Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DeadEye 09-26-04, 03:47 PM	Hi there. I've recently started a campaign as a Kaorti, a monster from the Fiend Folio with 2 hit die and a +2 level adjustment. The campaign starts us as level 5 characters. Thus, I have an extra class level, making me ECL 5. I thought that since my effective character level is 5, I would get the money total listed for level 5 characters on table 2-24 in the DMG. My DM said that since I have only one class level, my money total is only the starting gold of a level 1 character. I've read the instructions in Savage Species on how to create a monster character, and it says "compare your starting ECL with the table 2-24 in the DMG", which I assume means that since my ECL is 5, I get the level 5 money. I mean, that seems logical to me. Otherwise, the special abilities you gain as a monster (which roughly, roughly equate to the class levels you'd get if you'd gone a race with no monster HD or LA to worry about) in no way approach the power of a character of a class level higher than you, with extra magical items on top of that. The logic continues to elude me when it comes to levelling up. I've got the same XP as a character with class levels equivalent to my ECL, but because his are class levels and mine are from being a monster, I'm forced into taking a lesser portion of the treasure because I'm not of an adequate level? At level 20, I'd have 260,000 gold, whereas a human of my level would have 500,000 on top of that. My Kaorti abilities and stat bonuses don't nearly approach what can be achieved with that amount of gold. If anyone could point me to either an FAQ or some other printed example I can show my DM, I'd be very appreciative. Also, if everyone who reads this could let me know what their opinion is on the matter, I'd be appreciative, as a majority one way or the other might help clarify things.
Sildatorak 09-26-04, 06:24 PM	If you are a PC monster, your ECL determines what your character wealth should be. So yes, you should have a level 5 character's wealth when you have 1 class level. For almost everything else (spells that affect X levels of characters, abilities based on character level, etc), you will only count as a level 3 character, though (2 HD+1 Class level).