Monstrous PC Races: Are They Even Possible?

[hong]

What's an "ECL"?

 

[Spatula]

Why is LA a "punishment"?

Because it puts you behind non-LA PCs in terms of your class powers. But maybe I'm misunderstanding your theoretical ogre that counts as a 6th level character. Would a theory-ogre Fighter 1 be a 7th level character with the powers of a 1st level fighter (and some better-than-average race bonuses)?

 

[hong]

Because it puts you behind non-LA PCs in terms of your class powers. But maybe I'm misunderstanding your theoretical ogre that counts as a 6th level character. Would a theory-ogre Fighter 1 be a 7th level character with the powers of a 1st level fighter (and some better-than-average race bonuses)?

Ogre fighter 1 -> ogre with 20 + Con + whatever hp, and at-will, encounter and daily powers appropriate for a 7th level character.

 

[Spatula]

Perhaps a powerful race could be like heroic-tier multiclassing (minus the feat requirements) - you have the option to swap out some of your normal class powers for some race-specific powers, like a poison bite as an encounter power. Or a threatening-reach interrupt attack as encounter power.

 

[keterys]

I'd suggest doing it more like multiclassing, and particularly like paragon path multiclassing, yes.

And just, y'know, feat expenditure.

... and not Hong's way, I mean.

I'd also consider giving _everyone_ more powers, and let those powers be used for race or some other benefit.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Everyone hates Level Adjustment, that's why they are somehow putting an end to it in 4e.

 

[ForbidenMaster]

Everyone hates Level Adjustment, that's why they are somehow putting an end to it in 4e.

I believe there in an appendix for monstrous PCs at the end of the MM. I am not sure, so I will be back with a link.

EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f7HnfD-R9k

Aprox. 8:10-8:30 into the show

....the monster manual will have an appendix that will let you play several monsters from that book sd characters....

 

[Moon-Lancer]

I was really hoping for race tracks too. It would have made monster races easier to do and balance for pcs and it really would have lived up to the claim that the race matters at all levels of play.

 

[MindWanderer]

You can easily simulate race tracks with feats. Like Savage Species forced a player to take all the levels of a monstrous class before taking levels in any other class, you can force a player to take racial feats at specific levels to gain the features of those races. Perhaps juvenile thri-kreen have vestigial, nonfunctional second pairs of claws, and you need a feat to make them useful (perhaps at a penalty, at first). Same goes for any racial feature. Remember, taking a monster through PC levels should rarely if ever end you up at the same place as its Monster Manual brethren.

 

[arscott]

Are the Dark Sun races really so imposing that you can't make balanced first-level versions?

Half Giant:
+4 str, +4 con, -2 int, -2 cha
+2 athletics, +2 intimidate
Large Sized
Can retrain twice as much as other characters

Thri-Kreen:
+2 dex, +2 wis
+2 acrobatics, +2 nature
Natural Armor
Trance
Claw Fury (see below)

Claw Flurry (Thri Kreen Racial Power)
Encounter
Standard Action, Melee
Effect: make up to four unarmed basic melee attacks.

Sure, eventually the Kreen could do a lot more stuff, but he only got that at later levels--perfect for modeling with racial feats.