Homebrew Animal Experiment Species Details

Experiment: 482

Name: Flipper

Description: 4 feet, 3 inches tall. 50 pounds. Penguin. Color: Black and White. Blue and Gold.

Notes:

Test 1: The first day I administered the typical test with electrical shocks followed by exposure to gaseous clouds of various chemicals. Flipper made a suite of sounds which I can only describe as: interesting. Regardless, its reaction to pain and random stimuli makes it a keen subject for future experimentation.

 Test 2: I gave Flipper a few days to adjust to his (her?) new cage. I returned to find that the first experiment has turned their black coat gold and their previously white belly blue. This is a new development compared to the sparrows I've experimented on recently which perished after the second experiment. Today's experiment was neither a success nor a failure. After exposing Flipper to the normal set of cursed objects it died from what seemed to be heart failure. A typical reaction. I returned the next day to hear a gentle whisper from Flipper's cage and to my surprise it was alive! This is a new breakthrough. It would seem larger avian species are capable of self-resuscitating though I'm not sure which object caused the revival.

Test 3: Since its revival I have been exposing Flipper to the same set of objects in various orders to determine which order caused the revival. However it would seem that Flipper is unphased by the objects. It does not cry out in pain nor does it scratch at the walls like it used to. It sits there in silence staring at the glass. As if it sees me. As if it is plotting against me. Luckily my paranoia doesn't give it supernatural powers.

Test 4: Failure. Flipper is gone. Not dead mind you. Vanished. The door was locked with a simple latch which seems to have come undone. I also appear to be missing an empty satchel, a wand of fireball, and a bottle of gin. It would seem whoever managed to sneak into my place has a poor taste in valuables, as the only valuable thing they stole was that blasted bird. I will have to go out and find a new one. Hopefully just as successful as Flipper.

—  Erlang Comuno, First Mage to King Arlia

 

No Animal Left Unscathed

Scientists know no bounds with the manner of creature with which they mutate. Bears, ducks, penguins, rats, cats, dogs and so on are just a few of the poor creatures who unwillingly contribute toward the advancements of these madmen. Many of these creatures will suffer and most likely meet their demise under the eye's of their captor but for a select few a fundamental change occurs within the participant: unintended neurological growth. This growth often bestows human equivalent intelligence within the animal which allow it to take up arms against, and possibly even escape from, its torturer.

A Gift of Intellect

To many of these creatures their sudden acquisition of intellect is alarming and bewildering. To recognize ones self is a trivial feat for those born with the ability, but to the newly sentient it is jarring and at times comforting. Many of these creatures take less time to mature than other races of the realm, as is the nature of animals, and when mature the animal would have the same cognitive abilities as an adult human, elf, and the like. Even with the enhanced brain capacity the creature still lacks technical experience like that of a sheltered adolescent human. Previously the creature may have encountered hunters and fled; however the same encounter would now be approached instead with caution, pragmatism, and malevolence. Every experience the animal has had is but a memory now looked back on with fresh perspective like an adult may recount their early childhood.

 

Dear Lucielle,
I hope this letter finds you well. I apologize for my lack of writings but as of late I have been busy with maintaining the bakery. The king has just issued a decree that my bakery is to serve only his majesty and no one else. A fine deal, but it does mean I cannot afford to let the quality of my products slip else I might end up head first in the basket. What I saw yesterday, however, is too strange to not write. On my way to the bakery I saw a new magics shop had opened. I'm no High Mage but I thought I should take a gander at the crazy wares I've read about in books. The majority of it was just potions and whatever but the shop keeper was astounding. It was a large bird! A penguin I would wager but its colors were blue and gold. It didn't speak to me upon my entrance to the shop; it just watched me as I walked around the shop, as if it was fixed upon me with its gaze from its glassy black eyes. I thought it must've been some sort of joke that the bird was stationed at the counter.
Just then I saw another man walk in, request some sort of salve, drop three coins on the table, and stood there waiting. To my astonishment the penguin wiped the coins off the table and presented the man with a variety of flasks nested in a wooden holder. It understood him! Surely this is some sort of wizard's prank but I am not astute enough to see where the ruse begins or how it serves any purpose.

P.S. How is Charles doing?

Yours,
Lance

Broken Bonds & New Beginnings

A bird subject to intense intelligence altering effects would be enlightened and may even write sonnets of its woes and incarceration but it would still be a bird to the end. While native communication with its species remains intact it is clear to the others of its kind that, while the original exterior is familiar, their interactions and mannerism are alien. Very few animal experiments gifted with sentience are able to rejoin their comrades without intense focus and concentration while they attempt to suppress their conscious lobe. These creatures are typically cast out from their family species and live as wanderers, hunters, gathers, and hermits.

Every so often one of these marvels of science integrate into a city which cares not about the feathers on their backs, or flippers at their sides, only that the peculiar creature can hold a position within the economy like any other individual. To those unfamiliar with the wiles of mad mages the animal could even be worshiped as a gift of god or curse set upon them by evil. After their integration they function like any other member of their respective society but perhaps with a little more flair than your average individual.

Acumen To Taste

There is no reason that the acquired sentience or lack of fingers gives the animal a sense of decency or manners. Just moments, hours, days, or months ago they were in a cage being prodded and probed and before that they were eating berries off the ground or maybe ripping flesh from the bones of a fresh kill. Typical traits of upbringing such as manners, decency, and even morality are something that the creature now struggles to learn and maintain at all times.

It is assumed that their original tongue can be adapted slightly to communicate to similar species. A penguin may capable of adjusting its sounds to communicate with other birds. A dog may be capable of speaking to wolves or low intelligent beasts. However the ability to speak common can pose a challenge with a lack of lips or proper tongue control. A lack of motor control is not an impossible task to conquer but each animal must develop their own ways to deal with this limitation whether it be via magic, hand signs, or just innumerable hours of practice.

Adaptation To Playability

It is important to note that during the times of experimentation an extremely powerful creature like a bear will most likely experience muscle atrophy. In this case it makes sense for a creature which is ordinarily quite strong to suddenly have a strength which is out of character and human-like.

Note that there are some animals that tend to push the realm of feasibility like a raven. How would a raven hold a sword or mace? Not only do the weapons weigh more than the creature itself but the raven lacks native hand structure capable of wielding a weapon. In these cases you are left with a few options.

1. It is possible that your animal has physical mutations like bat wings or thicker bones which allow it properly grip a weapon or shield. You would most likely have to have armor specially made for you at every instance or you could have the artisan skills capable of reworking discovered non-magical armor to be the correct shape. You may also consider curses or spells with which you can use to shrink items to a usable size for yourself. With some ingenuity a crow can use a battle axe. With an axe grasped between its talons, two handed due to the axes size, it can swing wildly at an opponent. To be reasonable we consider the crow to be flying at shoulder level while doing so. Perhaps you consider its small size, shoulder height flight, part of what gives it the bonus AC incurred by its physical creature size.
2. It may be more feasible to discuss special variants of common weapons for your animal. A typical crow cannot hold an axe but perhaps it could have special talon rakes created instead? A crow with immense strength can easily deal real damage if given weapons suitable for its physical construction. There isn't any reason you cannot have "animal variant" versions of weapons crafted or just "available" for this race like any other weapons.
3. Size mutation. If you think that a field mouse can wield a standard two handed sword like an elf you would be wrong. However what if, during experimentation, this same mouse was given immense size? A man size mouse! A dwarf sized mouse! In this case we can see now that it is totally acceptable for a mouse to wield a bow, sword, or satchel like any other character might.

Animal Experiment Traits

There is no limit to what animals have become victim, nevertheless exceptional cases never stay caged for long.

Ability score increase

Due to the nature of experimentation your brain power and comprehension is that of a human and most likely slightly beyond. The mortal who tinkered with your gray matter was beyond the intelligence of the average person and their tinkering bestowed some extra cleverness to your pudding.

Ability score increase and feat

Intelligence is but one piece of the aftermath that has befallen you. The diverse array of experiments performed on you is possibly innumerable and their complexities are but a vague memory entry in the list of things you should probably forget. The side effect of these copious experiments lead to you being bizarrely better at something. Perhaps you are far stronger than you would normally be, perhaps more agile, or even wiser from the experience. All the side effects culminated into extraordinary feat that you may now posses.

Inherited Abilities

You inherit all abilities of the typical animal you once were. This includes Darkvision, Claws, Weather Resistance, and so on where applicable. See the monster manual for more information.

Age

You reach adulthood at the same age as your animal would normally hit adulthood. However your life expectancy has increased considerably due to the intense magical nature of your being. You should expect to live 5x to 20x longer than your normal counterparts.

Alignment

Animals of exceptional intelligence can be of any alignment. Their paths in life may be different than other races but they feel as any other.

Size

Your size and weight is largely decided by the animal you are. Consult the monster manual for more information. To be reasonable you should feel free to scale the animal up, up to large, if needed. A field mouse cannot wield a battle axe but a dwarf sized mouse can.

Speed

Your walking speed is largely decided by the animal you are. Consult the monster manual for more information.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common. You also can communicate in your native animal tongue. Your animal tongue can be used to communicate with animals which are similar to your species. Note that your ability to speak non-animal languages is limited by your (possible) lack of lips and tongue control. You must think of a way to overcome this limitation. For example, mispronouncing words, magic, telepathy, lots of practice, possessing a lisp, so on.