Post/Author/DateTime	Post
PaladinKD 12-14-04, 05:28 PM	I know the spell specifically prohibits a awakened animal from being an animal companion. My question is, would it be unbalancing to allow it under the following conditions... Normally an awakened animal gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD, becomes a magical beast (augmented animal) and can speak a language. What if the awakened animal companion got everything but the HD improvement? Would it be unbalancing if it remained a companion? Wouldn't it sort of be a very limited Leadership of one particular henchman? I'm really just theorizing here and looking for input.
Darth Teddybear 12-14-04, 06:03 PM	Personally, IMC, I would be fine with the ranger or druid keeping the awakened animal around, affected otherwise as per the spell, if they took the leadership feat. They would then aquire a new animal companion. Depending on the awakened companion, and the levels involved, I might tweak the critter a tad to fit the appropriate cohort power level, but I don't think it would be game breaking or anything.
Dash Branaghan 12-14-04, 07:13 PM	I have a number of comments. The first is the question of why would you do that? The bonuses gained from the 3.5 change to the Animal Companion are much better than the potential bonuses of awakening the creature. Second, if you want an awakened creature, raise it as a pet and then awaken it. That way you maintain your animal companion and get the Awakened Animal. Of course, your treatment would determine whether the animal sticks around, and you can keep it as either a henchman under the Leadership feat or as a hireling (ie. you give it food, healing and sustenance, let it roll around with animals of the opposite sex...motivate it on those elements to stick around). However, if you are looking to keep the creature as an animal companion AND awakened, then I would not consider that balanced. Compare it to a wizards familiar...if you want to maintain something like that, then have the intelligence adjust according to level (and don't forget to incorporate tricks into the increase in intelligence). I would also ditch the bonus to charisma and HD. So in other words, if you awakened an animal companion, the intelligence would be determined by level of the caster (as related to familiar table) and subsequent languages by intelligence, and everything else would be determined by the Animal Companion table. It still makes the creature more potent (communicating or even eventual communication with their master is quite powerful, especially for a creature that can scout ahead). Just my thoughts. Dash
Kainy 12-14-04, 08:30 PM	I'd allow it. *shrug* Druids are already overpowered, why not just give up on them? :P Smart animals, though, no longer have animalistic loyalty, and must be convinced to stay through good treatment. Awakening has its own advantages and disadvantages, mostly advantages, but meh. Then again, I'm one for encouraging creative use of spells, abilities, and powers, and worrying about balance with my own creativity in countering them... which is really, really hard sometimes. :weep:
deadDMwalking 12-14-04, 08:42 PM	An animal companion follows a druid or ranger because of a mystical connection it feels it has with them. Something about them makes them want to follow. Now, you awaken an animal and it becomes intelligent. It no longer wants to follow on instinct. It has the intelligence to turn aside. Should it? That should depend mostly on role-playing. However, an intelligent creature is unlikely to enjoy being treated as a normal animal companion. They are going to have hopes, fears and wants just like any other PC. If you choose to allow it, you aren't committing to anything. At any point the creature can choose to leave. If it becomes unbalancing, the animal will decide to leave. Or more fun - it decides to become the leader of the "pack". It could be fun to have their awakened companion become a bad guy.... The point is, there is room for abuse there. The rules are written to avoid those potential abuses. As long as you recognize them in advance, and are prepared for them when they arise, you'll be fine. As long as your players know that they might lose the awakened animal, or it might lose the benefits of "animal companion", you should have no trouble. Good luck.
Mordmorgan the Mad 12-15-04, 03:02 PM	I'd allow it as a cohort, but not an animal companion.
Melpomene 12-15-04, 03:05 PM	Awakening makes an Animal a Magical Beast, excluding it from being able to benifit from animal companion status. The rules state explicitly (somewhere) that awakends can't be companions. But, for Leadership, sure.
PaladinKD 12-15-04, 03:09 PM	The rules state explicitly (somewhere) that awakends can't be companions. As I said in the opening line, I'm aware the RAW doesn't allow it. ;) My question concerned balance more than anything else. Would an Animal companion turned awakened animal still benefit from the advancements it already received? Or would it revert to a "normal" animal before gaining the awakened benefits?
Dash Branaghan 12-15-04, 04:46 PM	Would an Animal companion turned awakened animal still benefit from the advancements it already received? Or would it revert to a "normal" animal before gaining the awakened benefits? If you are talking RAW, (and IIRC) the animal companion loses the benefits it gained when it awakened. I was playing a druid in a campaign and was looking into doing just that...awakening an animal companion. In the end, I came to the conclusion that I should just take the Leadership feat, buy a pet, treat it really well, and then awaken it and rely on keeping it as per the Leadership feat. But as I recall, if I awakened my current animal companion, it would lose all benefits of having been an animal companion, and some of those are pretty decent. Dash