Keep in mind that awaken doesn't actually give you much ability to control the target. ![]() It seems like a better fit than animated rocks. There's also sentient plants like Treants, although the spell doesn't let you create those specifically. Magical Beasts (which include intelligent animals) are already in the game, however. A likely explanation is that the 3.0 designers wanted to keep the spell but realized that doing it to rocks doesn't actually make a whole lot of sense for Druids, so when Druids got their own spell list they gave them a more Druidic themed version. That works similarly to Awaken (actually like Animate Object), only on rocks, and was also available to Clerics. The AD&D PHB had a spell called Animate Rock ( alternate source). I don't have a specific source that would justify that. That would be perfectly legitimate character opinion, but that's essentially politics and not something for the alignment system. You could definitely make a case that it's not natural and that any given Druid might react negatively to other Druids using it. I'd argue, however, that it's the evil act itself and not the awaken that makes it so.Īs with a lot of spells it's possible to use it in an evil way, but I don't see anything overtly evil about this one. If you're using Awaken on an animal so that you can experiment or torture something intelligent, that would be evil. ![]() Making an intelligent tree around a Druidic grove doesn't seem like an evil act. If you're using it to release an animal companion in the service of an evil Druid, that is not an evil act. I don't think using this spell is inherently evil. You don't see PCs doing that very often because of the XP cost, but I can see a situation where NPCs could have a lot of fun with it. Although the spell says they will serve you "in specific tasks or endeavors", they are sentient beings now and can't just be bossed around endlessly. I suppose you could also ask your newly sentient animals to attack. (Note that this won't work on a familiar or Paladin mount, as both are treated as Magical Beasts.) It's now no longer their companion, and with it's intelligence it may harbor a grudge. AttackĪs Ellesedil mentioned in his comment, you could also use it to attack someone who is mistreating an animal companion by making that animal intelligent. Theoretically if a DM allowed it, another PC could actually play one of these as a character. This can let you do some interesting things. They start off friendly, but you could work to make them cohorts or allies the same as any other friendly NPC. In both cases, as the targets are sentient, you can befriend them. ![]() A few of them could cover a town and know what's going on. A cat that can speak common would be a fairly useful scout in the home of someone you want to watch, especially if it's their cat. Nobody thinks twice about a cat going around town. Animal Spiesįor animals, intelligent animals can be useful as spies. It could also be used to scare off poachers of low level (like common townsfolk). This is not a particularly efficient use of XP, but would make some very neat flavor for a Druid's grove. If you have a favorite campsite, you could Awaken some trees around it to act as sentries and guards. Sentient TreesĪwaken works on plants as well as animals. While it's certainly a niche spell you won't come across that often, it does have some uses.
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