Best bang for the buck for a level-adjusted race?

[insanogeddon]

War shaper is THAT good.

Say you have ratooshi issues (as i did.. they have only increased despite my grudging appreciation, and perhaps due to, of the sneak/intelegence gathering/silent death factor of a rat form in the castle and pesant oriented dnd setting)

Say were-wolf.. a classic.

Barbarian 1, Ftr 2, Wolf 2, Ecl 2, War Shaper 2

9th level chracter (assuming fractional bab)
BAB = +6
HD: 12 + 2d10 + 4d8
Wolf gets good fort AND reflex so saves are fine, perhaps better in all areas exp considering...

DA
DAA
DAAAH

With Were Wolf + Warshaper:
+6 Str
+4 Dex
+8 Con
+2 Wis
Bonus Feat: Iron Will
+2 AC
DR 5 Silver
Immune to crits
Scent
Low Light Vision

Hell be a dwarf and take the next 2 levels as 'Deepwarden' from races of stone and get your con to AC as well.... and laughf the laughf of a gruff god of invunrable slaughter !!

If that was your game I would be dwarf Hex 3 wolf 2 to qualify for warshaper, +2 ECL, Warshaper 3, Deepwarden 2..... pick up 'endurance' and 'steadfast determination' (PH 2) so get con to WILL SAVES AS WELL and with your mettle from hexblade and inability to fail fort saves on a 1 watch the DM squirm like a little piggy when trying to drop you.

 

[KerlanRayne]

I rather like the Petal. It's a tiny fey from MM3 with +2 LA. It has 60' fly speed and gives -8 Str, +10 Dex, +4 Con, +4 Int, +8 Cha. It has 1 HD, but I'm pretty sure that it's replaced by class levels.

 

[amethal]

I rather like the Petal. It has 1 HD, but I'm pretty sure that it's replaced by class levels.

Yes, but (unlike humanoids, where it is automatic) you can choose with 1 HD fey whether you want to replace with class levels or not.