Help with Awakened Gorilla Monk

[ReeboKesh]

Hey guys. Our DM is about to start the Savage Tide AP and he basically has allowed us to take any concept we come up with (within reason of course)
I'm wanting to create a Awakened Gorilla Monk for my character. Any ideas what books I should look into to make this character? I'm willing to buy the ones I need.
Thanks in advance
Reebo

 

[Sejs]

Just the core books should be enough to get you started.

An Ape has 4 racial hit dice, Awaken adds two more. So you're looking at 6 rhd before monk levels.

Level Adjustment-wise, let's take a look at what a gorilla can do:

They're large, have +3 natural armor, a 30' climb speed, low-light vision, scent, 2 claws that should really be slams (I mean really.. gorilla claws?) that do 1d6 damage, and a secondary bite for a d6. Stat mod wise, you're looking at a +10 strength, +4 dex , +4 con and a +2 wis. Oh, and a +2 cha from Awaken. Not sure how the DM would handle the int rewrite, if you'd have to pay for that if you're using the point buy system, etc.

All in all, that's a pretty damn tidy package of racial abilities. Add to the fact that you've got hands, more or less, so you're not as hosed as most other awakened animals are. I'd say you're looking at a good +2 or +3 LA, easily.

What level is your game starting off at? Because it could be a while before Grape Ape here gets around to doing any proper monk business.

 

[Lopke_Quasath]

That's "proper monkEY business".

 

[frankthedm]

[

2 claws that should really be slams (I mean really.. gorilla claws?).

Those are not true gorillas. They are the manifestation of the ‘killer ape’ myth in D&D, the tall tales told by ‘the great white hunter’ when he return from safari made flesh and blood. They are everything a naturalist would tell you the gorilla is not.

While unkind to the book, the white apes from the Congo movie are a good example of such a creature.

Like the 1E / A. C. Doyle "giant rat of Sumatra" that became the dire rat and the 2E dolphins that were Int 12 and lawful good, these creatures are exaggerations for a game of myth and fantasy. .

 

[ReeboKesh]

Just the core books should be enough to get you started.

An Ape has 4 racial hit dice, Awaken adds two more. So you're looking at 6 rhd before monk levels.

Level Adjustment-wise, let's take a look at what a gorilla can do:

They're large, have +3 natural armor, a 30' climb speed, low-light vision, scent, 2 claws that should really be slams (I mean really.. gorilla claws?) that do 1d6 damage, and a secondary bite for a d6. Stat mod wise, you're looking at a +10 strength, +4 dex , +4 con and a +2 wis. Oh, and a +2 cha from Awaken. Not sure how the DM would handle the int rewrite, if you'd have to pay for that if you're using the point buy system, etc.

All in all, that's a pretty damn tidy package of racial abilities. Add to the fact that you've got hands, more or less, so you're not as hosed as most other awakened animals are. I'd say you're looking at a good +2 or +3 LA, easily.

What level is your game starting off at? Because it could be a while before Grape Ape here gets around to doing any proper monk business.

Thanks Sejs. That's a good start. I was hoping someone who has the Savage Species book may be able to enlighten us with some official rules. Surley I'm not the first person to come up with a Gorilla Monk?! I'mm going to look for a review of Savage Species to see what's in it.

The game is starting at 1st level. I was hoping he would have an LA of +1 or +2. I'll take a look in the DMG as well maybe that has some more info.

Thanks again
Reebo

 

[frankthedm]

In the case of a first level characters, try the monkey folk Vanara from the Oriental adventures book. Any awakened animal is going to have a prohibitive amount of LA and HD.

 

[ReeboKesh]

Basically I want a intelligent talking Gorilla. I can't see why this 'Awakened' ability should cost any LA? I just want to use a Gorilla as a player character?
Reebo

 

[frankthedm]

Basically I want a intelligent talking Gorilla. I can't see why this 'Awakened' ability should cost any LA? I just want to use a Gorilla as a player character?

Which would be about a 7th-9th level character.

The LA itself is set based on the bonuses it gives a character assuming for the most optimum build.

An animal is not an appropriate PC until it is awakend due to low int. An awakend animal gains 2 more HD beyond what the anmal normally has. Those HD all count as levels. Thats a level 6 character before the LA is applied for an Ape.

Hit dice add in with the LA. Thats 4 base + 2 awaken + LA.

A lycanthrope ape might work though that is a 6th PC level before the first monk level.

 

[Thanee]

Wasn't there an anthropomorphic animal template somewhere?

Bye
Thanee

 

[glass]

Wasn't there an anthropomorphic animal template somewhere?

Yes, in Savage Species. Some of the animal choices were, erm, a little strong.


glass.