PDA

View Full Version : Awakened animals with class levels?



stolenchariot
2007-08-26, 12:29 PM
while theoretically possible, can anyone come up with a decent backstory for such an animal; how it becameawakened, why it became whatever class it is.

The awakened animal I had in mind would be an awakened wolf NE, rogue 10/ assassin 5.

dyslexicfaser
2007-08-26, 12:39 PM
Well, I don't know about why the class choice, but all Awakened backstories begin the same:

"So I was just minding my own business, when this druid comes up and..."

Kaelaroth
2007-08-26, 01:00 PM
Have you considered a fellow party member having awakened you? Maybe one who is now dead, hence explaining why there is now no druid in your party.

btw, I think that character sounds very cool. Well done, hope you have fun playing it! :smile:

Wraithy
2007-08-26, 01:03 PM
"So I was just minding my own business, when this druid comes up and..."

"...starts hitting on me"

Kaelaroth
2007-08-26, 01:05 PM
"...starts hitting on me"

Totally. :smallamused:

stolenchariot
2007-08-26, 01:07 PM
Actualy, I decided to use this character for on of the BBEG's lieutenants. A a DM, I could say anything and say it works, so I'm more or less looking for a story for this wolf.

Kaelaroth
2007-08-26, 01:10 PM
The BBEG is so dastardly and cunning that the smarness rubbed off on his pet dog?

The BBEG is so evil he contaminates the minds of beings?

Possessed Wolf? (using Awakened stats?)

rawmutton
2007-08-26, 01:13 PM
Where's the part where the wolf learns how to manipulate everyday items despite a lack of thumbs? You know, like poison, missile weapons, lockpicking tools, etc. You might be better off advancing the wolf in HD and choosing the appropriate skills and feats, rather than giving it anthropomorphic class features. Unless you're running a high-fantasy style game a la Alice in Wonderland, then go nuts :smalltongue:

Shisumo
2007-08-26, 01:15 PM
The BBEG isn't a druid I take it?

There's an awakened dire wolf in the Eberron adventure Shadows of the Last War who was basically in the wrong place at the wrong time during a magical catastrophe.

stolenchariot
2007-08-26, 01:35 PM
the BBEG for this game is a cleric/ srceress lich queen. The wolf would be played more as a bandit type/ wilderness hit man than as someone sent constantly into urban dwellings. I was thinking he would have a debt of grattitude to the lichqueen, as she's one of those poisoned sugar villains as opposed to the "Do my bidding or die" archtypes. Maybe with a high enough disguise, the wolf could pretend to be a dog of another species

PC: "Aww. Look at the wittle doggy.."

Wolf: <sneak atack>

Zeful
2007-08-26, 02:05 PM
Make it a Acrobat Rouge and tumble the doggie into flanking.

dyslexicfaser
2007-08-26, 02:05 PM
Wolf disguise? The mental picture that produces is... odd.

EDIT: I say, give him the Look Harmless feat. "Aw, what a cute little - argle! My face!"

Zeful
2007-08-26, 02:39 PM
Another fun image is a wolf in a trenchcoat and fedora with a sword belted to it's side. and nobody noticing its a wolf.

Greenfaun
2007-08-26, 02:43 PM
Are you sure you don't want to use a Worg? You got your intelligent evil talking wolf right there.

As for awakened animal backstory, it might be kinda funny if you were a druid's animal companion that got cast aside after the druid leveled up enough to get a more powerful animal. I always wondered what happens to the animal companions left by the wayside by powergaming druids...

Anyway, embittered by this rejection, perhaps you seek revenge on druids or on the race or nation the druid came from. Or maybe the lich queen just offers the sort of attention and sense of purpose that you've been lacking.

Or maybe you're just a bad doggie. :)

Zephyros
2007-08-26, 02:45 PM
Make him a werehuman awakened wolf rogue/assassin


"So I was just minding my own business, when this druid comes up and..."

"bites me...WTF?":smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin:

dyslexicfaser
2007-08-26, 03:00 PM
Are you sure you don't want to use a Worg? You got your intelligent evil talking wolf right there.

As for awakened animal backstory, it might be kinda funny if you were a druid's animal companion that got cast aside after the druid leveled up enough to get a more powerful animal. I always wondered what happens to the animal companions left by the wayside by powergaming druids...

Anyway, embittered by this rejection, perhaps you seek revenge on druids or on the race or nation the druid came from. Or maybe the lich queen just offers the sort of attention and sense of purpose that you've been lacking.

Or maybe you're just a bad doggie. :)

An Awakened animal companion with abandonment issues? I think I know what my next DnD character will be...

stolenchariot
2007-08-26, 04:21 PM
I think I have a rough outline. Okay, so the wolf was the animal companion of a millitant, neutral evil druid who terrorized the local rural settlements, trying to drive back civilization. Eventually, he was killed, and the wolf fled from the mob of angered farmers, craftsmen, and ultimately his victims. ventually, he came upona colleague of his former master. Upon hearing hismaster's fate, the druid did as his friend wished and awakened the wolf. The wolf, imbittered and posessing of an even more powerful urge to avenge his former master, began organizing packs of wolves, driving them in force against humanoid settlements, careful to seek out their spellasters and eliminating them himself. His most hated enemies, however, are druids who would protect the villages, seeing them as traitors to his master's dream.

One day, he was aproached in his den by a human woman and a large, cloaked igure whose face he could not see. He did smell unnatural though. The woman made him an offer that pleased him though; set his packs against a certain order of goodly druids and their allies in exchange for a few magical trinkets.. and a few new friends..

Yeril
2007-08-26, 05:18 PM
Anything with int higher than 3 can take class levels.

WotC did a weekly post.. update.. thingy where they did 3 or 4 "Elite opponents."

and they do a low level encounter, a medium level encounter, and a high level enounter.

eg. on the kobold week they did a kobold rogue, followed by a half-dragon-kobold-sorceress and a high level Kobold Wereweasle.

They did an awakened wolf ranger and even rather shockingly...

A Fiendish Gelatinous Cube Monk

Flurry of blows slam attack :smalleek:

or even scarier

85ft movement :eek:

stolenchariot
2007-08-26, 05:33 PM
I remember te gelatinous cub. Actually, the idea from tis came from one of their old articles. It was an encounter consisting of a winterwolf fighter and an ice mephit soreress.

Zeful
2007-08-26, 05:39 PM
How can one apply the fiendish template to an ooze?

Shisumo
2007-08-26, 05:57 PM
How can one apply the fiendish template to an ooze?

Very carefully.

Actually, according to the SRD, the fiendish template (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/fiendishCreature.htm)can be appllied to oozes without any problems.

So, yeah, fiendish ooze monks. Ick.

Chronos
2007-08-26, 11:08 PM
That fiendish gelatinous cube monk is going to be a bit hampered by the Dex 1, Wis 1, though. Really, the only class features it'd benefit from would be the speed and Flurry of Blows, which is probably not worth the CR adjustment from the template and class levels.

RAGE KING!
2007-08-26, 11:46 PM
...Or maybe you're just a bad doggie. :)

Bad dog! no biscui-arrgh! ahhh! the horror, the horror!

*bark* *bark*

*eats brain*

Yay! smart wolf!

Mewtarthio
2007-08-26, 11:59 PM
Make him a werehuman awakened wolf rogue/assassin

Pfeh! Make him an awakened Yorkshire Terrier rogue/assassin.

The small dog looks at you with those sad puppy eyes for exactly eighteen seconds...

Stephen_E
2007-08-27, 12:03 AM
I think I have a rough outline. Okay, so the wolf was the animal companion of a millitant, neutral evil druid who terrorized the local rural settlements, trying to drive back civilization. Eventually, he was killed, and the wolf fled from the mob of angered farmers, craftsmen, and ultimately his victims. ventually, he came upona colleague of his former master. Upon hearing hismaster's fate, the druid did as his friend wished and awakened the wolf. The wolf, imbittered and posessing of an even more powerful urge to avenge his former master, began organizing packs of wolves, driving them in force against humanoid settlements, careful to seek out their spellasters and eliminating them himself. His most hated enemies, however, are druids who would protect the villages, seeing them as traitors to his master's dream.

One day, he was aproached in his den by a human woman and a large, cloaked igure whose face he could not see. He did smell unnatural though. The woman made him an offer that pleased him though; set his packs against a certain order of goodly druids and their allies in exchange for a few magical trinkets.. and a few new friends..

As a Druid I intend to set up a contingency Awaken on my Animal Companion once I can afford it, set to activate if I die. You could do that instead of having to get another Druid do it.

You could also do variations with a Wild Cohort that had a contingency Awaken cast on it.

Stephen