Enhance Animal

Enhance Animal spell effects a single beast of the spell caster's choosing, enriching the beast's strength (+2) and hit dice (+2HD) for the spell's duration (1 day). The spell only affects beasts, having no affect on other creature types (monstrosities, aberrations, etc.). The affected creature consumes the material components while the caster completes the spell, taking one action for each participant, which occurs in the same initiative.

The Enhance Animal spell increases the beast's base hit points by two hit dice, the dice type matching the original HD. The beast also has its strength increased for an additional positive bonus gain of +2, not to exceed a strength increase above STR 20. The size, movement speed, other statistics and armor class (AC) of the beast do not change.

So for example, a wolf under the effects of an Enhance Animal spell would have the following changes to it's stat block:

• STR 16 (changing from +1 to +3; +2 point bonus change)
• Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit (from +4 to +6; +2 point bonus change)
• Hit: 2d4+4 piercing damage (from +2 to +4; +2 point bonus change)
• Hit points: 20 (4d8+2; two additional D8)

At higher spell levels, the hit dice and strength bonus increases at a ratio of one HD/+1 bonus per two spell levels invested in the casting.  So for example, casting the Enhance Animal spell on a beast using a 5th level spell slot would provide the animal with +3HD/+3 additional strength bonus for spell's duration (one day). Using the same wolf example, a 5th level casting provides the following benefits:

• STR 18 (changing from +1 to +4; +3 point bonus change)
• Melee weapon attack: +7 to hit (from +4 to +7; +3 point bonus change)
• Hit: 2d4+5 piercing damage (from +2 to +5; +3 point bonus change)
• Hit points: 25 (5d8+2; three additional D8)

Finally, if the spell is cast repeatedly for seven consecutive days using double the material components per each daily casting (Powered gem 100 GPV, bits of animal residual skin, mixed with animal food), the effects to the beast become permanent for the duration of the animal's life.  Once enhanced in this fashion, successive castings do not provide additional enhancement.