A question about gnoll PCs

[Cyronax]

Okay, I'm a bit confused about the "monsters as PCs" rules in the PH and DMG.

A player of mine wants to create a gnoll for a 2nd level campaign I'm just starting.

According to the DMG, a gnoll is already a +2 lvl equivalent. We both agree that he's going to be starting with no class levels. Also gnolls, according to the DMG, get a +3 to Spot and Listen, a few other modifiers, and also the Power Attack feat.

What I'm uncertain about is how many skill points a base gnoll would get. The MM says (for humanoids) 6 + Int Mod. Do I give the gnoll 6 + Int skill points per HD (since gnolls are 2 HD to start out), or just that total alone.

Also will this gnoll get his beginning level feat now, as a 2nd lvl character, or would he wait until he gains a level in a class (in this case ranger).

Thanks in advance,
Mark

 

[dcollins]

The following are according to the Core Rules (others will probably cite preferred variant rules in the FRCS or Dragon preview to Tooth & Claw):

- Monsters start with plain monster statistics (DMG p. 24, par. 2). Humanoids get skill points of 6 + Int bonus + 1 per Extra Hit Die (MM p. 11). For a gnoll of 2HD, that's just 7 + Int bonus (as listed).

- Listen & Spot are considered class skills with these points, all others are cross-class (MM p. 11, 1st par. under "Skills"). Gnolls get no extra bonus to these skills.

- Humanoids get 1 feat +1/4 EHD (MM p. 13) -- for starting gnolls, that's just 1 feat (as listed). He is effectively considered 2nd level already by Hit Dice (DMG p. 24, 2nd par. under "Experience for Monsters"). He'll get another feat when he achieves 3rd level (and adds his first class level), as normal.

Note: For a gnoll, the monster feat effectively takes the place of the normal 1st level character feat. Other monsters may actually lose feats in the deal (example: an ogre gets 1 feat and starts at 4th level, effectively having lost the normal feats at 1st & 3rd level -- again, per DMG p. 24, paragraphs 2 and 5).

 

[Cyronax]

Thanks dcollins. That cleared up a few things.

C.I.D.