Racial Hit Dice: Necessary?

[Felix]

That comes with two problems: First off, there's no hard-and-fast conversion that'll work most of the time; it'll vary creature by creature

So is most every other creature breakdown by level.

Secondly, given effects that key off HD, LA is bad enough, trying to roll racial HD into further LA will likely result in monsters being even *less* playable.

Take a 4 HD +1 LA monster. That's minimum level 5. Would a 1HD +2 LA creature be that much less playable? At 5th level the adjusted creature will have 1 less HD, but he'd have 1 racial and 2 class HD instead of 4 racial HD. Would it not depend on the creature, instead of simply making monsters less playable accross the board?

 

[kreynolds]

Is there a reasonable way to convert them?

From experience, I have found this to be so. Hit up Upper Krust, or anyone else in his threads, over in his hosted forums, here...

http://www.enworld.org/forumdisplay.php?f=304

He has a great system for this.

EDIT: Directed to wrong forum.

 

[Doug McCrae]

By far the best, easiest most balanced solution is to use the Changeling, an LA +0 race intended for use by players detailed in Monster Manual III and Eberron Campaign Setting.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I'm trying to think of some way for a 5th level character to play a doppleganger, for example.

Drop me an email;I may have something for you.

Frukathka [at] yahoo [dot] com