Awakened Wolf Barbarian [Archive] - Wizards Community

Awakened Wolf Barbarian [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Shadowfax7
05-27-07, 04:51 PM An awakened wolf with 5 HD (was an advanced wolf with 3 HD prior to awakening) wants to take a level in the Barbarian class.

1) Does he start as a 1st level Barbarian with 0 XP as soon as he is awakened ??

2) Can he merely remain an awakened wolf until he decides to take a class level in Barbarian ??

3) Would he actually be a character as an awakened wolf with no class levels ??

4) Would he be considered an ECL 6 character as a 1st level Barbarian ??
calronmoonflower
05-27-07, 05:51 PM An awakened wolf with 5 HD (was an advanced wolf with 3 HD prior to awakening) wants to take a level in the Barbarian class.

1) Does he start as a 1st level Barbarian with 0 XP as soon as he is awakened ??

No. You would need enough xp to gain another level to become a barbarian.

2) Can he merely remain an awakened wolf until he decides to take a class level in Barbarian ??

That's the way it works.

3) Would he actually be a character as an awakened wolf with no class levels ??

Yes.

4) Would he be considered an ECL 6 character as a 1st level Barbarian ??

Hard to say. You must look at the ability score that they get over average. If you use the Adjustments for Anthropomorphic Animals (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/articles/awakened.zip) you will get a +2 level adjustment. But that's for a semi-animal creatures that can use weapons and armor.

I'd suggest dropping the extra hit die from being an advanced wolf and try a normal wolf. That animal hit die really sucks. The only two racial hit die that can compare with the barbarian class are dragon and outsider.
Shadowfax7
05-27-07, 07:17 PM No. You would need enough xp to gain another level to become a barbarian.

Would the awakened wolf have to gain 1,000 XP to gain the 1st level of Barbarian or 15,000 XP ??
InsanePsychoRabbit
05-27-07, 07:32 PM Hard to say. You must look at the ability score that they get over average. If you use the Adjustments for Anthropomorphic Animals (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/articles/awakened.zip) you will get a +2 level adjustment. But that's for a semi-animal creatures that can use weapons and armor.

I calculated the level adjustment of an intelligent wolf once (for the Shapeshifter Wolf in my sig). It came out as +2, so the table you presentis probably correct in this case.

Because your wolf is therefore effectively 7th level (5 HD, +2 LA), you start with experience equal to the amount required to be 7th level (21k), and to be come a 1st-level barbarian, you'd need to gain enough experience to advance from 7th to 8th level (7k, for a total of 28K).
calronmoonflower
05-27-07, 08:20 PM Would the awakened wolf have to gain 1,000 XP to gain the 1st level of Barbarian or 15,000 XP ??

15,000 XP
Shadowfax7
05-27-07, 10:18 PM That's what I thought.

Thanx.
runestar
05-27-07, 10:43 PM A wolf has an LA of roughly +2 (assuming you could find some way of increasing its int to at least 3 so it can then take class lvs). Awakening it gives it an extra 2 HD, so I suppose its LA could be lowered from +2 to +1.

Thus, it should be okay to allow an awakened wolf as an ECL5 PC, or ECL6 with 1 lv of barb.:)
Ecalsneerg
05-28-07, 08:09 AM It would move around at 60 feet a round, so you wouldn't be easily caught and killed :P
obrysii
05-28-07, 08:28 AM A wolf, or for that matter, any awakened animal that lacks human-like appendages (such as Apes) would be LA +0 after you take into account all of their animal and magical beast HD.
runestar
05-28-07, 09:32 AM Races of the wild should have "gloves of the hand" or something along that line which allows animals to manipulate items as if they had hands. So it is just a temporary drawback at most.:)
Shadowfax7
05-28-07, 10:20 AM A wolf, or for that matter, any awakened animal that lacks human-like appendages (such as Apes) would be LA +0 after you take into account all of their animal and magical beast HD.
This is how I play, an awakened wolf IMC would be LA+0. The racial HD are more than enough to compensate.
zook1shoe666
05-28-07, 10:46 PM Races of the wild should have "gloves of the hand" or something along that line which allows animals to manipulate items as if they had hands. So it is just a temporary drawback at most.:)

i know thats in the Savage Species, don't have my books here to see the RotW or if its in the Magic Item Compendium.
obrysii
05-29-07, 10:11 AM Savage Species also has the "Arms of the Naga" and one of the books has Grasping weapons.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shadowfax7 05-27-07, 04:51 PM	An awakened wolf with 5 HD (was an advanced wolf with 3 HD prior to awakening) wants to take a level in the Barbarian class. 1) Does he start as a 1st level Barbarian with 0 XP as soon as he is awakened ?? 2) Can he merely remain an awakened wolf until he decides to take a class level in Barbarian ?? 3) Would he actually be a character as an awakened wolf with no class levels ?? 4) Would he be considered an ECL 6 character as a 1st level Barbarian ??
calronmoonflower 05-27-07, 05:51 PM	An awakened wolf with 5 HD (was an advanced wolf with 3 HD prior to awakening) wants to take a level in the Barbarian class. 1) Does he start as a 1st level Barbarian with 0 XP as soon as he is awakened ?? No. You would need enough xp to gain another level to become a barbarian. 2) Can he merely remain an awakened wolf until he decides to take a class level in Barbarian ?? That's the way it works. 3) Would he actually be a character as an awakened wolf with no class levels ?? Yes. 4) Would he be considered an ECL 6 character as a 1st level Barbarian ?? Hard to say. You must look at the ability score that they get over average. If you use the Adjustments for Anthropomorphic Animals (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/articles/awakened.zip) you will get a +2 level adjustment. But that's for a semi-animal creatures that can use weapons and armor. I'd suggest dropping the extra hit die from being an advanced wolf and try a normal wolf. That animal hit die really sucks. The only two racial hit die that can compare with the barbarian class are dragon and outsider.
Shadowfax7 05-27-07, 07:17 PM	No. You would need enough xp to gain another level to become a barbarian. Would the awakened wolf have to gain 1,000 XP to gain the 1st level of Barbarian or 15,000 XP ??
InsanePsychoRabbit 05-27-07, 07:32 PM	Hard to say. You must look at the ability score that they get over average. If you use the Adjustments for Anthropomorphic Animals (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/articles/awakened.zip) you will get a +2 level adjustment. But that's for a semi-animal creatures that can use weapons and armor. I calculated the level adjustment of an intelligent wolf once (for the Shapeshifter Wolf in my sig). It came out as +2, so the table you presentis probably correct in this case. Because your wolf is therefore effectively 7th level (5 HD, +2 LA), you start with experience equal to the amount required to be 7th level (21k), and to be come a 1st-level barbarian, you'd need to gain enough experience to advance from 7th to 8th level (7k, for a total of 28K).
calronmoonflower 05-27-07, 08:20 PM	Would the awakened wolf have to gain 1,000 XP to gain the 1st level of Barbarian or 15,000 XP ?? 15,000 XP
Shadowfax7 05-27-07, 10:18 PM	That's what I thought. Thanx.
runestar 05-27-07, 10:43 PM	A wolf has an LA of roughly +2 (assuming you could find some way of increasing its int to at least 3 so it can then take class lvs). Awakening it gives it an extra 2 HD, so I suppose its LA could be lowered from +2 to +1. Thus, it should be okay to allow an awakened wolf as an ECL5 PC, or ECL6 with 1 lv of barb.:)
Ecalsneerg 05-28-07, 08:09 AM	It would move around at 60 feet a round, so you wouldn't be easily caught and killed :P
obrysii 05-28-07, 08:28 AM	A wolf, or for that matter, any awakened animal that lacks human-like appendages (such as Apes) would be LA +0 after you take into account all of their animal and magical beast HD.
runestar 05-28-07, 09:32 AM	Races of the wild should have "gloves of the hand" or something along that line which allows animals to manipulate items as if they had hands. So it is just a temporary drawback at most.:)
Shadowfax7 05-28-07, 10:20 AM	A wolf, or for that matter, any awakened animal that lacks human-like appendages (such as Apes) would be LA +0 after you take into account all of their animal and magical beast HD. This is how I play, an awakened wolf IMC would be LA+0. The racial HD are more than enough to compensate.
zook1shoe666 05-28-07, 10:46 PM	Races of the wild should have "gloves of the hand" or something along that line which allows animals to manipulate items as if they had hands. So it is just a temporary drawback at most.:) i know thats in the Savage Species, don't have my books here to see the RotW or if its in the Magic Item Compendium.
obrysii 05-29-07, 10:11 AM	Savage Species also has the "Arms of the Naga" and one of the books has Grasping weapons.