Awaken problems [Archive] - Wizards Community

Awaken problems [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Malkonnen
11-30-05, 01:13 PM One of my PCs chose to awaken his Dire Lion animal companion he's had for awhile and it's brought up a lot of questions on my part as DM.

After being awoken, the spell description says that the animal's type changes to magical beast and it gains +2 HD. Does this mean that it now has d10 HD and fighter BAB? Is this retroactive or does it only apply to the 2 additional hit die (like adding a new class to a character)? Can it now gain levels as a character? If so what is an appropriate level adjustment for a Dire Lion??

Also I know that the spell specifically states that awakened animals can't be used as animal companions, but for former companions, do they retain any of the benefits like the bonus HD, Str, Dex, or natural AC?

Thanks in advance,
Malk
Rondom
11-30-05, 01:21 PM When you do this it becomes 'Magical Beat - Altered Animal' and retains it's d8 hit dice (much like a Paladin Mount). I believe this is covered in the Monster Manual (my GM pointed it out to me back when I first got the mount).

Having been awakened the creature is no longer valid as an animal companion, so it loses all those benefits (and the Druid gets to recruit another I guess). It is available as a cohort if he chooses the leadership feat.

Personally I think this is a bit strange (as a Druis I would want to awaken my loyal companion so he could share the experience more fully), but an awakened companion would be very strong.
Incognito2me
11-30-05, 01:29 PM If it was awakened, he'd lose it as a companion immediately (from what I gather). I don't think that it would keep the stats that the druid gave it, but it would keep the effects of the awaken spell.

I think +2HD would mean an additional 2 hit dice, not +2 to the dice. So if it had 16HD, it would now have 18 e.t.c
green_yawgmoth
11-30-05, 01:51 PM In Masters of the Wild, it says that you can awaken your animal companion and keep it as your animal companion, so long as its HD aren't out of the HD limit of animal companions you can have. I now await people pouncing on me for using a 3.0 book in this discussion because they can't read my god damn sig.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/yawgmoth/kittyjig.gif
Malkonnen
11-30-05, 02:21 PM When you do this it becomes 'Magical Beat - Altered Animal' and retains it's d8 hit dice (much like a Paladin Mount). I believe this is covered in the Monster Manual (my GM pointed it out to me back when I first got the mount).

Hmm, ok. So basically becoming a magical beast really only carries with it the benefits (and hindrances) of changing type like being immune to certain spells?

Having been awakened the creature is no longer valid as an animal companion, so it loses all those benefits (and the Druid gets to recruit another I guess). It is available as a cohort if he chooses the leadership feat.

Personally I think this is a bit strange (as a Druis I would want to awaken my loyal companion so he could share the experience more fully), but an awakened companion would be very strong.

I agree. The PC had the same motivation you mentioned: wanting to give the companion he'd travelled with for some time now the gift of sentience. Since he awoke the lion, we've roleplayed out his choosing to join and travel with the party. And I have no RP reasons against it, I'm just having a hard time trying to figure out how to balance it. ATM I am considering allowing the PC to use the Wild Cohort feat (found here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a)) to keep the dire lion as a companion. I didn't want to use the Leadership feat because this particular PC is not the most charismatic of individuals, and it didn't make any sense for him to have the army of followers. The complicated part is that RP-wise it makes sense for the lion to simply advance as a character now. But that means I need to figure out his LA, and I really don't think I can allow him to gain levels and gain the bonuses listed on the chart based on the PC's advancement. But the chart advancement is arguably better than gaining levels thanks to the large stat bonuses.

Or I may just have it so that an awakened animal doesn't get the bonus HD, and at the cost of the feat, is allowed to remain an animal companion. Basically all it would be doing is adding sentience to the animal companion. The tough part there is selling the idea to my PC. I think he was attached to the idea of the lion gaining levels (teaching it to be a druid, etc.).
Malkonnen
11-30-05, 02:26 PM In Masters of the Wild, it says that you can awaken your animal companion and keep it as your animal companion, so long as its HD aren't out of the HD limit of animal companions you can have. I now await people pouncing on me for using a 3.0 book in this discussion because they can't read my god damn sig.

Yeah that's part of the story i skipped over for convenience: this problem is just now coming up because I am trying to convert an old 3.0 campaign to 3.5 and have been hitting a lot of bumps along the way. :(
runestar
11-30-05, 09:25 PM I believe it retains its animal HD and will continue improving as per an animal in the MM. It does gain all benefits of gaining those bonus HD however, in terms of improved hp/bab/saves etc. Only its type changes, meaning certain spells/effects may affect it differently.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Malkonnen 11-30-05, 01:13 PM	One of my PCs chose to awaken his Dire Lion animal companion he's had for awhile and it's brought up a lot of questions on my part as DM. After being awoken, the spell description says that the animal's type changes to magical beast and it gains +2 HD. Does this mean that it now has d10 HD and fighter BAB? Is this retroactive or does it only apply to the 2 additional hit die (like adding a new class to a character)? Can it now gain levels as a character? If so what is an appropriate level adjustment for a Dire Lion?? Also I know that the spell specifically states that awakened animals can't be used as animal companions, but for former companions, do they retain any of the benefits like the bonus HD, Str, Dex, or natural AC? Thanks in advance, Malk
Rondom 11-30-05, 01:21 PM	When you do this it becomes 'Magical Beat - Altered Animal' and retains it's d8 hit dice (much like a Paladin Mount). I believe this is covered in the Monster Manual (my GM pointed it out to me back when I first got the mount). Having been awakened the creature is no longer valid as an animal companion, so it loses all those benefits (and the Druid gets to recruit another I guess). It is available as a cohort if he chooses the leadership feat. Personally I think this is a bit strange (as a Druis I would want to awaken my loyal companion so he could share the experience more fully), but an awakened companion would be very strong.
Incognito2me 11-30-05, 01:29 PM	If it was awakened, he'd lose it as a companion immediately (from what I gather). I don't think that it would keep the stats that the druid gave it, but it would keep the effects of the awaken spell. I think +2HD would mean an additional 2 hit dice, not +2 to the dice. So if it had 16HD, it would now have 18 e.t.c
green_yawgmoth 11-30-05, 01:51 PM	In Masters of the Wild, it says that you can awaken your animal companion and keep it as your animal companion, so long as its HD aren't out of the HD limit of animal companions you can have. I now await people pouncing on me for using a 3.0 book in this discussion because they can't read my god damn sig. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/yawgmoth/kittyjig.gif
Malkonnen 11-30-05, 02:21 PM	When you do this it becomes 'Magical Beat - Altered Animal' and retains it's d8 hit dice (much like a Paladin Mount). I believe this is covered in the Monster Manual (my GM pointed it out to me back when I first got the mount). Hmm, ok. So basically becoming a magical beast really only carries with it the benefits (and hindrances) of changing type like being immune to certain spells? Having been awakened the creature is no longer valid as an animal companion, so it loses all those benefits (and the Druid gets to recruit another I guess). It is available as a cohort if he chooses the leadership feat. Personally I think this is a bit strange (as a Druis I would want to awaken my loyal companion so he could share the experience more fully), but an awakened companion would be very strong. I agree. The PC had the same motivation you mentioned: wanting to give the companion he'd travelled with for some time now the gift of sentience. Since he awoke the lion, we've roleplayed out his choosing to join and travel with the party. And I have no RP reasons against it, I'm just having a hard time trying to figure out how to balance it. ATM I am considering allowing the PC to use the Wild Cohort feat (found here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a)) to keep the dire lion as a companion. I didn't want to use the Leadership feat because this particular PC is not the most charismatic of individuals, and it didn't make any sense for him to have the army of followers. The complicated part is that RP-wise it makes sense for the lion to simply advance as a character now. But that means I need to figure out his LA, and I really don't think I can allow him to gain levels and gain the bonuses listed on the chart based on the PC's advancement. But the chart advancement is arguably better than gaining levels thanks to the large stat bonuses. Or I may just have it so that an awakened animal doesn't get the bonus HD, and at the cost of the feat, is allowed to remain an animal companion. Basically all it would be doing is adding sentience to the animal companion. The tough part there is selling the idea to my PC. I think he was attached to the idea of the lion gaining levels (teaching it to be a druid, etc.).
Malkonnen 11-30-05, 02:26 PM	In Masters of the Wild, it says that you can awaken your animal companion and keep it as your animal companion, so long as its HD aren't out of the HD limit of animal companions you can have. I now await people pouncing on me for using a 3.0 book in this discussion because they can't read my god damn sig. Yeah that's part of the story i skipped over for convenience: this problem is just now coming up because I am trying to convert an old 3.0 campaign to 3.5 and have been hitting a lot of bumps along the way. :(
runestar 11-30-05, 09:25 PM	I believe it retains its animal HD and will continue improving as per an animal in the MM. It does gain all benefits of gaining those bonus HD however, in terms of improved hp/bab/saves etc. Only its type changes, meaning certain spells/effects may affect it differently.