ECL and Monstrous HD? I am confused [Archive] - Wizards Community

ECL and Monstrous HD? I am confused [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Sheez
05-24-05, 03:38 AM I'm currently taking a look at making a character using non-standard races out of the MM. The centaur in particular caught my eye, but the question begins with ECL adjustments and the monstrous HD. Does this mean that a centaur is the equivalent of a 7th level character when starting as a 1st level fighter, or a 3rd? I'm trying to figure out if I factor in the monstrous humanoid levels in towards the overall character level, or if they are, in effect, gimme levels (the less likely of the two I imagine). Also, assuming that the first of the situations is true, is there any way around taking those monstrous humanoid levels?
Sheez
05-24-05, 04:09 AM Feh, nevermind. I've managed to find the bit in the foreward about it.
Nom
05-24-05, 08:41 AM A baseline centaur has 4 monstrous humanoid HD, and is therefore a 4th level character. However, for XP and meta-game mechanic purposes (only) he is assigned a 2 level handicap (+2 LA), so is treated as effectively a 6th level character (effective character level, or ECL).

Thus, a baseline centaur requires at least 15,000 XP (ECL 6) to be a legal character, but is treated as a 4th level character in all respects except for calculating XP / ECL. For example, the centaur is vulnerable to a sleep spell, whereas a human with 15,000 XP (and thus ECL 6 and thus character level 6) would not be.

A centaur Ftr 1 has 4 monstrous humanoid HD and 1 fighter HD for a total of 5 HD, and is thus a 5th level character. However, the +2 LA makes him ECL 7, and thus he requires (at least) 21,000 XP.

Summary:

Character level = HD. Used for everything except XP-related stuff.
Effective character level = HD + LA. Used for XP-related stuff only.

Racial HD are exactly like multiclass HD, except that you always treat them as favoured (no multiclass penalty) and you must take exactly the number of 'levels' listed. Any futher levels are regular class levels.

Savage Species provides optional rules that allow a monstrous creature to exist with insufficient XP to support their racial HD and LA.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sheez 05-24-05, 03:38 AM	I'm currently taking a look at making a character using non-standard races out of the MM. The centaur in particular caught my eye, but the question begins with ECL adjustments and the monstrous HD. Does this mean that a centaur is the equivalent of a 7th level character when starting as a 1st level fighter, or a 3rd? I'm trying to figure out if I factor in the monstrous humanoid levels in towards the overall character level, or if they are, in effect, gimme levels (the less likely of the two I imagine). Also, assuming that the first of the situations is true, is there any way around taking those monstrous humanoid levels?
Sheez 05-24-05, 04:09 AM	Feh, nevermind. I've managed to find the bit in the foreward about it.
Nom 05-24-05, 08:41 AM	A baseline centaur has 4 monstrous humanoid HD, and is therefore a 4th level character. However, for XP and meta-game mechanic purposes (only) he is assigned a 2 level handicap (+2 LA), so is treated as effectively a 6th level character (effective character level, or ECL). Thus, a baseline centaur requires at least 15,000 XP (ECL 6) to be a legal character, but is treated as a 4th level character in all respects except for calculating XP / ECL. For example, the centaur is vulnerable to a sleep spell, whereas a human with 15,000 XP (and thus ECL 6 and thus character level 6) would not be. A centaur Ftr 1 has 4 monstrous humanoid HD and 1 fighter HD for a total of 5 HD, and is thus a 5th level character. However, the +2 LA makes him ECL 7, and thus he requires (at least) 21,000 XP. Summary: Character level = HD. Used for everything except XP-related stuff. Effective character level = HD + LA. Used for XP-related stuff only. Racial HD are exactly like multiclass HD, except that you always treat them as favoured (no multiclass penalty) and you must take exactly the number of 'levels' listed. Any futher levels are regular class levels. Savage Species provides optional rules that allow a monstrous creature to exist with insufficient XP to support their racial HD and LA.