monkey with a typewriter

[Wraithy]

are there any rules for playing an awakend animal using the point buy system? and at what point do you start having LA?

also, what sorts of fun have the players of awakend animal characters had?

[FireSpark]

are there any rules for playing an awakend animal using the point buy system? and at what point do you start having LA?

also, what sorts of fun have the players of awakend animal characters had?

Check in the back of the 3.0 Savage Species book. It gives a chart for anthropomorphic characters, which isn't a far cry from just being an awakened animal. Gives HD, LA, attribute adjustments, and skills. Should be enough to point you in the right direction.

[Wraithy]

another book?
typical that my loved ones would ban me from buying any more D&D books now.
do the stats convert to 3.5 easily?

[Reel On, Love]

Man, homebrew some rules or get someone to do it for you or something, just don't shell out cash for Savage [ ] Species. That book is so crap it's full of dung beetles.

[FireSpark]

another book?
typical that my loved ones would ban me from buying any more D&D books now.
do the stats convert to 3.5 easily?

To answer your question (rather than deride anything or anyone), yes the stats convert quite easily. The anthropomorphic really is just a giant list, showing the type of creature, its racial HD, its ability adjustments, skill points, and favored class. IIRC, all anthros have similar skill selections.


And in my, ever so humble opinion, no resource is ever useless, as long as you (the one using it) have a use for it.

[Stephen_E]

To work out the LA for an awaken creature take a look at some of the LA as a cohort figures in the MM.

My estimate is that been awakened is worth about +1LA, If you allow animals to cast spells as a animal AND make unarmed attacks you could possibly make them a +2LA (I wouldn't unless you were leaning towards the extra +1LA anyway).

Then you just have to work out what LA the creature would be unawakened.
As I mentioned, looking at Cohort animals that are similair to get a judgement.
For Example A Winter Wolf is +3La. A Dire Wolf has the same HD, better stat bonuses, no breath weapon, no breath bite, no invunerability, but no vunerbility either. A Breath weapon is generally cinsidered a LA on it's own. Immunities are better than vuneribilities are bad.

Looking at Animal Companions and Special Mounts may help as well.
Base rule, - there is no base rule. You can make general guidelines, but each species is a case on it's own.

Savage Species does have a set of guideline for calculating a level adj, but they stress that after calculating it you then compare it against a standard race PC of the appropraite type and decide on power terms which you'd rather play. Keep knocking the LA down until it isn't a dead cert that you choose the standard PC. (yeah the guidelines do tend to inflate the LA).

Stephen

[BardicDuelist]

It is actually very simple:
Take the animal and add 2 HD (as per the spell), +1d3 Cha and give it an Int score of 3d6. You start off as whatever ECL your HD is. When you level-up, you start taking class levels.

So, for example, a monkey character would have Str -6, Dex +4, Wis +2, Cha -4 as its ability modifiers. You would generate its stats normally, except that Int would be 3d6, and Cha would have 1d3 added to it. It would have 3 animal HD (3d8).

(Note that the size changes to small instead of tiny when it advances HD above one, so that it does not have the extra -2 to Str that a tiny creature would have).

An LA is not usually necessary.

For using point buy, I would just have you buy Int and Cha normally (and just remove the -4 Cha modifier).

[PlatinumJester]

Man, homebrew some rules or get someone to do it for you or something, just don't shell out cash for Savage mother@#$! Species. That book is so crap it's full of dung beetles.

Our DM hates homebrewing. Sorry

[MrNexx]

(Note that the size changes to small instead of tiny when it advances HD above one, so that it does not have the extra -2 to Str that a tiny creature would have).

Is this actually the case? I would see these increased HD as being more on par with class levels, or the bonus HD from an animal companion... they don't increase your size, just reflect your improved potential because you're smarter and better able to take advantage of your strengths.

And wouldn't those HD be Magical Beast, instead of Animal (therefore D10s and better BAB)?

[Zincorium]

Our DM hates homebrewing. Sorry

Er...what?

This is like saying a golfer doesn't like grass. It may not constitute the entirety of the game, but it's certainly a common convention. Unless the DM is worried about screwing up and causing balance issues, is just unbelievably lazy, or so crazily restrictive that they won't allow things they made into the game, there is no reason they can't quickly homebrew things.

[Fixer]

I actually played an intelligent monkey rogue once. It was assumed he wasn't actually awakened (so no extra HD) and we used the anthropomorphic animal LA (which was 0 for the monkey) and I had a blast. Hiding behind other characters and sniping was his best strategy.

[Were-Sandwich]

Oh, you want to talk about awakened monkeys When I saw the title, I tought you were referring to WOTC's editing team.

[BardicDuelist]

Is this actually the case? I would see these increased HD as being more on par with class levels, or the bonus HD from an animal companion... they don't increase your size, just reflect your improved potential because you're smarter and better able to take advantage of your strengths.

And wouldn't those HD be Magical Beast, instead of Animal (therefore D10s and better BAB)?

Yes, it would be magical beast (my mistake). I am not sure, but as a DM it wouldn't matter either way to me.

[PlatinumJester]

Er...what?

This is like saying a golfer doesn't like grass. It may not constitute the entirety of the game, but it's certainly a common convention. Unless the DM is worried about screwing up and causing balance issues, is just unbelievably lazy, or so crazily restrictive that they won't allow things they made into the game, there is no reason they can't quickly homebrew things.

Uh a certain person in our group started homebrewing too much and now the DM hates it (alot).

[Stephen_E]

Yes, it would be magical beast (my mistake). I am not sure, but as a DM it wouldn't matter either way to me.

Awaken gives the animal the Magical Beast (augumented) type.
-----------From SRD
Augmented Subtype

A creature receives this subtype whenever something happens to change its original type. Some creatures (those with an inherited template) are born with this subtype; others acquire it when they take on an acquired template. The augmented subtype is always paired with the creature’s original type. A creature with the augmented subtype usually has the traits of its current type, but the features of its original type.
-------------
HD are features.

LA adjustments are interesting.
Dire animals in particular tend to have big stat advantages. Some of them can even potentially use weapons (Dire Ape). Thus I think you're been somewhat generous if you simply take the animal, add the +2 HD and say "no LA".

It'll work sometimes, but others will be to powerful.

Stephen

[StickMan]

Total thought this was going to be a shot at how well typed the Wizards books come out.

I think there was an article on the Wizards site awhile back not sure.