Anthropomorphic Animals

ANTHROPOMORPHIC ANIMALS

Anthropomorphic
animals, sometimes called anthropomorphs, are animals with humanoid
characteristics—or perhaps humanoids with animal characteristics. They retain
many of the qualities of the animal on which they are based, but they are
sentient and have a humanoid form. Many anthropomorphic animals of the same
kind form unique societies with their own culture, language, and religion.
Anthropomorphic animals speak the language of their humanoid forms, as well as
any language they have developed as a people.

SAMPLE ANTHROPOMORPHIC
ANIMAL

This example uses a
donkey as the base creature.

Anthropomorphic
Donkey

Medium-Size
Monstrous Humanoid

Hit
Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp)

Initiative:
+1

Speed:
30 ft.

AC:
13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12

Attacks:
Bite +2 melee, or by weapon +2 melee, or by weapon +2 ranged

Damage:
Bite 1d2, or by weapon

Face/Reach:
5 ft./5 ft.

Special
Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, low-light vision, scent

Saves:
Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4

Abilities:
Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 8

Skills:
Balance +3, Listen +6, Spot +6

Climate/Terrain:
Temperate and warm desert, hill, plains, and mountains

Organization:
Solitary

Challenge
Rating: 1

Treasure:
Standard

Alignment:
neutral good

Advancement:
By character class

Skills:
+2 racial bonus on Balance checks.

CREATING AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC
ANIMAL

Any animal
(hereafter referred to as the base creature), but not a dire animal, can be
created as an anthropomorphic animal. An anthropomorphic animal has all the
base creature’s characteristics except as noted here.

Size and Type: The creature’s type is monstrous
humanoid. An anthropomorphic animal is bipedal even if the base creature is
not. It has a tail and/or wings if the base creature has these features. All
anthropomorphic animals have humanoid arms and hands. Anthropomorphic animals
created from Tiny or smaller animals are Small, those created from Small to
Large animals are Medium-size, and those created from Huge or larger animals
are Large. This difference in size may affect Armor Class, attack bonus,
natural armor, and abilities; see the introduction of the Monster Manual for a
summary of these effects.

Hit Dice: A Small anthropomorphic animal has 1
Hit Die. A Medium-size one has 2 Hit Dice, and a Large one has 3 Hit Dice.
Anthropomorphic animals use d8s for Hit Dice.

Speed: If the base creature is quadrupedal and
has a land speed faster than 30 feet, the anthropomorphic animal’s land speed
decreases by 10 feet. Otherwise, its speed remains unchanged. If the base
creature has wings, the anthropomorphic animal can fly. If its size increased
because of the transformation, its fly speed is halved and it drops one
maneuverability category. If its size decreased because of the transformation,
its fly speed increases by 50% and it improves by one maneuverability category.
If the base creature is aquatic, the anthropomorph retains its innate swimming
ability and water breathing characteristics, if any. If an aquatic
anthropomorph is Small, its land speed is 20 feet. Otherwise, its land speed is
30 feet. If the base creature has a burrow or brachiation speed, the
anthropomorphic animal has this mode of movement at the same speed.

AC: Adjust for size change, if any.

Attacks: An anthropomorphic animal has the
natural attacks of the base creature, but it can also use weapons if it did not
have hands already. It must still acquire the necessary proficiency to wield
weapons effectively, either through feats or through character classes. If the
size of the base creature changes, the damage for its natural attacks also
changes. See Chapter 5: Equipment for the effects of size change on weapon
damage. If the base creature has more than two limbs, the anthropomorphic
animal has the same number, but two of them become feet. Thus, an octopus-man,
for example, would have only six natural attacks rather than eight. An
anthropomorphic animal uses the base attack bonus of a monstrous humanoid: +1
for a Small creature, +2 for Medium-size, or +3 for a Large creature. Small
anthropomorphic animals with class levels use the base attack bonus of their
class because they lose their single monster Hit Die.

Special Attacks: Attacks that rely on a
nonhumanoid shape, such as hind-leg rakes, trampling, or a snake’s
constriction, are no longer available.

Special Qualities: An anthropomorphic animal
has darkvision with a 60-foot range.

Base Saves: Base saves are as a monstrous
humanoid: +0 Fort, +2 Ref, +2 Will for a Small creature; +0 Fort, +3 Ref, +3
Will for Medium-size, or +1 Fort, +3 Ref, +3 Will for a Large creature.

Abilities: Str by size change, Dex by size
change, Con by size change, Int becomes 11, Wis +2, Cha +4. See Table A–58.

Skills: Same as the base creature (see Table
A–58), except that Small anthropomorphic animals with class levels use the
skill points granted by their class.

Feats: If the base creature has Weapon Finesse
as a racial bonus feat, the anthropomorphic animal also has it if it still has
the related attack form. Otherwise, anthropomorphic animals gain feats only
through class levels.

Base creature’s CR +1.

Medium
Size: Base creature’s CR +1.

Large:
Base creature’s CR –1.

Treasure: Standard.

Alignment: Any.

Advancement: By character class.

Level Adjustment: See Table A–58. which
contains the level adjustments for the anthropomorphic versions of each animal
in the Monster Manual.

ANTHROPOMORPHIC CHARACTERS

Anthropomorphic
characters seldom become sorcerers, since most have a penalty to Charisma. A
few may become wizards. In general, an anthropomorphic race based on predatory
animals uses either barbarian or ranger as a favored class. An anthropomorphic
race based on herbivorous animals uses either cleric or druid as a favored
class.

Table A–58:
Adjustments for Anthropomorphic Animals

* 1 Apply this bonus or penalty

 to Armor Class and attack rolls.

* 2 The octopus and squid

 abilities jet and ink cloud only work when swimming. Octopi and squids can
 hold their breath out of the water twice as long as humans can hold their
 breath under the water.

* 3 Out of the water, cetaceans

 have blindsight 60 feet. They can hold their breath under water twice as
 long as a human.

* 4 Out of the water, sharks can

 detect creatures by scent in a 90-foot radius and cannot detect blood in
 the water unless they are submerged in that water. Sharks can hold their
 breath out of the water twice as long as humans can hold their breath
 under the water.

* 5 Constrictors have snake

 tails and no legs. They can use their improved grab and constrict
 abilities on creatures their size or smaller. They keep all their movement
 abilities.

* 6 Vipers are humanoid in all

 respects except they have snake heads. They can speak normally, and can
 use their bite and poison attacks. They lose their swim speed.

* 7 Anthropomorphic riding dogs

 are not “trained for war.” They cannot make trip attacks.

* 8 An attached weasel character

 loses any Dexterity bonus to Armor Class.