Level Adjustments for Anthropomorphic Animals [Archive] - Wizards Community

Level Adjustments for Anthropomorphic Animals [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kanachi
09-19-07, 12:34 PM Hiya everyone, I was just wondering if anyone knew how the level adjustments for the anthropomorphic variants of the various animals in savage species were worked out?

There are after all far more animals than those just listed in the back of the monster manual and it would be fun to have stats for anthropomorphic version of them :)

Also I just want to get my facts straight here but do anthropomorphic giant squids have 8 arms (10 normally, 2 of which turn into feet) if so a large creature with 8 arms would be immense fun!! :D
dman11235
09-19-07, 01:03 PM The template is in there. It's confusing, but it's there. Page 214.

And yes, the squid man would have 8 natural attacks.

Okay scratch that, the LA calculations are not there. You'll have to judge for yourself what they should be. Be warned, as most of them are broken.
Tsuul
09-20-07, 07:13 PM Be warned, as most of them are broken.QFT
Neutronium_Dragon
09-21-07, 07:31 AM No, only a few of them are. The three primary offenders are the whale, elephant, and (depending on how you use it) bat.

The others are generally fine.
runestar
09-21-07, 07:35 AM LA for anthropomorphic animals (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/articles/awakened.zip) :)
Dragoon1
09-21-07, 09:59 AM No, only a few of them are. The three primary offenders are the whale, elephant, and (depending on how you use it) bat.

The others are generally fine.

The Bat is among the few that doesn't have absurd ability bonuses. The Ape has a +12 ability modifier total, and NO LA. They also have absurd adjustments to WIS and CHA, which would need to be dropped (Most have +4 wisdom and - charisma, which makes little sense). The anthropamorphic animals are very poorly executed with few exceptions.
Callix
09-23-07, 04:01 AM Unfortunately, Anthropomorphic Bat gets +6 Wis, no LA or racial HD, Small size and a favored class of Druid. As a druid, they can ride their Riding Dog animal companion, gaining a 40ft land speed, get +6 to their casting stat, and after 5th level they can abandon their -4 Str penalty and 5ft speed for any of a range of Wildshape forms. And they can fly, from level 1. Give them a sling and they can take most level-appropriate encounters on their own simply by being airborne.
Neutronium_Dragon
09-23-07, 04:44 AM While many of them have higher ability bonuses, in practice I find that this actually puts them about where they should be in terms of their listed LA - the MH hit dice they get aren't as bad as plain humanoid hit dice, but they're still far weaker than a class level; the LA on top of that usually eats up the remaining "power budget" and produces something that actually merits its LA - unlike the vast majority of creatures in most books who don't even come close to meriting theirs.

As far as the bat - again, it depends on how you use it. It's not unreasonable to say that they can't swap out their one racial hit die (they do have one) thereby acting as a balancing factor, and in any case it's only really a problem with a druid - other Wis casters may still be a bit much but can't negate the downsides quite as easily (especially if you keep the racial hit die), and anthro bats with non-Wis classes don't create problems at all.

(It's kind of funny, though - it's nearly impossible to find a nonstandard/monstrous race which actually makes a viable caster. The bat is one of the very few that works, and works even outside of its obvious strong point (Wis casters). You could make an anthro bat wizard and not be kicking yourself later for having a crippled character.)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kanachi 09-19-07, 12:34 PM	Hiya everyone, I was just wondering if anyone knew how the level adjustments for the anthropomorphic variants of the various animals in savage species were worked out? There are after all far more animals than those just listed in the back of the monster manual and it would be fun to have stats for anthropomorphic version of them :) Also I just want to get my facts straight here but do anthropomorphic giant squids have 8 arms (10 normally, 2 of which turn into feet) if so a large creature with 8 arms would be immense fun!! :D
dman11235 09-19-07, 01:03 PM	The template is in there. It's confusing, but it's there. Page 214. And yes, the squid man would have 8 natural attacks. Okay scratch that, the LA calculations are not there. You'll have to judge for yourself what they should be. Be warned, as most of them are broken.
Tsuul 09-20-07, 07:13 PM	Be warned, as most of them are broken.QFT
Neutronium_Dragon 09-21-07, 07:31 AM	No, only a few of them are. The three primary offenders are the whale, elephant, and (depending on how you use it) bat. The others are generally fine.
runestar 09-21-07, 07:35 AM	LA for anthropomorphic animals (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/articles/awakened.zip) :)
Dragoon1 09-21-07, 09:59 AM	No, only a few of them are. The three primary offenders are the whale, elephant, and (depending on how you use it) bat. The others are generally fine. The Bat is among the few that doesn't have absurd ability bonuses. The Ape has a +12 ability modifier total, and NO LA. They also have absurd adjustments to WIS and CHA, which would need to be dropped (Most have +4 wisdom and - charisma, which makes little sense). The anthropamorphic animals are very poorly executed with few exceptions.
Callix 09-23-07, 04:01 AM	Unfortunately, Anthropomorphic Bat gets +6 Wis, no LA or racial HD, Small size and a favored class of Druid. As a druid, they can ride their Riding Dog animal companion, gaining a 40ft land speed, get +6 to their casting stat, and after 5th level they can abandon their -4 Str penalty and 5ft speed for any of a range of Wildshape forms. And they can fly, from level 1. Give them a sling and they can take most level-appropriate encounters on their own simply by being airborne.
Neutronium_Dragon 09-23-07, 04:44 AM	While many of them have higher ability bonuses, in practice I find that this actually puts them about where they should be in terms of their listed LA - the MH hit dice they get aren't as bad as plain humanoid hit dice, but they're still far weaker than a class level; the LA on top of that usually eats up the remaining "power budget" and produces something that actually merits its LA - unlike the vast majority of creatures in most books who don't even come close to meriting theirs. As far as the bat - again, it depends on how you use it. It's not unreasonable to say that they can't swap out their one racial hit die (they do have one) thereby acting as a balancing factor, and in any case it's only really a problem with a druid - other Wis casters may still be a bit much but can't negate the downsides quite as easily (especially if you keep the racial hit die), and anthro bats with non-Wis classes don't create problems at all. (It's kind of funny, though - it's nearly impossible to find a nonstandard/monstrous race which actually makes a viable caster. The bat is one of the very few that works, and works even outside of its obvious strong point (Wis casters). You could make an anthro bat wizard and not be kicking yourself later for having a crippled character.)