Raising/Training an Owlbear Cub

[Caliber]

Recently my character has come into the possession of an owlbear cub, who I hope to be able to raise using the Handle Animal skill. I've looked over d20srd.org, but am slightly confused.

It seems it is a DC 25 Handle Animal check to rear the lil' cub but I can't figure out how long it will take for the cub to be full grown? Do I only get one check, which, if failed, means the cub can never be raised? If it is a significant amount of time, does it matter if my Handle Animal skill varies?

Anyone know where I can get this process definitively spelled out?

Thanks!

 

[s-dub]

Well according to this chart:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/skills.htm#handleAnimal

You can rear a magical beast in 1 year and the DC is 30 + HD. It's extra because it's a magical beast...

 

[frankthedm]

It seems it is a DC 25 Handle Animal check to rear the lil' cub but I can't figure out how long it will take for the cub to be full grown?

Unless you are Epic it is up to the DM. If the DM says it take time comparable to a RL Brown Bear, you got a long wait. If you are epic: "Rear magical beast, takes 1 year, DC 30 + HD of magical beast "

Females become sexually mature between the age of 5 and 7 years, while males will usually not mate until a few years later when they are large and strong enough to successfully compete with other males for mating rights.

Do I only get one check, which, if failed, means the cub can never be raised?

Correct. Blow the roll and that is it. It would be wise to 'Take 10' on that roll.

If it is a significant amount of time, does it matter if my Handle Animal skill varies?

You make the check at the halfway point of however long it takes "to raise a wild creature from infancy". It is not too likely the skill will go up since rearing an animal takes a good chunk of time which can't be interupted.


For tasks with specific time frames noted above, you must spend half this time (at the rate of 3 hours per day per animal being handled) working toward completion of the task before you attempt the Handle Animal check. If the check fails, your attempt to teach, rear, or train the animal fails and you need not complete the teaching, rearing, or training time. If the check succeeds, you must invest the remainder of the time to complete the teaching, rearing, or training. If the time is interrupted or the task is not followed through to completion, the attempt to teach, rear, or train the animal automatically fails.

 

[frankthedm]

Well according to this chart:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/skills.htm#handleAnimal

You can rear a magical beast in 1 year and the DC is 30 + HD. It's extra because it's a magical beast...

Not exactly. The Base skill allows for using the skill [in this case rearing] a magical beast, and other critters too, provided they have an INT of one or two. The Epic use of the skill is 10 points higher since the epic use of the skill sets the rearing time and [apparently] removes the INT restrictions.

 

[frankthedm]

Oh, the 3.0 Arms and Equipment guide has some things to say about 'trained' owlbears. Mostly reinforcing how owlbears have been more or less untrainable since OD&D.

 

[s-dub]

I must have missed that, thanks Frank =)

 

[Artoomis]

Assuming you could train it (and maybe you can with a very high Handle Animal check (DC 30)), I suspect that it would be at least one-two years to maturity, at which point, more than likely, it will be too weak to travel with you as you will be facing challenges too tough for it.

Knowing that, if I were your DM I'd allow it, but it would be challenging. What do you do with it, for example, when you are out adventuring?

 

[Artoomis]

Oh, the 3.0 Arms and Equipment guide has some things to say about 'trained' owlbears. Mostly reinforcing how owlbears have been more or less untrainable since OD&D.

That's not necessarily applicable to 3.5.

 

[Caliber]

What a bummer. I thought training the little guy would be interesting. I'll see what I can convince my DM to go with, since I don't really see this as a mechanical advantage, but more of a fluff piece ...

As for what to do with him, I'd probably use him like a guard dog I suppose. He can't help us fight, sure (and not being a class focused on getting an animal companion I wouldn't want him to) but it adds some "flair" to my character.

Thanks for the quick and accurate responses, however!