Half-dragon, half-celestial, whatever, ghost?

[domino]

Is this allowed by the rules?

The half-dragon changes the half-celestial type to half-dragon, making it allowable type wise for the ghost template.

But, half-celestial is a template applied to a coporeal creature. But by making it a ghost, it's no longer coporeal. So, does it make a difference with adding templates in order, or does this turn into another one of those Shillelagh debates?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Savage Species, I believe, presented a hierarchy of creature types. Basically, you could move around on any given level, but once you went up, you couldn't come back down again.

Outsider - the one bestowed by Half-Celestial - was at the top (with Elemental, I think). Undead and Dragon were below it.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I wouldn't allow a Half-Dragon template to be applied to a Half-Celestial template creature. Including the "base creature" that's one half too many. However, I'm not sure if this is actually a rule, or just my own sensibilities talking.

I can answer your last question, though. It does make a difference what order you add templates, since some abilities/attributes will overwrite those granted by earlier templates, and some will be lost.

Edit to add: I'm pretty sure Undead was on the top with Outsider. Not sure about Elemental...

 

[Infiniti2000]

The rules have this to say about multiple templates:

Adding More Than One Template
In theory, there’s no limit to the number of templates you can add to a creature. To add more than one template, just apply each template one at a time. Always apply inherited templates before applying acquired templates. Whenever you add multiple templates, pay attention to the creature’s type—you may add a template that makes the creature ineligible for other templates you might want to add.

Note that "one at a time" means that order matters. If SS has rules on this, then I'd suggest using that. But, if you're the DM, then feel free to use whatever order floats your boat. You're making a new creature, after all, and making into what you want is the most important goal.

 

[Taloras]

The Type Pyramid
Some creature types are easier to change than others. Some types, such as undead, cannot change(with a few, rare exceptions). As an aid to determining the type of a creature with multiple templates, we can arrange the types in the form of a pyramid. At the base of hte pyramid are those types that can be changed most easily. At the top are the types that can be changed only rarely, if at all.

Purpose of the pyramid
Usually, the last template applied determines a creature's type. However it is possible that some template imposes a creature type that overrides any following templates. Types higher on the pyramid override lower types, even if the lower type is applied afterward. You can apply the half-dragon template to an earth elemental, for instance, and it remains an elemental. The pyramid is about creature types, and does nto dictate the order in which you must apply templates.

The Pyramid from Base to Top.
Animal, Humanoid, Vermin.
These types form the base of the pyramid. these are the simplest creature types, with the fewest exotic abilities. Almost any template applied to them overrieds their type.
Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid
These two types occupy the level above the base, a narrow band between humanoid, whos type they override, and more exotic types such as aberration, fey, giant, outsider, and humanoid(shapechanger), whos type override theirs.
Fey, Giant
These two types occupy the level above magical beast and monstrous humanoid. While they override animal, humanoid, magical beast, and monstrous humanoids, other type s override theirs.
Dragon, Humanoid(shapechanger)
These two types occupy the level above fey and giant.
Aberration:
This type sits alone at the level above dragon and humanoid(shapechanger).
Elemental, Ooze, Plant
These three types occupy the level just below the top. If some other templat is applied to them, they generally retain whichever of these thre types they have.
Construct, Outsider, Undead
These three types reside at the top of the pyramdi. Once a creature becomes an undead or construct through the application of a template, it cannot become something else. Once a creature stops being a native of the Material Plane, it becomes an outsider and stays one.


Thats the rules per savage species.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Thanks, Taloras! I was ... well, I was close, I guess.

 

[domino]

But Savage Species isn't 3.5!


BWAHAHAHA!

 

[Hypersmurf]

Once a creature stops being a native of the Material Plane, it becomes an outsider and stays one.

In 3.5, with the Extraplanar subtype, this is no longer the case.

-Hyp.

 

[domino]

In 3.5, with the Extraplanar subtype, this is no longer the case.

-Hyp.

So it could be possible after all?