"Handle Animals? Yeah, I'll handle these animals."

[Going Hereward]

Last week we ended up gating into a Shire-like plane inhabited by cartoon animals not unlike a Disney film.

After being called an abomination, and nicely asking what the sentient hedgehog farmer meant by that, my half-elf sorcereress went spare and burned down a farmer's hill house and killed two cops. I contended that it didn't matter, they were just birds, and I refused to pay for killing a pair of herons that I didn't even get to eat. (I also might have started an underground fire, since the hillhouses are connected via tunnel.)

So, diplomacy might have failed there. (DM says I'm firmly in the CE camp now.)

Despite having the fire power, I eventually surrendered. The animals were not pleased and they're pretty much hostile to me forever after, but they're a liberal society and won't execute me. My character was annoyed to find out this egalitarian society is run by a bear and forbids eating meat.

The quest hook is probably going to take us out of this town, but the DM is probably going to keep bringing me back there to face consequences. I figured I'd use my infamy abroad to send anyone seeking revenge against me to their town, as though I were their champion.

I noticed, on my sheet that I have animal handling as a skill. I honestly considered this useless since my sorcerer handles everything the same way.

So, in a situation where every NPC is an animal in human clothes and junk, can I use Animal Handling to screw with them? I'm envisioning some kind of Hannibal Lector where I can coax out their dormant instincts and try and get the carnivores to turn on the herbivores.

[Slipperychicken]

So, in a situation where every NPC is an animal in human clothes and junk, can I use Animal Handling to screw with them? I'm envisioning some kind of Hannibal Lector where I can coax out their dormant instincts and try and get the carnivores to turn on the herbivores.

If I was DMing, I'd count anthropomorphic animals as humanoids. Or whatever creature type is used for beastmen like orcs and gnolls.


However, if they're not human shaped and are literally just talking sentient animals, I'd have animal handling proficiency give a bonus to persuade when the player can think of a plausible way to use it. If it was a really lighthearted saturday morning cartoon tier game (i.e. not even on the same planet as the way you're playing), I'd let you scratch a dog's ears or groom a bird to give you a bonus on interaction with it.

[Sigreid]

I agree that animal handling wouldn't apply in this circumstance as these aren't really "animals" anymore. At least no more than humans are.

Side note: Congrats on going full mad sorceress! It can be fun times.

[DragonSorcererX]

...my half-elf sorceress...

So, in a situation where every NPC is an animal in human clothes and junk, can I use Animal Handling to screw with them?

Define "screw". ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[Sneak Dog]

So, diplomacy might have failed there. (DM says I'm firmly in the CE camp now.)


Oi, 'twas but a single chaotic and evil act. That shouldn't change your alignment entirely that easily, it should just get you arrested. Perhaps also some mental help.

About the animal handling: Depends how much of an animal they still are. If they retain their instincts, probably. If they're as sentient and master of their instincts as human, you'd need diplo... intimidate.

[SharkForce]

Oi, 'twas but a single chaotic and evil act. That shouldn't change your alignment entirely that easily, it should just get you arrested. Perhaps also some mental help.

About the animal handling: Depends how much of an animal they still are. If they retain their instincts, probably. If they're as sentient and master of their instincts as human, you'd need diplo... intimidate.

if you're comfortable with murdering sapient beings just because they've annoyed you (whether they look like humanoid animals or not), and your character sheet didn't say chaotic evil before, it probably didn't have the right alignment written down to begin with.

which is fine, alignment has relatively little to do with anything mechanical any more. so seriously, if you're gonna play a CE character (which is what the OP seems to be intending to play, pretty much), you may as well just write it down. there isn't much point in being dishonest about it (as a player, i mean. based on the character's attitude, i would say the character definitely wouldn't consider herself a force of evil, and that is perfectly fine, and probably makes sense... the great majority of evil people in a setting shouldn't consider themselves evil unless they specifically serve an evil god, or are some sort of fiend or perhaps undead or similar).

[Temperjoke]

Define "screw". ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I see what you did there, I'm glad someone mentioned, but I don't think it's that sort of campaign.

Moving on...

I do think it was an evil act, however, by itself I don't think it was enough to change alignment if it had ended there. But given that you're character has essentially declared a vendetta against them, I'd say you've descended to that point.

As for handle animals, yeah, I'm pretty sure it wasn't intended for anthropomorphic NPCs, although I might accept it as a reason for advantage on checks such as insight checks.

[Sigreid]

Oi, 'twas but a single chaotic and evil act. That shouldn't change your alignment entirely that easily, it should just get you arrested. Perhaps also some mental help.

About the animal handling: Depends how much of an animal they still are. If they retain their instincts, probably. If they're as sentient and master of their instincts as human, you'd need diplo... intimidate.

I think it has more to do with the comment of not paying for killing birds she didn't get to eat and planning in the future to tick off people and direct them to these peaceful animal folk to seek their revenge.

[Klorox]

Robin Hood and Little John
Walkin' through the forest

Ahhhh! Ahhhhhhhh! It burns!!!!!