Is this legal to players? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Is this legal to players? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
shogunboy
05-17-07, 10:22 PM Playing a race that isn't normally playable, but after the player said that his character was cast awaken before he any class levels. Can the player do that before the first session starts? If it does, will this count towards their starting money?
DarkNick
05-17-07, 10:44 PM What is the race?

You realise that as the DM you can say no.
Millennium
05-17-07, 10:46 PM Keep in mind that awaken only works on plants and animals.

An awakened animal is technically a legal choice for player characters, but it has some unique challenges. Few animals, for example, have opposable thumbs, and without those you can't really wield weapons. Spells with somatic and material components can also be problematic for such characters.

Being awakened doesn't technically count against a player character's starting money, which is good, because most starting characters wouldn't have enough money to get that spell cast on them anyway. However, you're well within your rights to ask the player to provide some background. Who cast awaken on the animal who would become the PC, and why? Why isn't the PC with that person anymore? If the caster is still alive, are the two still on good terms?
Neutronium_Dragon
05-18-07, 12:09 AM Generally speaking, any traits which are inherent to the race (even a nonstandard one) of a player character are cost-covered by the creature's Equivalent Character Level.

Background events, such as the fact that someone once cast Awaken on the creature, don't have any start-of-game costs unless they actually provide additional resources of some sort - but for racial traits, that's covered by the ECL, not by money.
tos_shai_hulud
05-18-07, 04:20 AM Keep in mind that the Awaken spell grants two hit dice to animals, and most trees have more than one hit die. Chances are, this creature, either plant or magical beast, will not make a good first level character.
Frugal
05-18-07, 10:00 PM Keep in mind that the Awaken spell grants two hit dice to animals, and most trees have more than one hit die. Chances are, this creature, either plant or magical beast, will not make a good first level character.

Well if he has multiple HD then he can't be a 1st level character. So if the OP's starting at 1st level there's your answer right there, more than 1 HD? Can't do it.
Kouk
05-20-07, 12:09 AM If you want to allow the player to be some plant or animal that has been awakened then it wouldn't have anything to do with his money, because someone of their own accord awakened them (not many badgers save up their money to get Awakened). Then after whatever the heck awakened them, they became PCs and get starting money they scrounge up.
Enigmous
05-20-07, 12:21 AM Undead can be awakened aswell. Awaken undead for the suck.
pmurray@bigpond.com
05-21-07, 01:20 AM Raises interesting possibilities at higher level. How about if a NPC druid awakened a fast-moving vine (one of them strangling vines) and took that for his "animal companion"? It would live by taking root occasionally, but would uproot to travel wrapped around the druid.
Kouk
05-21-07, 02:20 AM Raises interesting possibilities at higher level. How about if a NPC druid awakened a fast-moving vine (one of them strangling vines) and took that for his "animal companion"? It would live by taking root occasionally, but would uproot to travel wrapped around the druid.

As far as I know, animal companions have to be animals on certain lists. That, and you can't take something awakened as a companion, only a cohort. Though if it is awakened to only about the same INT as an animal (spectacular failure to gain INT) maybe it would be acceptable to forget about it being awakened.
DreadArchon
05-22-07, 11:27 PM You could ignore the usual functionality of Awaken and just hand-wave it as "he was Awakened and is thus sentient, but other than type, Int, and Cha he is unchanged." I did this for a PC who wanted to Awaken his mount for use as a cohort.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
shogunboy 05-17-07, 10:22 PM	Playing a race that isn't normally playable, but after the player said that his character was cast awaken before he any class levels. Can the player do that before the first session starts? If it does, will this count towards their starting money?
DarkNick 05-17-07, 10:44 PM	What is the race? You realise that as the DM you can say no.
Millennium 05-17-07, 10:46 PM	Keep in mind that awaken only works on plants and animals. An awakened animal is technically a legal choice for player characters, but it has some unique challenges. Few animals, for example, have opposable thumbs, and without those you can't really wield weapons. Spells with somatic and material components can also be problematic for such characters. Being awakened doesn't technically count against a player character's starting money, which is good, because most starting characters wouldn't have enough money to get that spell cast on them anyway. However, you're well within your rights to ask the player to provide some background. Who cast awaken on the animal who would become the PC, and why? Why isn't the PC with that person anymore? If the caster is still alive, are the two still on good terms?
Neutronium_Dragon 05-18-07, 12:09 AM	Generally speaking, any traits which are inherent to the race (even a nonstandard one) of a player character are cost-covered by the creature's Equivalent Character Level. Background events, such as the fact that someone once cast Awaken on the creature, don't have any start-of-game costs unless they actually provide additional resources of some sort - but for racial traits, that's covered by the ECL, not by money.
tos_shai_hulud 05-18-07, 04:20 AM	Keep in mind that the Awaken spell grants two hit dice to animals, and most trees have more than one hit die. Chances are, this creature, either plant or magical beast, will not make a good first level character.
Frugal 05-18-07, 10:00 PM	Keep in mind that the Awaken spell grants two hit dice to animals, and most trees have more than one hit die. Chances are, this creature, either plant or magical beast, will not make a good first level character. Well if he has multiple HD then he can't be a 1st level character. So if the OP's starting at 1st level there's your answer right there, more than 1 HD? Can't do it.
Kouk 05-20-07, 12:09 AM	If you want to allow the player to be some plant or animal that has been awakened then it wouldn't have anything to do with his money, because someone of their own accord awakened them (not many badgers save up their money to get Awakened). Then after whatever the heck awakened them, they became PCs and get starting money they scrounge up.
Enigmous 05-20-07, 12:21 AM	Undead can be awakened aswell. Awaken undead for the suck.
pmurray@bigpond.com 05-21-07, 01:20 AM	Raises interesting possibilities at higher level. How about if a NPC druid awakened a fast-moving vine (one of them strangling vines) and took that for his "animal companion"? It would live by taking root occasionally, but would uproot to travel wrapped around the druid.
Kouk 05-21-07, 02:20 AM	Raises interesting possibilities at higher level. How about if a NPC druid awakened a fast-moving vine (one of them strangling vines) and took that for his "animal companion"? It would live by taking root occasionally, but would uproot to travel wrapped around the druid. As far as I know, animal companions have to be animals on certain lists. That, and you can't take something awakened as a companion, only a cohort. Though if it is awakened to only about the same INT as an animal (spectacular failure to gain INT) maybe it would be acceptable to forget about it being awakened.
DreadArchon 05-22-07, 11:27 PM	You could ignore the usual functionality of Awaken and just hand-wave it as "he was Awakened and is thus sentient, but other than type, Int, and Cha he is unchanged." I did this for a PC who wanted to Awaken his mount for use as a cohort.