Raynor007
2018-12-18, 12:10 PM
Character concept:
A powerful spellcaster Awakened a [beast] for [X] purpose, and then the relationship ended for [Y] reasons. For Race, use any appropriate beast cleared by the GM, replacing rolled/bought/distributed stats with the stats of the beast (increasing Intelligence to 10 automatically), and using any special abilities (minus multiattack) that it has in place of racial abilities, ability score bonuses, languages, etc. Customize a Background with the GM's help, per the PHB. Use the standard proficiency bonuses, and increase attack modifier appropriately
Here're my questions: would you as GMs allow a player to run an Awakened Beast more or less the same as any other humanoid race Class-wise? I can think of ways around problems presented by most skills, weapons, armor, even spellcasting, as long as the right kind of beast was chosen (call it a thematically appropriate Class/Form choice), and I think the bonuses and penalties imposed by the forms balance one another out, more or less (again, depending on form). Do you think that the animal form itself is too limiting to work with for most of the class abilities and proficiencies without a lot of GM hand-waving? Is the very idea laughable in a more serious campaign (related: Sir Bearington)?
Personally, I think that with some GM help (and a reasonable non-munchkin-y player), the concept is not breathtakingly different from customizing a PC as a goblin, hobgoblin, Warforged, etc. I also think that with the right player, the roleplaying options are very compelling, and worth minor mechanical issues. Has anyone run into players who have tried this before? How did it go game-wise?
A powerful spellcaster Awakened a [beast] for [X] purpose, and then the relationship ended for [Y] reasons. For Race, use any appropriate beast cleared by the GM, replacing rolled/bought/distributed stats with the stats of the beast (increasing Intelligence to 10 automatically), and using any special abilities (minus multiattack) that it has in place of racial abilities, ability score bonuses, languages, etc. Customize a Background with the GM's help, per the PHB. Use the standard proficiency bonuses, and increase attack modifier appropriately
Here're my questions: would you as GMs allow a player to run an Awakened Beast more or less the same as any other humanoid race Class-wise? I can think of ways around problems presented by most skills, weapons, armor, even spellcasting, as long as the right kind of beast was chosen (call it a thematically appropriate Class/Form choice), and I think the bonuses and penalties imposed by the forms balance one another out, more or less (again, depending on form). Do you think that the animal form itself is too limiting to work with for most of the class abilities and proficiencies without a lot of GM hand-waving? Is the very idea laughable in a more serious campaign (related: Sir Bearington)?
Personally, I think that with some GM help (and a reasonable non-munchkin-y player), the concept is not breathtakingly different from customizing a PC as a goblin, hobgoblin, Warforged, etc. I also think that with the right player, the roleplaying options are very compelling, and worth minor mechanical issues. Has anyone run into players who have tried this before? How did it go game-wise?