ShurikVch]

In the long run animals are not that great...
How about negative LA?
Use the Druid's Animal companion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#animalCompanion) table.
This way "badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf" will be LA +0 (ECL=HD+class lvl); Ape, Black Bear, Bison, Boar, Cheetah, Crocodile, Dire badger, Dire bat, Dire weasel, Leopard, Monitor Lizard, Large Shark, Constrictor Snake, Large viper Snake and Wolverine will be LA -3 (ECL=HD-3+Class lvl) and so on...

[Dawgmoah]

Complete Guide to Velociraptors, From Goodman Games

•Full background on velociraptors, including history, beliefs, shamanistic powers, detailed tribal structures, and relationships with humans and other dinosaurs - "the ecology of velociraptors," so to speak.
•Inventive raptor-specific combat tactics that maximize their native speed and cunning.
•Rules for playing velociraptor characters, including raptor-specific classes and feats, plus templates for NPC's.
•A fully developed velociraptor tribe ready for insertion into any campaign, as well as extensive scenario hooks and adventure ideas.
•Supplemental material online, including magic rules.

GMG1002; 32 pages; $6.99, from DrivethruRPG.

It was alright, nothing great but it would be a start.

[HalfQuart]

You could use Psion instead of a spellcasting class, that way you'd dodge the whole somatic components issues.

I recently worked out a concept character that was a Tibbit Psion (Shaper) with VoP. VoP is usually pretty suboptimal, but when you spend your entire adventuring time as a housecat, not relying on equipment is a good thing. You could probably pull of something similar as an owl, except the level hit from be awakened wouldn't be optimal (for any full caster or manifester).

I do think unlimited flight (40', average), -6 Str, +6 Dex, -4? Cha, Tiny size, +14 Move Silently, +8 Listen, +8 Spot (in shadowy illumination), +2 NA, a natural attack, and Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat, would amount to at least LA +1. It's confusing tacking it onto 1 RHD + 2 magical beast (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#magicalBeastType) HD. I'd say you should replace your RHD with class levels, get the 2 magical best HD, then tack on +1 LA.

[Bullet06320]

I once had an npc awakened skunk messing with sum players in a game I ran, he would only talk to one of them, while he was on watch, the rest of the party thought he was nuts for adopting a skunk, and even crazier for saying it was talking, lol, was good fun
I cant find my write up on it, but I don't recall having a LA, and it just got 2 bonus hd from the awaken spell, it was a first level ranger tho

[killem2]

I think the psion in our group wants to awaken her tiger to be a psychic warrior some day.

I think all we're going to do is say, 9hd tiger (warbeast), and then start in on the p warrior stuff and play it as normal.

Really should not be hard to do.