Advancing a Boar

[Venico]

So guys, I have a party of around level 8-9 adventurers. During one of the last sessions we did before everyone went off to college again, they were given a list of possible jobs to do. One was obviously very below their CR, but they decided to go an do it anyways, dealing with a stray boar on a farm. Long story short, the Bard used speak with animals and diplomacy to convince the boar to follow them as long as they fed it. Party got paid for the job, and the boar has been following them ever since. They feed it part of their rations and take care of it along their journeys.

Well my issue comes in when my party was using the boar to scout and walked him right into a wolf ambush. They set on him hoping for some juicy bacon. Well he fought valiantly and the party healed him and from that point on he was kind of involved in combat. Whether helping them flank, guarding doors, attacking when threatened, this little guy doesn't know what inappropriate encounter level is. He's survived (barely) and now I'm realizing he's garnered enough XP to level him 2 hit dice. My question is, how do I do this? I know he qualifies for another feat and an attribute point now, can that go into intelligence? If he gets 3 intelligence, can't he take class levels?

I'm not looking to keep this guy relevant in combat but I think he's earned a little survivability and some rewards for taking on CR 8 and 9 stuff.

[BilltheCynic]

Check out Noble Wild (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/extras/community-creations/caedwyr-s-lab/noble-wild-species). It details how to play and advance animals as PCs. They even have a nice little sub-page for boars (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/extras/community-creations/caedwyr-s-lab/noble-wild-species/noble-animal-species/noble-boar).

[Venico]

Check out Noble Wild (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/extras/community-creations/caedwyr-s-lab/noble-wild-species). It details how to play and advance animals as PCs. They even have a nice little sub-page for boars (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/extras/community-creations/caedwyr-s-lab/noble-wild-species/noble-animal-species/noble-boar).

While that looks really neat, I'd prefer to avoid 3rd party. But if I can't find anything else that will certainly help. :)

[Bhaakon]

You can always stat it out as an animal companion.

[Spore]

Thing is: Anything below Int 2 is not capable of learning and thus can't qualify for class levels. In Pathfinder, a chicken is just as stupid as a pig is (In reality however...). I wouldn't allow class levels unless you want Sir Bearington ( http://i.imgur.com/OZ2VILM.jpg ). Giving it more animal HD is somewhat underwhelming so I'd go for a simple template: Advanced ( http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/advanced-creature-cr-1 ).

If it survives another number of encounters (and eats a lot more rations), I would give it the Dire Template.

And for the love of delicious breakfast, name him Chris P. Bacon!

[Gnome Alone]

I have a feeling that once this thing gains any hit dice or class levels, it's just gonna get, like, liquefied.

[Spore]

Only an unusually cruel DM would do that! Do it, do it, do it. For the whole "Pinchy"-Routine!

[Venico]

I have a feeling that once this thing gains any hit dice or class levels, it's just gonna get, like, liquefied.


Well unless the party makes him do something that puts him in extreme danger (like having him scout ahead into a wolf ambush) he'll probably just stick to flanking/guarding doors. This pig isn't suicidal and really doesn't plan on attacking stuff, he just likes food that these guys give him so he'll do what they ask sometimes.

I'll probably add templates for now and if for some reason they drag this pig through every encounter they can I'll either stat him as an animal companion or just give him hit dice for survivability.

[Spore]

If they treat him like they treated out the goblin rogue we adopted, one of the PCs is BOUND to pay for ressurection anyway. :D

[Venico]

If they treat him like they treated out the goblin rogue we adopted, one of the PCs is BOUND to pay for ressurection anyway. :D

Knowing my party and how attached they get to NPCs...yeah. I remember when the wolves dropped his HP to one, they all freaked out and the alchemist dropped everything she was doing and just became his dedicated healer for the fight. Thanks for the help guys.

Are there any other templates I might be able to add beyond advanced and dire in case they bring it with them through every encounter they can?

[Spore]

Are there any other templates I might be able to add beyond advanced and dire in case they bring it with them through every encounter they can?

If you wish to be cheesey, make him the favorite pet of the fey guarding the forest you found him in: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/eternal-cr-2

They use their magic to scry on the boar and so they can essentially "watch boar TV". This also gives you a lot of plot hooks and the ability to swoop in and stop an imminent TPK. As long as the boar doesn't agree with every stupid tactics, essentially making him trap and scouting bait, this is fine. Remember, you are the DM and you control the eternal boar.

[Venico]

I think I'll avoid that because it makes it out to be that the forces of nature brought the encounter together instead of the party actively seeking out things to do. But thanks for the other templates, I'll probably use that in combination with adding hit dice every now and then. If the party keeps pumping magic into him along with feeding him extra rations, he'll gain the dire template down the road.

[Venico]

Don't like gravedigging but I have a relevant question that is tied to this. If a Necromancer creates unintelligent undead and they survive many battles with him, do they gain HD in the same way? Or no? I haven't been able to find any ruling on it.

[Psyren]

Don't like gravedigging but I have a relevant question that is tied to this. If a Necromancer creates unintelligent undead and they survive many battles with him, do they gain HD in the same way? Or no? I haven't been able to find any ruling on it.

I would imagine that (mindless) undead would have to be advanced the same way constructs are, by augmenting them manually. So the necromancer's own power would determine how strong the minion ultimately becomes.

I'm not sure if there are specific rules for augmenting an undead you've already created though.

[Spore]

Don't like gravedigging but I have a relevant question that is tied to this. If a Necromancer creates unintelligent undead and they survive many battles with him, do they gain HD in the same way? Or no? I haven't been able to find any ruling on it.

The DMs I've been with consider unintelligent creatures not being able to learn and thus grow ordinarily. That's also the reason why Flesh Golems exist. You can have so many 1HD Zombies and Skeletons but you can't have a 8 HD skeleton. But you can stitch together as many corpses as you like and create something ... bigger.

It usually is an effort of time, money and magic tho.

[Yanisa]

The DMs I've been with consider unintelligent creatures not being able to learn and thus grow ordinarily. That's also the reason why Flesh Golems exist. You can have so many 1HD Zombies and Skeletons but you can't have a 8 HD skeleton. But you can stitch together as many corpses as you like and create something ... bigger.

It usually is an effort of time, money and magic tho.

If you want to keep being a spooky evil necromancer there is always the Necrocraft (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/necrocraft). Necromancers answer to Fleshgolems. :smalltongue:

[Venico]

The Necrocraft is a really good idea actually

[atemu1234]

I have a feeling that once this thing gains any hit dice or class levels, it's just gonna get, like, liquefied.

Reminds me of the time the party druid watched their pet raccoon get put in a vat of alchemical acid and locked inside. And tied up so he couldn't do anything.

I was feeling cruel.

[Venico]

Reminds me of the time the party druid watched their pet raccoon get put in a vat of alchemical acid and locked inside. And tied up so he couldn't do anything.

I was feeling cruel.

As an update, Bob the Boar has yet to be liquified. He has even tanked for a turn or two. It's been pretty amazing actually.

[Elricaltovilla]

You should tell more stories about Bob the Boar.

In related news, I once had a player who rolled up a Halfling Cavalier, but played as the mount instead. It was an amusing time.