Post/Author/DateTime	Post
hjones 07-16-07, 06:49 PM	I have read the rules for creating monsters as raced in the DnD game but I am not sure I fully understand them. Perhaps someone can explain it. I know how to determine an creatures ECL and I understand what a level adjustment is, but I am not sure exactly what these are used for. My understanding is that a creatures level adjustment determines what level the character is when it enters play. For example a monster with a +2 level adjustment with one level of fighter is a 3rd level character and gets his 2nd fighter level when he gets enough experience to reach 4th level as a character. What is confusing is when you have a creature with multiple hit dice at first level such as a Minotaur. A minotaur with one fighter level starts play with 6 hit dice, a +2 level adjustment and a 1st level class for an an ECL of 9. Does this mean it starts play as a 3rd level character because of its level adjustment? Or is it a 9th level character because of its ECL? It makes sense that it should be a 9th level character because a 3rd level character with 6 monster hit dice plus the class hit dice is kind of broken. However, if this is true, why not just give it a level adjustment of +8? So, by the letter of the rules, does a minotaur enter play when a 3rd level character would or when a 9th level character would? Also, I read that "A monster’s total Hit Dice, not its ECL, govern its acquisition of feats and ability score increases." so for a minotaur who has 6 HD and 2 character levels for a total hit dice of 8, does that mean he enters play with 2 ability score increases and 3 feats even though it has only 2 class levels?
kaionon 07-16-07, 07:30 PM	Yes, I think you got it all right. classlevels and racial hitdice are effectivly the same thing when it comes to feats, ability score increases, etc. For your example just think of it as the minotaur having 6 "levels" of giant in addition to his La and any class levels. I can't say why they would not make the LA as you stated, but in either case the LA system is broken in the underpowered (mostly) way. The minotaur is getting hammered twice for getting, in releative terms, less bonuses for his ECL then he would with an equal ammount of class levels. In addition to having 6 levels used up, he has to take another 2 for absolutely no bonuses what so ever.
Morwen 07-16-07, 08:14 PM	However, if this is true, why not just give it a level adjustment of +8? The reason is to differentiate between Hit Dice (which provide base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skill points, ability score increases, feats, and so on) and Level Adjustment (which provides none of the above). In any case, a creature's total ECL = Racial Hit Dice + Class Levels + Level Adjustment. so for a minotaur who has 6 HD and 2 character levels for a total hit dice of 8, does that mean he enters play with 2 ability score increases and 3 feats even though it has only 2 class levels? Yes, that is correct, except the first ability score increase is built-in to the creature's modified ability scores.