Reincarnation, race, and favored class

[Thurbane]

Just a quick question: if a character gets Reincarnated as a different race, does he retain his original favored class, or does he take on the favored class of the new race?

The spell doesn't specifically state this, that I can find, other than as follows:

It’s possible for the change in the subject’s ability scores to make it difficult for it to pursue its previous character class. If this is the case, the subject is well advised to become a multiclass character.
-----
The reincarnated creature gains all abilities associated with its new form, including forms of movement and speeds, natural armor, natural attacks, extraordinary abilities, and the like, but it doesn’t automatically speak the language of the new form.

Now to me, the fact that he doesn't automatically speak the new form's language sheds some considerable doubt on whether or not favored class remains the same or is changed.

Interested in hearing a RAW ruling on this, as well as any gut feeling that may not be RAW.

Thanks - T

 

[smootrk]

In most cases the Favored Class would represent cultural norms for the race in question, and thus is entirely mental in nature, so the character would retain his original Favored Class. The difficulty mentioned more likely stems from situations like a Stealthy Rogue Halfling being reincarnated as an Ogre (with re-rolled physical stats) who is uncommonly clumsy (very poor dex).

Not that it really matters to me, I don't use the standard rules for Favored Class and XP Penalties. All the new classes make the choices for Favored Class really silly to me, and they seemed to be arbitrarily assigned anyhow.

 

[Owen K.C. Stephens]

I don't know that RAW has anything to say about it other than noting the new form loses old racial abilities and gains the new ones.

Favored class might be a cultural thing, but it also might represent innate knacks. I believe I wouldn't penalize the character for levels already taken, but I'd also change the favored class for levels gain in the new body.

Thus an elven cleric 2/wizard 7 who became a half-ogre wouldn't be considered to be taking an exp penalty for having too many wizard levels already (as they used to be favored), but from now on his favored class is barbarian so he needs to either get his cleric levels in line before advancing his wizard levels, or take a PrC, or start taking barbarian levels.

 

[Sejs]

The reincarnated creature retains their own mind. Favored class is a cultural thing. It's something you learn growing up - your culture emphasizes certain things such that you're able to develop some of those teachings alongside whatever else you're doing without difficulty.

It's learned and thus mental and thus wouldn't be changed by way of Reincarnation.

That's my take, anyway.

 

[Wolfwood2]

Well, in most cases Favored Class is going to be a biological thing, not a cultural thing.

It's a set of skills that particular race is just naturally inclined to, so it's easy for them to pick up a little training (one or two levels) in those skills without slowing down their other advancement. That's why all dwarves, even those separated by a continent, have Fighter as FC and all elves, even those groups having no contact with each other, have Wizard as FC.

So I would say that yes, FC changes. However I might house rule that as long as you don't take any additonal levels of your former favored class, levels you have taken pre-reincarnation do not cause an xp penalty.

 

[Thurbane]

In most cases the Favored Class would represent cultural norms for the race in question, and thus is entirely mental in nature, so the character would retain his original Favored Class. The difficulty mentioned more likely stems from situations like a Stealthy Rogue Halfling being reincarnated as an Ogre (with re-rolled physical stats) who is uncommonly clumsy (very poor dex).

The reincarnated creature retains their own mind. Favored class is a cultural thing. It's something you learn growing up - your culture emphasizes certain things such that you're able to develop some of those teachings alongside whatever else you're doing without difficulty.

It's learned and thus mental and thus wouldn't be changed by way of Reincarnation.

That's my take, anyway.

I'm inclined to agree with both of these views - my instinct is that FC is a result of upbringing and tradition rather than a genetic trait. I was curious if there was any RAW on this, though...apparently not...