How do you figure ECLs for monsters as player character races?

[Albert_Fish]

Ok, thats the question. How do you derive ECL? i dont think WTC has said how but i am very interested to know.
My DM is running an all evil campaign where we take the part of the monsters. We are allowed to be anything ECL 1 or less and since the DMG is so limted he suggested i check it out in the ENBOARDS.

So does anyone havea formula? or a more extensive list of ECL 1 creatures handy?

Thanks in advance

 

[Crothian]

Guess work. THere are so many factors. Do they get bouns HD? What are the attribute bonuses? Special abilities? Skill bonuses?

Personally, it's a very inexact science with the higher ECLs being very unaccurate.

 

[Kale78]

i don't remember which one, but one of the dragon magazines has all the monsters in the Monster Manual with a given ECL, though if your DM is limiting you to ECL+1 then there aren't many of those, an ECL +1 is a pretty basic monster, try just doing comparison take some of the ECL+1 races from Forgotten Realms CS and compare them to monsters to see how they rate.

 

[RangerWickett]

Actually, there's been a lot of discussion on the D20 System Games forum about using the super powers rules from Natural 20 Press's Four-Color to Fantasy to recreate a lot of racial abilities of non-standard races. You might sometimes have to tweak things a little bit, but since the rules use an actual class to gain super powers (i.e., at every level you gain 8 Hero Points to buy powers), it's a lot easier to figure out how racial abilities and other class abilities stack.

 

[Albert_Fish]

Guys, i dont won either the requisite Dragon magazine issue or the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting...and will never own it...ick. But that is neither here nor there Without buying a books....i am unwilling to shell out even ten bucks fora list of 10 monsters of ECL 1, no matter how definitive.

Would someone please be a dear and post them? So long as you dont post the entire books it is not copyright infringement, especially if you quote your source and claimits for review purposes

again thanks guys, and if anyone has a formula for ECL or even just a Quick rule of thumb let me know.

 

[kreynolds]

if anyone has a formula for ECL or even just a Quick rule of thumb let me know.

Here's a formula that I like to use.

Here's a list of ECLs calculated using that formula.

Thanks go to Soldarin.

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

Guesswork then testing. I would make a charachter of the most favorable class for the creature (or for the class the player wants), generally at 5th or 6th level. Then I make a standard charachter and find the first level where the standard char has a 50% or better chance of outperforming them. (I don't make full chars, but mentally construct them.)

Ex. Half dragon, fighter, assuming the charachter dosn't get wings.

5th level: Str 24, Dx 12, Con 20, 45 hp. Ac 23

Attack: +14 Melee, 2d6+14 Damage, Masterwork Greatsword. Elemental Immunity and breath.

Human Fighter:

8th level: Str 16, Dx 12, Con 16, 61 HP. Ac 19
Attack: +13/+8 Melee, 2d6 +6 Damage, Masterwork greatsword.

Well they seem about equal in combat, The Dragon is tougher, has better AC, and does more damage with one hit. The human has better overall attacks and HP, and more feats. So they seem roughly equal. However the dragon has a breath weapon, immunity, and better mental scores. So, lets place the Ecl at +4 because if anything the non-monster should be better.

However for a charachter playing a single classed sorcerer, the ECL might only be +3 because they are not playing to draconic strengths. A courtier might only be +2 because they gain so few usable advantages.

 

[Corlon]

thanks reynolds!

hey, is it okay if I call you sean?