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<blockquote data-quote="Starglim" data-source="post: 2853656" data-attributes="member: 17011">The Monster Manual or the SRD tell you what the creature's BAB, base saves and skill points should be for a particular type and number of HD. You left out Type which is also a relevant statistic for this exercise. Its other statistics won't change, by the rules, unless its Size or its ability scores change.Your idea of removing one of its natural attacks at lower HD is reasonable. Its damage die and damage bonus are set by Size and STR, unless its appendage is actually less developed in form, therefore smaller or less damaging, at lesser Hit Dice (think of it, perhaps, as changing the type of weapon equivalent to the attack, as if the appendage it uses for its slam changed to be more like a club than a mace). This might be appropriate if the lesser CR version is a juvenile and not fully grown.Determining how many Hit Dice to lose to drop it by one CR is, as stated, more art than science, but you could take a guess from the table that shows how CR increases as the creature gains Hit Dice. For example, if this is a Giant, it would gain a point of CR if it gained 4 Hit Dice so possibly it would drop a CR if it lost 3 or 4 hit dice, other things being equal. I'd guess, myself, that a 4HD version will probably work as CR 3.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Starglim, post: 2853656, member: 17011"] The [I]Monster Manual[/I] or the SRD tell you what the creature's BAB, base saves and skill points should be for a particular type and number of HD. You left out Type which is also a relevant statistic for this exercise. Its other statistics won't change, by the rules, unless its Size or its ability scores change. Your idea of removing one of its natural attacks at lower HD is reasonable. Its damage die and damage bonus are set by Size and STR, unless its appendage is actually less developed in form, therefore smaller or less damaging, at lesser Hit Dice (think of it, perhaps, as changing the type of weapon equivalent to the attack, as if the appendage it uses for its slam changed to be more like a club than a mace). This might be appropriate if the lesser CR version is a juvenile and not fully grown. Determining how many Hit Dice to lose to drop it by one CR is, as stated, more art than science, but you could take a guess from the table that shows how CR increases as the creature gains Hit Dice. For example, if this is a Giant, it would gain a point of CR if it gained 4 Hit Dice so [I]possibly[/I] it would drop a CR if it lost 3 or 4 hit dice, other things being equal. I'd guess, myself, that a 4HD version will probably work as CR 3. [/QUOTE]

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