Awakened Mule Class Suggestions!

[Cyberweasel89]

Hi hi! So my mule-son Stubby is getting Awakened next session, and the DM says that with 17 INT now, Stubby can take Class Levels.

Currently sky is the limit, though some caveats:

1. Since everyone is a gestalt, it's highly advised that I make Stubby's Class a Gestalt.
2. All his stats are staying the same aside from the Awakening INT boost.
3. He's starting at Level 11, so Prestige Classes will be allowed.

My DM is very much a "go wild, raze hell, don't hold back from the insanity" type of guy, so have fun with your ideas, guys! >:D

Stubby's new stat block
Str 16, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 17, Wis 11, Cha 6

Current party composition:
-Human Psionic/Artificer (face and brain)
-Orc Barbarian/Sorcerer (unpicked Familiar)
-Human Druid/Monk (T-rex Animal Companion)
-Half-Orc Barbarian/Rogue (cook and owner of Stubby the Mule)

By chance, Stubby has the second-highest INT in the party post-Awakening. XD

[Maat Mons]

Are the 3 Animal hit dice and whatever LA Awakened has going on one side of the Gestalt?

[Cyberweasel89]

Are the 3 Animal hit dice and whatever LA Awakened has going on one side of the Gestalt?

My DM: "No, the Animal Hit dice are considered racial hit dice and are going toward the Class's ACL."

[Maat Mons]

Ah, that pesky anterior cruciate ligament!

I’d take Surrogate Spellcasting and Eschew Materials, then go either Wizard or Archivist on one side. Wizard lets you go Eidetic Spellcaster to avoid needing a spellbook. But Archivist lets you cast in armor.

For the other side, it’s hard to say. Warblade, Duskblade, and Factotum all have their appeal.

[daremetoidareyo]

Factotum/warblade?

[Anthrowhale]

Maybe Donkey 4 + Psion 1(egoist)/Slayer 6//Ranger 1/Psion 1/Rogue 5 (w/ penetrating strike ACF) ? Working as a gish that licks enemies to death.

Pick up Practiced Manifester and Craven to leverage the Donkey HD. Use a Mouthpick (LoM) Poison Ring (DC).

You have BAB 10, lots of skill points, Psion 7 power access and can manifest with up to 11 power points, generally good saves, deal 3d6+11(sneak)+1(poison ring)+3(Str)+2(magic) with a touch(!) attack. Vs the sneak attack immune you still deal 1d6+11(sneak)+1(poison ring)+3(Str)+2(magic) while flanking. Pick up levels in tumbling for good flanking opportunities. For psion powers things like: Thicken Skin, Empathic Transfer (backup healer), Hustle, Metamorphosis, Vigor, Force Screen, Inertial Armor, Biofeedback, Share Pain (with a psicrystal sharing Vigor), Darkvision, Touchsight, Empathic Feedback, Psychic Reformation (repick skills/feats/powers on demand).

Edit: Another thought---since the donkey and you both have Rogue, having both of you pick up Double Team (DC) could be potent. If you ride the donkey in combat, you will routinely both threaten the same opponent triggering flanking with Double Team, which also triggers sneak attack. If there is a sizing problem with riding the donkey (you are medium size) that is solvable via Expanded Knowledge[Expansion].

[Inevitability]

If you're going wizard, consider 3 levels in ruathar to grab qualification skills and then a dip in mindbender, which gives 100 ft. telepathy.

Telepathy lets the mule function as a sort of local communications hub, helps it pass as an ordinary mule and still talk to others, and qualifies it for the excellent Mindsight feat, in case you needed Mule-Based Radar.

Moreover, ruathar 3 will extend the lifespan of your mule by 50%, which might be appealing to a creature that rarely lives past 35 otherwise.

[lylsyly]

Wizard with the right feats and Ruather /// Dragonfire Adept because how cool is a fire breathing mule!
invocations not great with poor charisma but con is preety good for your breath weapon.

just a litte outside the box thinking.

[ShurikVch]

FWIW, in the Savage Species, Favored Class for Anthropomorphic Donkey, Heavy and Light Horses is Druid; for Anthropomorphic Warhorses (both Heavy and Light) - Ranger

[Bullet06320]

take leadership and get an ogre cohort?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Psion is a definite, since he won't have to expend any resources at all to try to cast without hands, and he won't need to expend a fluckton of gold on equipment (although he can if he has it to use; just imagine those ioun stones weaving between his ears). Shaper/3.5 constructor (https://www.realmshelps.net/charbuild/classes/prestige/psionic/constructor.shtml) for at-will hands and a power set that is always, always useful. Alternatively, telepath/thrallherd, also for at-will hands (albeit via a minion).

I do very much enjoy shaper on one side, and factotum 3/totemist 2/unarmed swordsage (or monk) 2/crusader (for healing) on the other. Insanely versatile, and taking the psionic open chakra power can give some really good benefits for those two totemist levels. (Phase cloak is easily my favorite soulmeld, by an absolute mile.)

I'd suggest factotum 3 on the other side, at the very least, especially if he can somehow finagle Able Learner (maybe via the Human Heritage or Human Blooded feat). "My great grandpappy was an anthro donkey. His pa was human afore he got baleful polymorphed, I think."

[Metastachydium]

2. All his stats are staying the same aside from the Awakening INT boost.

Stubby's new stat block
Str 16, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 17, Wis 11, Cha 6


Huh. I'm pretty sure Awakening also gives +1d3 CHA.

[smasher0404]

A level of Warrior Skald (Races of Faerun) would be pretty helpful for your party composition (gets the mule all bardic music effects subject to the skill requirements). Plus a mule giving heroic speeches is pretty funny at least to me.

If Dragon Compendium is on the table, the Savant also provides some party utility, providing basically free skill ranks to a couple of common skills to people who stand next to the mule.

Crusader (Tome of Battle) grants some simple in-combat healing that can save a character by stabilizing them without using an action (Martial Spirit stance)

[Remuko]

Huh. I'm pretty sure Awakening also gives +1d3 CHA.

you are correct


An awakened animal gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD. Its type becomes magical beast (augmented animal). An awakened animal can’t serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount.

[SimonMoon6]

Since a mule is half donkey, he could go for "ass"-"ass"-in. You know, because "ass" is another word for donkey? Or is that too much of a "wise ass" answer?

[Vaern]

Since a mule is half donkey, he could go for "ass"-"ass"-in. You know, because "ass" is another word for donkey? Or is that too much of a "wise ass" answer?

Anything more than a half-ass pun is too much in this case.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Would Stubby telling someone to "Kiss my me!" be a come-on or an insult?

Or would it be half-and-half?

[Gorthawar]

A level of Warrior Skald (Races of Faerun) would be pretty helpful for your party composition (gets the mule all bardic music effects subject to the skill requirements). Plus a mule giving heroic speeches is pretty funny at least to me.

I thought of the same thing but would just use a divine bard/crusader on one side of the gestalt. The high int allows you to use words of creation and the mule hd add to initiator level.

I love the idea of adding dragonfire adept on the other side of the gestalt for fire breathing, flight invocation and dragonfire inspiration. There might be more powerful options but a singing, fire breathing donkey that marshals his party around (white raven tactics) is pretty awesome imho.

[SirNibbles]

Serious route: Fangshields Druid (Champions of Valor, page 40).

Less serious route: any class that gives your mule its own mount.

Least serious route: return to monke donke with War Hulk.

[Metastachydium]

Serious route: Fangshields Druid (Champions of Valor, page 40).

(…)

Least serious route: return to monke donke with War Hulk.

With that INT score? That would be a crime!


Less serious route: any class that gives your mule its own mount.

Now, this one, on the other hand…

[Bullet06320]

3rd party book, noble wild, https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/54699/Noble-Wild has rules for playing animals and even options for getting a human/huminoid companion.
donkey wizard with a human familar?
donkey druid with a human companion, wildshaping into a human?

[Soranar]

I'd go spell to power erudite on side A
and factotum on side B


Take tashalatora and monastic training and now your mule and use improved unarmed strike and flurry like a monk to get iteratives.

your mule can then polymorph into something to fight

[MaxiDuRaritry]

He could always go druid/master of many forms for humanoid shapes, then pretend he was a normal human druid wild shaped into a mule the whole time.

[pabelfly]

See if you can talk your DM into letting the mule having the Horseshoes of Flame from Savage Species. Fly 90 (Good), +2 Dex, +10 Int and +6 Cha for 30K. And these are untyped bonuses, so you can stack them with the Headband of Intellect.

https://cdn.britannica.com/71/126771-004-BD96C260/Mule.jpg

Truly, the face of optimal intelligence-based casting in 3.5

[Metastachydium]

Folks. Stubby has a WIS score of 11 and a beautiful 17 for INT. Why do you keep proposing Druid?


♣

Anyhow, if you are allowed to at least mention Serpent Kingdoms, in addition to the many other wonders that book has to offer, it puts an actual Monstrous Humanoid on the Improved Familiar list, at 5th level, namely the Muckdweller.

[Bohandas]

What if the mule was a smuggler

[Vaern]

Random question: When you rolled his new stats and gave him class levels, did you remember to also gain bonus ability score points for every 4th level? Or are you holding back on those until you've picked your classes?

[Remuko]

Random question: When you rolled his new stats and gave him class levels, did you remember to also gain bonus ability score points for every 4th level? Or are you holding back on those until you've picked your classes?

i dont think they rolled his stats. he's an awakened mule. which means it has the default mule stats + the bonus from being awakened. you dont roll and any ability score increases from HDs are already factored into the base mule stats.

[Metastachydium]

I just had an epiphany. We are talking about a MULE with an unusual amount of raw cognitive power. Psion (Telepath) masquerading as a humble former court jester is the obvious way to go.

[SirNibbles]

Folks. Stubby has a WIS score of 11 and a beautiful 17 for INT. Why do you keep proposing Druid?


♣

Anyhow, if you are allowed to at least mention Serpent Kingdoms, in addition to the many other wonders that book has to offer, it puts an actual Monstrous Humanoid on the Improved Familiar list, at 5th level, namely the Muckdweller.

Because you can easily get enough Wis to cast spells and (Humanoid) Wild Shape is pretty useful for someone with hooves, especially since you generally need hands to cast spells.

[paladinn]

I'm getting strong Shrek vibes from this.

Maybe Donkey is awakened. I'm thinking maybe a bard, or a cleric or druid. He is very much a wise-ass.

Then Shrek as an ogre barbarian. With layers. Like an onion.

[Metastachydium]

Because you can easily get enough Wis to cast spells and (Humanoid) Wild Shape is pretty useful for someone with hooves, especially since you generally need hands to cast spells.

Yes, yes. By ignoring all one's strengths, one can do some suboptimal and BORING safety game stuff relying on a mediocre number. I continue to hold that psionics fits better in every possible way (Asimov, anyone?) and Stubby doesn't have to jump through hoops to pull it. (And it's not like there aren't ways around not having hands by default that don't involve turning into just another Humanoid. I mean, a plain old Hand of the Mage is already something and then there's the hand-glove thing from SS, Totemist dips and stuff.)

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Yes, yes. By ignoring all one's strengths, one can do some suboptimal and BORING safety game stuff relying on a mediocre number. I continue to hold that psionics fits better in every possible way (Asimov, anyone?) and Stubby doesn't have to jump through hoops to pull it. (And it's not like there aren't ways around not having hands by default that don't involve turning into just another Humanoid. I mean, a plain old Hand of the Mage is already something and then there's the hand-glove thing from SS, Totemist dips and stuff.)Also astral construct and/or thrallherd for servants to act as hands. Telekinesis is also quite nice, especially if it's either Persisted or permanencied (or nabbed via acorn of far travel + (un)hallow). There's also the collar of perpetual attendance (from WotC's Fabulous Cats! article) for an at will unseen servant effect for a mere 2,000 gp.

[afrosoul13]

Hello yes I am said DM.
I don't use spell mats b/c that's just extra stuff no one is going to remember to grab in towns and this isn't a survival based campaign. Leadership is not allowed at the table b/c I don't have time to deal with Leadership's tomfoolery. While I won't say no to them taking classes that give them access to familiars and the like, I would rather they not so as to prevent daisy chaining into a million characters for one player.

[Cyberweasel89]

Whew! I'm sorry, I completely forgot I made this thread because of time between sessions and a two-week vacation away from my PC.

I knew asking GitP would be a great call. You guys are good civ. <3


Huh. I'm pretty sure Awakening also gives +1d3 CHA.

Oh shoot! You're right. And my DM also says Stubby will be able to read the Tome of Leadership and Influence, giving him 14 CHA in total once he does. That's definitely worth considering. He also clarified gestaltes are on the table and Dragonfire Adept is a base class, so I could gestalt it with another base class if I wanted him to become a firebreathing dragon mule!

Currently the ideas I'm most interested in are:


Psion is a definite, since he won't have to expend any resources at all to try to cast without hands, and he won't need to expend a fluckton of gold on equipment (although he can if he has it to use; just imagine those ioun stones weaving between his ears). Shaper/3.5 constructor for at-will hands and a power set that is always, always useful. Alternatively, telepath/thrallherd, also for at-will hands (albeit via a minion).

I do very much enjoy shaper on one side, and factotum 3/totemist 2/unarmed swordsage (or monk) 2/crusader (for healing) on the other. Insanely versatile, and taking the psionic open chakra power can give some really good benefits for those two totemist levels. (Phase cloak is easily my favorite soulmeld, by an absolute mile.)

I'd suggest factotum 3 on the other side, at the very least, especially if he can somehow finagle Able Learner (maybe via the Human Heritage or Human Blooded feat). "My great grandpappy was an anthro donkey. His pa was human afore he got baleful polymorphed, I think."

Sounds a bit overcomplicated, but I can't deny that there's a lot of appeal.


If you're going wizard, consider 3 levels in ruathar to grab qualification skills and then a dip in mindbender, which gives 100 ft. telepathy.

Telepathy lets the mule function as a sort of local communications hub, helps it pass as an ordinary mule and still talk to others, and qualifies it for the excellent Mindsight feat, in case you needed Mule-Based Radar.

Moreover, ruathar 3 will extend the lifespan of your mule by 50%, which might be appealing to a creature that rarely lives past 35 otherwise.

I definitely love the communications hub, mule radar, the ability to talk while maintaining a facade of an ordinary mule, and the extended lifespan! The other players in the session also spoke highly of this one.


Wizard with the right feats and Ruather /// Dragonfire Adept because how cool is a fire breathing mule!
invocations not great with poor charisma but con is preety good for your breath weapon.

just a litte outside the box thinking.


I thought of the same thing but would just use a divine bard/crusader on one side of the gestalt. The high int allows you to use words of creation and the mule hd add to initiator level.

I love the idea of adding dragonfire adept on the other side of the gestalt for fire breathing, flight invocation and dragonfire inspiration. There might be more powerful options but a singing, fire breathing donkey that marshals his party around (white raven tactics) is pretty awesome imho.

I've always had preference for bards. And firebreathing dragon mule!!!


Maybe Donkey 4 + Psion 1(egoist)/Slayer 6//Ranger 1/Psion 1/Rogue 5 (w/ penetrating strike ACF) ? Working as a gish that licks enemies to death.

Pick up Practiced Manifester and Craven to leverage the Donkey HD. Use a Mouthpick (LoM) Poison Ring (DC).

You have BAB 10, lots of skill points, Psion 7 power access and can manifest with up to 11 power points, generally good saves, deal 3d6+11(sneak)+1(poison ring)+3(Str)+2(magic) with a touch(!) attack. Vs the sneak attack immune you still deal 1d6+11(sneak)+1(poison ring)+3(Str)+2(magic) while flanking. Pick up levels in tumbling for good flanking opportunities. For psion powers things like: Thicken Skin, Empathic Transfer (backup healer), Hustle, Metamorphosis, Vigor, Force Screen, Inertial Armor, Biofeedback, Share Pain (with a psicrystal sharing Vigor), Darkvision, Touchsight, Empathic Feedback, Psychic Reformation (repick skills/feats/powers on demand).

Edit: Another thought---since the donkey and you both have Rogue, having both of you pick up Double Team (DC) could be potent. If you ride the donkey in combat, you will routinely both threaten the same opponent triggering flanking with Double Team, which also triggers sneak attack. If there is a sizing problem with riding the donkey (you are medium size) that is solvable via Expanded Knowledge[Expansion].

Nah, Kukkuk doesn't ride Stubby. He's a pack mule, not a mount to her. Most she does is lead him by his reigns and have him pull a cart.

As for this:


See if you can talk your DM into letting the mule having the Horseshoes of Flame from Savage Species. Fly 90 (Good), +2 Dex, +10 Int and +6 Cha for 30K. And these are untyped bonuses, so you can stack them with the Headband of Intellect.

Truly, the face of optimal intelligence-based casting in 3.5

My DM says that I can get two magic items for Stubby. Savage Species is iffy in his eyes, but he will tentatively allow the Horseshoes of Flame.

And as he clarified above, no Leadership and he'd prefer no familiars for Stubby because of the headache of that many people to keep track of.