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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 5784424" data-attributes="member: 6669384">You could build a "Savage Progression" prestige class for a lycanthrope, such as your were-bear Barbarian.  But if you look in the MM for how to build it as a straight template, no your Barb3/Werebear isn't ECL 6.Here's how ECL works for monsters and monstrous templates: The Character Adjustment entry after each monster in the book isn't the ECL adjustment.  The ECL is the creature's natural hit dice *PLUS* the Character Adjustment.So if you want to add character levels to, say, a Giant Eagle, you start with the eagle's hit dice (4 D10), then add the Character Adjustment (+2), for a total ECL of 6.  Now add character levels to that.Well, it's the same for the Were Bear.  Six hit dice of bear + 3 Character Level adjustments for a total of 9.  And that's without any character levels.A natural werebear couldn't reasonably have a Savage Progression, since it isn't an acquired template.  You're born with it.  You also can't mix savage progression style template acquisition with class advancement.  Once you start becoming a lycanthrope, the only levels you can take are lycanthrope until you've paid them all off.Now you could do a Savage Progression template for an afflicted lycanthrope, but forget about being a Barbarian/Were Bear.  The afflicted variety has a forced alignment of Lawful Good, and Barbie can't be Lawful.Now, why is one variety a +3 character adjustment, and the other only a +2?Natural lycanthropes get DR10/Silver, afflicted ones get DR5/Silver.  Afflicted ones can't spread the condition, natural ones can.The difference in DR alone could easily account for the difference.Now, if someone wanted to run a reduced power lycanthrope to keep their level down to match game standards, say your 6th level version, I'd say they need to run a very young Were Bear (like, maybe 8 years old).  Their natural Human size is Small, as a child, and when they change they become Medium.  Their Human form has childlike penalties to Wisdom, Strength, Dexterity and Con which become countered when they convert to Ursine form.  Then apply age modifiers as they grow.They start as Were Bear 3/Adjustment 3/Barbarian 0.  And they can't take Barbarian levels until they finish growing up to an adult Were Bear with 6 hit dice and 3 level adjustment.  Their first actual character level is at 10th.Now, what do they get with their Savage Progression?  The very idea comes from Savage Species, so I'd look there for anything authoritative.  Lacking that, I'd work out with the DM what's an appropriate and balanced advancement.Yeah, I know, the appeal of running a Were Bear melee type is that it isn't "appropriate" or "balanced", it's rip-roaring awesome.  Sorry 'bout that.</blockquote>

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