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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kobold Stew" data-source="post: 2277906" data-attributes="member: 23484">But the thing is, it isn't significant. It is a penalty, because adding 2 hit dice to a creature is always inferior to two class levels, especialy when they're a PC. And sometimes, the extra abilities or special abilities are simply lacking. Lizard folk get nice abilities (2dice, +1LA). Gnolls do not (also 2 dice, +1LA). Lizard folk have substantial benefits. Gnolls do not--certainly nothing that matches the benefit of 2 levels (and starting skills!) from a class--particularly the supposed favorite class, ranger. This is a hobby horse of mine, but I want to be able to build a viable gnoll without having to resort to templates, or what have you, RAW. And I can't do it. Part of the reason, I think, is the (non-articulated) automatic LA+1 for hit dice. If there were a mechanism for 2 die creatures with +0 LA (or to keep one humanoid die and let the other be a class level but keep the +1 LA) then a gnoll has a chance in the world. As it is, I don't think he does. Sure, I can houserule gnolls to make them viable, but I want to understand what the designers were thinking when they were made.Kobold Stew.</blockquote>