Advancing Monsters

[Cheiromancer]

If you add the first character level to a monster, do you multiply the skill points by 4?

For example, suppose you have a half-celestial cloud giant with an intelligence of 14. You want it to take a level of paladin. Does it get 4 more skill points, or 16 more?

 

[Dr. Zoom]

4.

It's HD are already considered character levels for the purpose of adding skill points, so the new class is not its first character level. Therefore, it gets the paladin's 2 skill points + the 2 for Int.

 

[Felix]

Nein.

My Gnoll Ranger was a chronic sufferer of lack of skill points. I think the formula is 6+INT+(HD - 1)= #of skill points the character has at his first character level.

For your Half-celestial Cloud Giant:
6+2+(HD of Cloud Giant -1)

I don't *think* 1/2 celestial would enter into it, unless it gave the giant extra HD.

 

[dcollins]

Dr. Zoom is correct. By the core rules, the cloud giant gets 4 skill points for an added level of paladin (see DMG p. 23, under "Experience for Monsters").