Increasing the hit dice of an animal

[Jay R]

Is there a way to increase the hit dice of an animal -- even for just a short time?

The party is trapped in Faerie, with no way to get home. There are too many of them for planar shift to work. Five PCs, one cohort, one NPC, 2 animal companions, a familiar, and a pet riding dog.

They are 7th level, and I was planning to have an evil cleric cast blasphemy on them.

But the riding dog only has two hit dice, and the minimum level to cast blasphemy is 13th. Therefore the dog would be killed.

How do I avoid this? [Yes, I know -- DM fiat. I will do that if I have to, but I much prefer not to.]

Is there a way to get her to 4 hit dice?

I am not (at present) looking for a way to avoid using blasphemy. How can I use blasphemy without killing Cressida?

[Thurbane]

Bardic Inspire Greatness can add 2 bonus HD, but I've seen some debate as to how these HD work, exactly. FWIW, as a DM, I'd definitely let it count.

[Fero]

Can you just arrange for the riding dog to not be in the AoE? For example, it gets scared and refuses to enter the dungeon/location of the cleric fight? You could even allow a high DC handle animal to convince the dog to overcome its fear (and thus die).

[Jay R]

Bardic Inspire Greatness can add 2 bonus HD, but I've seen some debate as to how these HD work, exactly. FWIW, as a DM, I'd definitely let it count.

Hmmmm... That might work. There is one other person in the room. I'm currently planning on her being a witch, but I could make her a 9th level bard. Since she will know what is going on, she could do that. It changes the encounter, but that might be necessary.

In any event, are there any other ideas?


Can you just arrange for the riding dog to not be in the AoE? For example, it gets scared and refuses to enter the dungeon/location of the cleric fight? You could even allow a high DC handle animal to convince the dog to overcome its fear (and thus die).

Sure, but that misses the point. The goal is to send them all home alive.

The blasphemy spell banishes all non-evil creatures to their home plane. But it also kills anyone ten or more levels lower than the caster. If Cressida is not in the area of effect, then she will not be killed, but she will also not be sent back to her home world.

The goal is for her to be hit with the spell by a caster with less than ten more hit dice than she has. The seventh level blasphemy spell must be cast by a 13th level cleric (or more). It kills anything of 3 or fewer hit dice. A riding dog has 2 hit dice; I need a way to bump that up to 4.

[JNAProductions]

Can an Ur-Priest get the spell at a lower CL?

[ShurikVch]

Two possible variants:

1) Simpler variant: how about to replace the Cleric with Ur-priest or Divine Crusader - they could cast Blasphemy at CL 7

2) More complicated variant: give the dog Warbeast template - it adds +1 HD. But 3 HD is still deadly at CL 13? OK, replace Cleric with Nar Demonbinder - they would be able to cast Blasphemy at CL 12 (or at 11 - if entry class is Suel Arcanamach - then you wouldn't even need to add Warbeast. Or even at 10 - if Psi-Hunter from Dragon #281)

[spectralphoenix]

Awaken gives +2 HD.

If they're on another plane, you could just say that the nature-oriented powers of this area of Faerie provide natural animals with Inspire Greatness or another set of buffs that includes an HD bonus.

[Gruftzwerg]

Can't you just create a situation where the blinking dog is out of the spells range (40ft spread centered on caster)?

Let it chase a cat or something^^

Remind you that it easily can Dimension Door outta range. It could even prepare an action for that theoretically.

[JNAProductions]

Can't you just create a situation where the blinking dog is out of the spells range (40ft spread centered on caster)?

Let it chase a cat or something^^

Remind you that it easily can Dimension Door outta range. It could even prepare an action for that theoretically.

It needs to be in range.
That’s the whole point.

[Rebel7284]

I see two simple solutions:
1. Increase HD. Bardic Music is the easiest and with enough optimization can grant up to 9 HD. Polymorphing into something like Dusk Giant or Barghest is usually referenced as alternative ways of getting HD, but at 2HD, that route might be impossible.
2. Get a bag of holding. Put Animal into bag of holding DO NOT FORGET TO RETRIEVE THE ANIMAL BEFORE AIR RUNS OUT.

[Biggus]

Is there some reason they can't just cast Death Ward on the dog?

[Maat Mons]

Blasphemy isn't tagged as a death effect, so by RAW Death Ward doesn't help.

Couldn't you just use two castings of Greater Plane Shift? With the greater version, you can negate the chance of off-target arrival.

Or, at character level 14, an Ur Priest can have access to Gate, which gets everyone there with just one casting.

[Inevitability]

Magic Miasma is a Spell Compendium spell that creates an AoE that both serves as a Solid Fog and to reduce caster level (not caster level check, caster level). Perhaps you could have random faerie magic create a zone with those properties?

[daremetoidareyo]

Mutagenic fungus? Apply a hd increasing acquired template when the dog is caught eating it. Subtract 2k gold from the loot and call it a day

[Jay R]

Some great suggestions here. Every suggestion – even the ones I don’t use for whatever reason – improves my knowledge of the game. Thanks for all the help.

Avoiding the spell avoids the solution to get home. I want all of them affected by the spell, but I also want them to survive it.

The bard won’t put her dog in a Bag of Holding without a reason. And I would like this to come as a surprise.

Let me give you some more background. The players are all long-term D&D players, but this is their first time playing 3.5e, so they have no system mastery. They are 7th levels trying to get home, and they have no idea how. They are currently trying to find a well-known epic-level pixie ultimate magus, whom they will never be able to locate.

They asked an oracle (a tree) how to get home. It said the one-word answer, “Blasphemy”. They don’t know about the spell blasphemy, and concluded, naturally enough, that the tree thinks wanting to leave Faerie would be blasphemous.

I intend to subvert expectations, and have evil characters help them. A witch will hear about their situation, and call an evil cleric to banish them with blasphemy. She will not bother to explain it to them. [“Helpful” doesn’t mean “nice”.] So the only ones present who will know the cleric is trying to help them will be the cleric and the witch. The witch can cast a spell to help, if that’s called for.

You’ve given me some good options.
Bardic greatness would work, but it requires me to invent a ninth level bard.
I might make the cleric an Ur-Priest, or some other class who can cast it at a lower caster level.
Magical Miasma looks like a good option, especially the idea of a zone that automatically does it. I’ve already invented a Feywilde spark equivalent that increases CL in the area, so I have no problem inventing the other.
Mutagenic fungus would work – though it seems a bit arbitrary. And they will be going through a mushroom forest.


There is one idea that fits the rest of the plot really well, though.

The party has just saved Animal Land (a Narnia-like kingdom of talking animals) from an invasion, so it’s quite reasonable for the talking animal to give some reward to the animals in the party (beyond the magic items already given). Based on the help you’ve all provided, it seems to me that they will cast awaken on the dog, making it a talking animal like themselves (and incidentally, providing the two extra hit dice I need).

In that case, I should probably come up with an equally good reward for the druid’s cheetah animal companion, the ranger’s riding dog animal companion, and the wizard’s raven familiar. Any ideas on that? [Awaken doesn’t work on familiars or animal companions.]

Again, thank you all for your knowledge and willingness to help.

[Gorthawar]

There is one idea that fits the rest of the plot really well, though.

The party has just saved Animal Land (a Narnia-like kingdom of talking animals) from an invasion, so it’s quite reasonable for the talking animal to give some reward to the animals in the party (beyond the magic items already given). Based on the help you’ve all provided, it seems to me that they will cast awaken on the dog, making it a talking animal like themselves (and incidentally, providing the two extra hit dice I need).

In that case, I should probably come up with an equally good reward for the druid’s cheetah animal companion, the ranger’s riding dog animal companion, and the wizard’s raven familiar. Any ideas on that? [Awaken doesn’t work on familiars or animal companions.]

Again, thank you all for your knowledge and willingness to help.

You could make the awaken effect temporary. Perhaps as a result of the dog eating the magic dog treats that were lying around at the victory celebration. They could have some interesting conversation and then on return to the material plane the dog would slowly revert to their previous self. That way you wouldn't have to unbalance the party or give everyone boosts.

[Inevitability]

In that case, I should probably come up with an equally good reward for the druid’s cheetah animal companion, the ranger’s riding dog animal companion, and the wizard’s raven familiar. Any ideas on that? [Awaken doesn’t work on familiars or animal companions.]

Again, thank you all for your knowledge and willingness to help.

All of these are magically linked to casters, so perhaps have them tap into a little bit of that magic on their own? An innate 1/day SLA can be both memorable and balanced if it's nothing too obtrusive.

[Jay R]

You could make the awaken effect temporary. Perhaps as a result of the dog eating the magic dog treats that were lying around at the victory celebration. They could have some interesting conversation and then on return to the material plane the dog would slowly revert to their previous self. That way you wouldn't have to unbalance the party or give everyone boosts.

That's a good idea, and I'll hold onto it. I'm not too concerned that moving the dog up to 4 HD, or giving intelligence to a creature with no hands, is unbalancing for a party that will reach level 8 about the time it happens. But you're right – I need to be careful about the other animals.


All of these are magically linked to casters, so perhaps have them tap into a little bit of that magic on their own? An innate 1/day SLA can be both memorable and balanced if it's nothing too obtrusive.

Ooh ... good idea. How does this sound to people?

Riding dog normal: awakened
Riding dog animal companion: detect animals SLA 1/day (like the spell detect animals or plants)
Cheetah animal companion: multiattack feat.
Raven familiar: mage hand SLA (limited to shiny objects no more than 3 lbs)

[The player has established the raven's love for "shinies" long since.]

Does this seem fun, reasonably fair, and not over-powered? Do you have any alternative ideas for me to consider?

[Telonius]

Alignment seems to be the issue. Are you 100% certain that the dog is, in fact, a Good boy?

[Tzardok]

Equipment for the animals, like protective collars, could work out. That could also solve the Blasphemy problem; there has to be an item somewhere that protects from instant death and can conceivably reshaped into a collar.

[Chronos]

Raven familiar: mage hand SLA (limited to shiny objects no more than 3 lbs)
[The player has established the raven's love for "shinies" long since.]
This one has all sorts of potential for fun shenanigans. Especially if you play familiars as having their own personalities and motivations (i.e., the DM sometimes says what the familiar does, not always the player).

[Darg]

Blasphemy isn't tagged as a death effect, so by RAW Death Ward doesn't help.

Couldn't you just use two castings of Greater Plane Shift? With the greater version, you can negate the chance of off-target arrival.

Or, at character level 14, an Ur Priest can have access to Gate, which gets everyone there with just one casting.


death attack: A spell or special ability that instantly slays the target, such as finger of death. Neither raise dead nor reincarnation can grant life to a creature slain by a death attack, though resurrection and more powerful effects can.


DEATH ATTACKS
Lidda, scouting ahead of her party, meets the eyes of the figure she discovers in the shadows. It’s one of the awful undead creatures known as bodaks. She feels a sudden vertigo, as her spark of life itself is attacked by the bodak’s supernatural power.
The bodak’s abyssal eyes can kill with a glance. The dreaded power word kill spell can slay without even allowing the victim a saving throw. A single arrow of slaying can fell a dragon. Even a fighter with 100 hit points can be killed by a single death attack. In most cases, a death attack allows the victim a Fortitude save to avoid the affect, but if the save fails, the character dies instantly.
• Raise dead doesn’t work on someone killed by a death attack.
• Death attacks slay instantly. A victim cannot be made stable and
thereby kept alive.
• In case it matters, a dead character, no matter how she died, has
–10 hit points.
• The spell death ward protects a character against these attacks.

Blasphemy is an attack. Blasphemy instantly slays the target. Ergo, death ward protects from blasphemy. It does not need the death descriptor to protect from blasphemy because it falls under the general rule for death attacks.

[Jay R]

Alignment seems to be the issue. Are you 100% certain that the dog is, in fact, a Good boy?

Giggle. Oh, well done.

[For the record, I am 100% sure that she is not a Good boy.]


Equipment for the animals, like protective collars, could work out. That could also solve the Blasphemy problem; there has to be an item somewhere that protects from instant death and can conceivably reshaped into a collar.

It's a good idea, but they each received one piece of equipment at the end of the last session. [The three mammals got bracers of armor +2; the raven got a ring of resistance +2.] I want to avoid piling on a lot all of equipment at once.


This one has all sorts of potential for fun shenanigans. Especially if you play familiars as having their own personalities and motivations (i.e., the DM sometimes says what the familiar does, not always the player).

Yup. I assume that the character generally plays the familiar, animal companion, cohort, follower, hireling or trained animal. But I reserve the right to take over occasionally. In 11 sessions for this game, I think I've done that twice.

If this goes as I expect it to, when the evil cleric starts casting, I will do so again. The cohort cleric will recognize the spell, and call out, "Don't resist! Let it happen!"

And yes, if there is a free shiny nearby, the raven will indeed go get it.


Blasphemy is an attack. Blasphemy instantly slays the target. Ergo, death ward protects from blasphemy. It does not need the death descriptor to protect from blasphemy because it falls under the general rule for death attacks.

Feel free to keep debating this if you like. General rules discussions help people explore the rules.

But it no longer matters to the original discussion. I'm not going to use death ward for reasons having to do with the scenario. Also, as the DM in question, I would rule that it does indeed prevent the death part of blasphemy. But I recognize that as a DM judgment call that other DMs might not agree with.

Everybody: thanks for all the discussion. I'm learning far more about the rules that just the answer to my question. Feel free to add more ideas.

[GeoffWatson]

Have the dog mysteriously survive.
Don't draw attention to it specifically.
If someone says that the dog should have died, smile enigmatically.

[Inevitability]

Giggle. Oh, well done.

The banishment effect doesn't require creatures to be Good, merely nonevil. A TN dog would be affected.

[ciopo]

The evil cleric could kindly decide to dismissal the riding dog before shooting off the blasphemy.

Or maybe Cressidia was outside the blasphemy, doggos beimg doggos she was investigating an interesting smell! The party get blasphemiedand bam! After the 1d10 minutes of paralysis they do an headcount and find out the doggo was missing, oh no! A bit of tension later she pops out from nothing(actually from receiving a dismissal)