What Does An Awakened Creature Do?

[Lysander]

Let's say you're a deer or an elm and some druid comes along and awakens you. The spells says you're friendly towards the druid and obeys requests. Fine.

Do you obey the druid forever? Do you have to do anything they say, or just reasonable requests that you, as a grateful plant or animal, are happy to do? Can the druid keep you with them indefinitely or do you eventually get to leave? It makes sense that a domesticated horse would let the druid keep riding it, but what about a wild animal that has its own business to attend to?

More importantly, what do you do afterward? Let's say the druid doesn't keep you with him. What does a creature that smart do with its time?

[Dervag]

I think that "friendly" should mean whatever it means in the context of other spells and Diplomacy uses. I'd say that it means "will comply with reasonable requests." It means "will obey at least a few non-suicidal orders;" think of them as a friend who owes you a few big favors. It means "may try to act independently in the druid's interests," the way a friend might.

But it doesn't mean "fanatical devotion even to the point of death and ignoring all other interests."

[Ashes]

Despair, and think of better days.

[shadzar]

Let's say you are a baby and were just born to some parents....you can move around and understand them which is above normal. Do you always do what they say?

I use this as a simple example for any created being. It fits pretty well. The thing you have to ask is, is your awakened creature in any way enlightened and have a will of their own, or just propelled by magic locomotion and understanding of the druid?

Sooner or later any creature with intelligence will seek to learn at whatever cost that is. Leaving home, or other things are simple to consider. A tree might be a bit more time before it goes anywhere because they are used to standing around, but a deer may be more apt to wander off.

I would use the intelligence of the new creature to base off how self-sufficient they will strive to be and how soon. Also consider the treatment of the druid to them.

Some will stay around forever, while others may leave rather soon depending on mental ability and treatment.

[bosssmiley]

Narrate the plot to the other lizards, before having a nervous breakdown due to isolation and disillusionment

[Alleine]

No, not everything. It says there's no special connection, but considering the druid just awakened you, you'll probably do it a few favors for awhile. Its attitude is supposed to be friendly, so whatever that entails.

As for afterward, it would probably do whatever it wanted. Maybe become a druid itself and endeavor to awaken more of its kind. At this point its entirely up to you as a PC to come up with what you want to do.

[Epinephrine]

If I were an elm that were suddenly awakened?
I think it's fair to say that I'd go out on a limb for the druid who awoke me. I suspect I'd avoid fights, but I might be willing to try to intimidate his foes, they won't know that my bark is worse than my bite.

As for what to do if left to my own devices, I'd turn over a new leaf, pull up my roots, go out and explore the world! I think trees would naturally lean toward class levels in bard. That way if asked a question they're unlikely to be stumped.

[Nostri]

I'm in agreement with everyone else that says you're not going to go jump off a cliff or jump down the gullet of a dragon for the druid but considering the druid just gave you sentience and the ability to recognize that as such you're probably going to do the guy a few huge favors. And that after awhile you'll probably wander off and do your own thing, especially if the druid goes off after asking you for a quick favor.

As for what "your own thing" consists of...I imagine that changes depending on the animal. Trees would probably stand around for a little bit (though from the tree's perspective that would be anything from a few days to a few decades, or even a few centuries). While small flighty animals like squirrels and would probably end up with an outlook that includes lots of running and jumping and 'borrowing' of things that don't actually belong to you, not that you'd really understand the difference. A wolf would probably try to better it's pack same goes for most pack and herd animals. And I can see most kinds of cats ending up, well kind of sadistic actually.

All of that second part is all my opinion though. I'd say as for personality use the animal's normal behaviour and first experiences as a template, add in some imagination (which if you're playing this game you've got ) and treat the animals like any other character.

[Keshay]

If I were an elm that were suddenly awakened?
I think it's fair to say that I'd go out on a limb for the druid who awoke me. I suspect I'd avoid fights, but I might be willing to try to intimidate his foes, they won't know that my bark is worse than my bite.

As for what to do if left to my own devices, I'd turn over a new leaf, pull up my roots, go out and explore the world! I think trees would naturally lean toward class levels in bard. That way if asked a question they're unlikely to be stumped.

I'm not sure if I'm delighted or ashamed to say that this made me laugh alot. Its just so much condensed bad pun in one place... I want to dislike it, but I just makes me laugh more because they just keep coming. Thanks for that.

[Signmaker]

Become a Rescue Ranger, naturally.

[quick_comment]

I once had the BBEG be an animal that the druid awakened early on in the campaign, during the standard "clear the goblin warren" sort of quest.

He wanted revenge for the druid dragging him from his idyllic world to the world of intelligent creatures, where we have evil and cruelty.

He was a necromancer//druid/blighter

[Optimystik]

Presumably it would go back to sleep at some point...

[Jergmo]

An Awakened red-furred cat would open a hotel, breed monstrous spiders, and have a voice like Paul Schoeffler.

[blazinghand]

Take over. Awaken your brethren through any means necessary.

[Lysander]

Take over. Awaken your brethren through any means necessary.

Guess awakening also requires keeping the animal happy. Otherwise there could be some cow out there that seeks your doom.

[Rising Phoenix]

Would an awakened animal druid have an animal companion or a humanoid companion?

A cat druid with a humanoid companion would what a cat's supposed to be...

Also I like the idea of a awakened tree bard. Especially if the tree's a weeping willow...

R.P.

[Tiki Snakes]

I think Shadzar is not a million miles from what I'd say, myself. However, the psychology of the creature itself is worth baring in mind.

Some creatures are essentially social, pack/herd animals. Some are more likely to seek and expect independance than others.

Also, as anyone who's watched many nature shows would know, life as 'an animal' is not some idilic life of innocence. It's a grimdark struggle every waking moment to A) Find enough food not to starve to death and B) Not be eaten alive by things with horrible nashing teeth.

That's in a mundane world. Add in the kind of terrible things you routinely find in the DnD world's wild, and, yeah. Idilic not so much. :)

I could quite see, for example, a Deer simply returning to it's herd and living much as before, all-beit slightly more cunning in it's life and daily travails. A wolf, or other pack-predator could very likely either take over it's pack or be shunned. If ostracised, i'd imagine such 'social' creatures would very likely attatch themselves to their only other option, the Druid (and the other PC's).

Though natural urges will remain, and they'd likely attempt to start their own herd/pack from time to time.

Personally, I'd imagine that Awakened Animals that are abandoned eventually, or that never really take up with the wizard, are likely to be the source of myths and local legends for hundreds of years to come. Mythical, uncatchable White Harts. The One-Eyed King of the Wolves, etc etc.

Solitary types would likely wander off and largely return to life as they know it before long, though would probably also soon acheive a much more legendary reputation.

[Admiral Squish]

If an awakened animal mates with another awakened animal, are the children awakened too? Or are they just normal beasties?

[Indon]

'Friendly' as an attitude has a general definition already.

A diplomacy-using Druid could Awaken an animal, then make a DC 20 Diplomacy check to render it Helpful. I don't think Wild Empathy would work on an awakened animal, but I'm not sure on that.

[Flickerdart]

If an awakened animal mates with another awakened animal, are the children awakened too? Or are they just normal beasties?

The new animal is a Magical Beast. The old one is an Animal. It wouldn't work out.

[Dixieboy]

The new animal is a Magical Beast. The old one is an Animal. It wouldn't work out.

Care to explain what you mean?

[Bonecrusher Doc]

I would think an awakened plant/animal would feel very alone in the world unless it met another awakened plant/animal. It would have little in common intellectually with individuals of its own species that are unawakened, but little in common in life experience with other fully sentient beings.

So, if I had an awakened plant/animal in my campaign, it would probably make it its business to find somebody to awaken a companion for him/her. Is this starting to sound like Bride of Frankenstein?

[Tiki Snakes]

It's starting to sound like Frankenstein, the book, nevermind any dodgy film. :)

Good way to play it, if you're going for a slightly almost-horror route, perhaps.

I'd say whether or not such a creature would feel alone depends very much on the psychology of the creature itself, though, rather than being automatic. I'd say it would very much still have every single instinct and impulse that it had beforehand, because if nothing else, it doesn't gain anything externally, per say. It wouldn't suddenly adopt a human psychology or value system, it would still very much be the creature you awakened still.

I can't imagine, for example, an Awakened Tiger or Bear being particularly non-plussed by the situation, as they basically have as little to do with each other as possible on a day-to-day basis already anyway.

[nightwyrm]

Care to explain what you mean?

Different species...err...type, which I guess is a greater classification than species...it would be like a humanoid doing it with an abberation that looked like the humanoid's species....

[Admiral Squish]

Different species...err...type, which I guess is a greater classification than species...it would be like a humanoid doing it with an abberation that looked like the humanoid's species....

I'm not sure where you're getting this from. I'm asking what if you took one wolf and cast awaken on it. Then took another wolf, and cast awaken on it, and the two mated and had a pup. Would said pup be awakened? Would it just be a normal beastie?

[nightwyrm]

I'm not sure where you're getting this from. I'm asking what if you took one wolf and cast awaken on it. Then took another wolf, and cast awaken on it, and the two mated and had a pup. Would said pup be awakened? Would it just be a normal beastie?

Ah, my mistake. I thought you meant one awaken and one normal.

[Kylarra]

I'm not sure where you're getting this from. I'm asking what if you took one wolf and cast awaken on it. Then took another wolf, and cast awaken on it, and the two mated and had a pup. Would said pup be awakened? Would it just be a normal beastie?

I asked that a while ago. My guess would be "yes" because they're both magical beasts at that point.

[Doc Roc]

Despair, and think of better days.

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