animal companion/class lvls [Archive] - Wizards Community

animal companion/class lvls [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Disturbed1
05-05-04, 05:23 PM if i want to have my animal companion gain class lvls, then does he have had the awaken spell used on him? If so, i realize that he is no longer my animal companion. i am going by 3.5 rules.

thx

dis1
Talmariel
05-05-04, 10:35 PM This is pretty sad, but as far as a straight read of the rules goes, there's nothing stopping you from leveling your animal companion with player class levels. As a DM, I would never allow it in my game unless the animal was the subject of an awaken spell, as you suggested. Talk it over with your DM.
Pixieboy
05-06-04, 02:57 AM ÁCTUALLY NO CREATURE WITH AN INTELLIGEN LOWER THAN 3, THAT IS 2 OR 1 CAN GAIN CLASS LEVELS.

SUCH CREATURES ADVANCE ONLY THROUGH HD.

IN ED.3.5 AN AWAKENED ANIMAL CAN'T SERVE AS YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION. YOU COULD ONLY TAKE IT AS YOUR COHORT.
OR KEEP IT A CREATURE WITH VERY LIKELY A FRIENDLY/HELPFULL ATTITUTE TOWARDS YOU.

THE ONLY WAY FOR YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE IN CLASS LEVELS IS FOR IT TO GAIN AN INHERENT BONUS TO INTELLIGENCE

OR

FOR YOU TO TAKE LEVELS IN THE BEASTMASTER PRESTIGE CLASS (MOTW) WHICH RAISES YOUR ANIMAL COMPANIONS INTELLIGENCE ABOVE 2.

EVEN THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO TALK YOUR DM TO ALLOWING YOU TO TURN THE BONUS HD INTO CLASS LEVELS.
OF COURSE EVERY WORTHY DM SHOULD ALLOW THIS SINCE IT OVERPOWERS YOUR CHARACTER SO MUCH WHICH IS VERY FUNNY.

YOU COULD ALSO CIRCUMVENT THE RULES BY USING WISH OR MIRACLE TO GIVE A SENTIENCE TO YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION.
SINCE IT WAS NOT STRICTLY SPEAKING AWAKENED PER THE SPELL AWAKEN IT COULD STILL ACCORDING TO THE RULES SERVE AS YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION.

GIVING YOUR ANIMAL COMPANIONS 1 LVL IN THE SPELLCASTING CLASSES IS VERY HANDY SINCE AFTER THAT THEY CAN USE ALL THE WANDS AND STAFFS AND POSSIBLY EVEN SCROLLS YOU'LL EVER NEED.

IF YOU CAN ADVANCE THEM FURTHER THAN 1-2 LEVELS IT IS QUITE HANDY TO GIVE THEM ITEM CONSTRUCTION FEATS.

SINCE THEY HAVE NO EXP. BECAUSE THEY ARE ANIMAL COMPANIONS NOT COHORTS, YOU CAN AVOID THE COSTS.
The Red Wizard
05-06-04, 03:08 AM I would allow it when the companion was awakened(may heaven help me when my druid reads this). But don't think i will allow spellcasting classes. A companion with a few levels of barbarian or rogue would be cool.

oh and pixieboy I think your capslock is stuck or something:rolleyes:
Talmariel
05-06-04, 09:14 AM Pixieboy, could you quote something about no creature with an Intelligence lower than 3 taking class levels? I looked everywhere I could think of. The Monsters as Races section (pg 172 of the DMG) says creatures with an Intelligence below 3 aren't playable as PCs, but it doesn't say they can't take class levels.

PS: I second The Red Wizard; please don't type in caps.
Conaill
05-06-04, 08:20 PM Here's teh quote you need, from Savage Species, pg. 106:You must advance a monster by type if it lacks the intelligence to gain class levels (minimum 3).
So yes, you can still advance your animal companion by adding class levels, but you would need to Awaken it first, at which point it can no longer be your animal companion (ditto for familiars and special mounts).

An Awakened animal can be a cohort or follower however, provided you take the Leadership feat. For more information, including Level Adjustements, please come check out the Awakened Animal thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=213092).
Talmariel
05-06-04, 08:22 PM Thanks for the quote, I'm glad it's written down somewhere. Seemed common sense, but it's nice to have something substantial to battle rules lawyers. :D
Elf-Killer
05-07-04, 01:56 AM what about the "exalted companion" feat? if I recall it correctly, it turns your animal companion into a Magical Beast, giving him INT 4 among other stuff (such as fighters base and darkvision), and then your animal companion would be eligible to gain class level, right?
*I'm playing a druid and talking to my DM about this, but I would never even think about a spellcasting class...
Conaill
05-07-04, 11:17 AM I don't have the BoED, but my impression is that an Exalted Companion would still be subject to the normal companion rules with regard to advancement etc. So no class levels.

Note that you could make this same argument about wizard familars or paladin's mounts - both of which have Int greater than 3. Doesn't mean that they can take class levels and still remain a familiar or mount. Heck, they don't gain any XP, so how would they advance in class levels!?

Here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181923)'s another "NO" vote on this topic.
Pixieboy
05-07-04, 01:10 PM They don't gain exp. but I remembber a magic items which transferred you to the next lvl.

Then there's Deific Intercession.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Disturbed1 05-05-04, 05:23 PM	if i want to have my animal companion gain class lvls, then does he have had the awaken spell used on him? If so, i realize that he is no longer my animal companion. i am going by 3.5 rules. thx dis1
Talmariel 05-05-04, 10:35 PM	This is pretty sad, but as far as a straight read of the rules goes, there's nothing stopping you from leveling your animal companion with player class levels. As a DM, I would never allow it in my game unless the animal was the subject of an awaken spell, as you suggested. Talk it over with your DM.
Pixieboy 05-06-04, 02:57 AM	ÁCTUALLY NO CREATURE WITH AN INTELLIGEN LOWER THAN 3, THAT IS 2 OR 1 CAN GAIN CLASS LEVELS. SUCH CREATURES ADVANCE ONLY THROUGH HD. IN ED.3.5 AN AWAKENED ANIMAL CAN'T SERVE AS YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION. YOU COULD ONLY TAKE IT AS YOUR COHORT. OR KEEP IT A CREATURE WITH VERY LIKELY A FRIENDLY/HELPFULL ATTITUTE TOWARDS YOU. THE ONLY WAY FOR YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE IN CLASS LEVELS IS FOR IT TO GAIN AN INHERENT BONUS TO INTELLIGENCE OR FOR YOU TO TAKE LEVELS IN THE BEASTMASTER PRESTIGE CLASS (MOTW) WHICH RAISES YOUR ANIMAL COMPANIONS INTELLIGENCE ABOVE 2. EVEN THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO TALK YOUR DM TO ALLOWING YOU TO TURN THE BONUS HD INTO CLASS LEVELS. OF COURSE EVERY WORTHY DM SHOULD ALLOW THIS SINCE IT OVERPOWERS YOUR CHARACTER SO MUCH WHICH IS VERY FUNNY. YOU COULD ALSO CIRCUMVENT THE RULES BY USING WISH OR MIRACLE TO GIVE A SENTIENCE TO YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION. SINCE IT WAS NOT STRICTLY SPEAKING AWAKENED PER THE SPELL AWAKEN IT COULD STILL ACCORDING TO THE RULES SERVE AS YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION. GIVING YOUR ANIMAL COMPANIONS 1 LVL IN THE SPELLCASTING CLASSES IS VERY HANDY SINCE AFTER THAT THEY CAN USE ALL THE WANDS AND STAFFS AND POSSIBLY EVEN SCROLLS YOU'LL EVER NEED. IF YOU CAN ADVANCE THEM FURTHER THAN 1-2 LEVELS IT IS QUITE HANDY TO GIVE THEM ITEM CONSTRUCTION FEATS. SINCE THEY HAVE NO EXP. BECAUSE THEY ARE ANIMAL COMPANIONS NOT COHORTS, YOU CAN AVOID THE COSTS.
The Red Wizard 05-06-04, 03:08 AM	I would allow it when the companion was awakened(may heaven help me when my druid reads this). But don't think i will allow spellcasting classes. A companion with a few levels of barbarian or rogue would be cool. oh and pixieboy I think your capslock is stuck or something:rolleyes:
Talmariel 05-06-04, 09:14 AM	Pixieboy, could you quote something about no creature with an Intelligence lower than 3 taking class levels? I looked everywhere I could think of. The Monsters as Races section (pg 172 of the DMG) says creatures with an Intelligence below 3 aren't playable as PCs, but it doesn't say they can't take class levels. PS: I second The Red Wizard; please don't type in caps.
Conaill 05-06-04, 08:20 PM	Here's teh quote you need, from Savage Species, pg. 106:You must advance a monster by type if it lacks the intelligence to gain class levels (minimum 3). So yes, you can still advance your animal companion by adding class levels, but you would need to Awaken it first, at which point it can no longer be your animal companion (ditto for familiars and special mounts). An Awakened animal can be a cohort or follower however, provided you take the Leadership feat. For more information, including Level Adjustements, please come check out the Awakened Animal thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=213092).
Talmariel 05-06-04, 08:22 PM	Thanks for the quote, I'm glad it's written down somewhere. Seemed common sense, but it's nice to have something substantial to battle rules lawyers. :D
Elf-Killer 05-07-04, 01:56 AM	what about the "exalted companion" feat? if I recall it correctly, it turns your animal companion into a Magical Beast, giving him INT 4 among other stuff (such as fighters base and darkvision), and then your animal companion would be eligible to gain class level, right? *I'm playing a druid and talking to my DM about this, but I would never even think about a spellcasting class...
Conaill 05-07-04, 11:17 AM	I don't have the BoED, but my impression is that an Exalted Companion would still be subject to the normal companion rules with regard to advancement etc. So no class levels. Note that you could make this same argument about wizard familars or paladin's mounts - both of which have Int greater than 3. Doesn't mean that they can take class levels and still remain a familiar or mount. Heck, they don't gain any XP, so how would they advance in class levels!? Here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181923)'s another "NO" vote on this topic.
Pixieboy 05-07-04, 01:10 PM	They don't gain exp. but I remembber a magic items which transferred you to the next lvl. Then there's Deific Intercession.