Monsters? As PCs? Help!

[ScaredofScissors]

I was looking at Complete Warrior the other day, at the Hulking Hurler in particular, and it has an example of a Stone Giant. Now it claims that the build is CR 11 (I'm guessing because a stone giant is CR 8 + 3 levels of HH).

But as a PC, what level would it be considered? Level 11, because that's what it's CR is? Level 15, because of the level adjustment (+4), level 17 (stone giant monster levels + 3 of HH), or level 21 (monster levels + LA + 3 from HH). It seems like a lot of these options would make you not want to play one.

So how is it all -supposed- to work if you want it as a PC? CR + class? Level adjustment + class? Level adjustment + monster levels + class?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Jack Simth]

ECL 21.

14 HD +4 LA +3 Hulking Hurler levels.

 

[DarkJester]

To determine what effective character level a PC (as a monster) has you need to add the monsters hitdice to its level adjustment. As Jack said, for a stone giant with 14 hitdice and 4 level adjustment you have an ECL of 18. When you add three class levels to that you have ECL 21.

ECL doesn't have any relation to challenge rating, one is for monsters - which will likely only use their abilities in 1 encounter ever - and the other is for a PC which will get a lot more mileage out of them.

 

[Nail]

ECL doesn't have any relation to challenge rating.

This is key: ECL is not determined by CR.

 

[ScaredofScissors]

That's what I pretty much figured. Thanks for the help, everyone!