Racial HD vs Class levels

[Li Shenron]

Is it so that they are equivalent in terms of 'power' when counted for ECL (therefore for a PC) but not equivalent when counted for CR (therefore for a NPC/monster), in which case racial HD < class level?

I was thinking whether replacing some of the racial HD of a creature with class levels would keep the ECL the same, but increase the CR...

 

[irdeggman]

The problem is that CR is never a straight forward calculation. That is what complicates any such broad statements.


Party Level is the average level of the party (this IMO is the ECL of each party member).

That is the basis used to determine the "appropriate" EL.

Backing out from the CR tables is what is used to determine the EL and what is the appropriate CR (and thus "creatures") for an encounter.

So for PCs, at least, the character level is their CR. This is a huge simplification since CR is always subject to "tweaking" and the CR listed in the MMs do not have an absolute direct correlation to character levels.

Monster hit dice count as class levels for essentially all purposes - max skill ranks, number of feats, number of skill points, etc. So to say they are not equivalent of class levels is, at least to me, a very weak statement.

 

[Li Shenron]

Just to clarify: I didn't mean equivalent in mechanical terms, or how do you add a racial hd to a monster compared to how do you add a class level. I just meant equivalent for purposes of calculating ECL vs CR.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

For all your CR/EL needs: http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=2289968&postcount=42

 

[Blue]

Something I've realized is that the idea that all HD and class levels are equal is a pitfall of D&D 3.x.

For example, a 6 animal HD vs. 6 class levels of any class is grossly not even. And if that animal was playable, it would probably have a +1 or +2 LA on top of it because of good stat modifiers, some natural armor, and maybe something like fast movement or improved grab/trip.

So to answer your question, I think that CR may give you a more accurate initial reading for cases where it has a lot of weak* monster HD, and what you're proposing of replacing those with more substantial class levels will increase the CR. By the rules it won't change the ECL, and since that ECL was at least partially made up of underachieving HD, all you're really doing is making the ECL become "more real" for a PC, by making it become more like a PHB race with class levels.

Cheers,
=Blue(23)

* There are some strong monstrous types/HD. Dragon is one. Outsiders aren't shabby either.