What's your opinion on the idea of 'awakened' animals as player characters?

Is that Benisuzume?

Every time I've seen them so far in actual play, it was for some broken powerbuild that splits the games mechanics in two, or some retarded le epic for the lulz XDD shenanigans.
If one shows up that's neither nor, fine, I judge every character idea on its own merit, but god damn if all awakened animals I've seen so far weren't shit and the GMs stupid for allowing them

udan-adan.blogspot.com/2015/07/foes-of-wicked-city-3-wise-folk-aka.html
udan-adan.blogspot.com/2015/07/more-talking-animals-wolves-and-birds.html

Maybe, but it annoyed me more how he was as weak as tissue paper but still kept an enchanted weapon for himself, took advantage of his crazy stats to be stealthy while still being able to use his wizard powers, and complained vehemently when we went up against a construct, since he had built his character to easily take down anything non-construct (Color Spray and Sleep and stuff) and hadn't taken anything more than a cantrip for a spell that could harm the construct, and had the gall to feel put out for narrowing his abilities so (and of course he never tried using that weapon).

It may not have been the most broken character, but it was an annoying one, especially with all the pickpocketing he'd do and his utter lack of morals.

Well OP, some settings do it well, some settings don't. Ever read any books in the Uplift saga?

This.

I don't know what to think. Most of the classical, already existing examples of these creatures in myths (such as the Japanese kitsune, tanuki and bakeneko, the Celtic kelpie and selkie, and the Brazilian boto or encantado) sooner or later develop the skill to assume human form anyway..

Holy shit that is a handsome weebtrash.
more please

I do enjoy uplifts in my sci.fi settings.
Mostly because they are created as a form of product. Traveller did that with dolphins and also any number of other animals your game demands. The basic idea was "Yo bob, we need to colonize this water world to meet our demand in easily accessed living space and economic needs of just said space, what are our options ?".
"Well Steve, either we augment fellow humans to withstand the conditions of a possible hostile waterworld, till they are barley human anymore and create a shitstorm of bad PR..... or you know, make dolphins smarter and give them cyborg arms."

With uplifts you already have something that st like 90% original animal (becaus modifing it further might cut into the profits or there are better options around) but is also smart enough to keep up with human technology and also needs to be able to interface (talk) with humans.

>he adamantly refused to reveal it to the party, even after it had become an open secret out of character.
Sounds like he was a good role player, and you're the shitter in this story.

How many gnomes have you seen that will climb up walls? And have odd toes on their bare feet? And are far shorter than the average gnome? Even when members of the party tried to question him about it, he'd insist he was a gnome. And out of character he'd insist he was playing gnome, even though it had become obvious the character was a monkey, it was on the sheet and the GM knew it. It's like how the Black Knight in Monty Python kept on insisting he was invincible and could defeat King Arthur, even after he'd lost his limbs - an inane stubbornness that just ended up being without purpose. In the first session, he stole a player's (backstory-important) weapon and hid it in the forest, and we had to spend a session just searching for it since the player refused to give it up - and the monkey's player didn't seem to realize he'd done anything wrong. He had in-character reasons, sure, but he didn't seem to get why the player wanted his old weapon so badly.

I'll admit he wasn't the worst person I've ever played with, and his character was better than the 'uuuuh I have no motivation' sorts of characters, but goddamn was it frustrating. It was chaotic neutral in the worst way, and you couldn't even get the player to admit that maybe he was doing something wrong.

I want to touch his fox ears.

Why not just play as hitler then?

Monkey's really aren't known for being quite smart. Played well I could definitely see this as coming across as endearing if the other players supported it.

>"I-is that a monkey in a robe and a giant hat?"
>"No, he's our gnome wizard. I'll say that the hair is a genetic condition!"
>"I just saw him clime a tree with his tail..."
>"What part of 'wizard' don't you understand? Clearly a spell"

Of course that runs the gamut of the NPCs all thinking the party is completely insane. Although insane because they treat their spellcasting monkey as a gnome is probably better than insane because they go out and murder tens/hundreds of beings just barely one side of sentient for the simple promise of reward in the long run.

Some anons just go bananas over the small stuff.

HI THERE

To be fair that was just common for monsters in general, pretending to be human to lure in the unwary.
Just classic fear and distrust of strangers woven into mythology.

Yes, I can accept Winston more than Skipper the wonder pooch.

What motivations would someone have for awakening an animal anyway? What purpose?

I've had good experience with them as DMPCS (especially the loud and rude talking wolf who followed my character around and bantered with everyone, the DM really did a marvellous job with that one) but it would be more difficult if it was a player, which requires much more thought put in the role