Cergorach said:
I could be wrong, but wouldn't it be a 19HD Giant with 2 levels of Cleric? Atleast that's how i read the rules.
"Replaces" should only work for 1-HD creatures.
I'm not sure it really matters. This is the way RPM works by default, though the D20/D&D system allows you advance as you wish, and pretty much do what you want.
I think the main point is that when you create characters, every player is put on an even level (ie. CR=1), so you sacrifice a race level to get your class level. Really, nothing stops you from being a first level character with 1HD in some race (assuming that there aren't some very special abilities that effectively give you a CR > 1 ).
From a game mechanics point of view, when I look at the D20 game system in general, and the PHB specifically, I get the feeling that the PHB was done in a style that gave you an easier transition from 2nd edition D&D, whereas the generic D20 system paints a more complete picture.
A recent main page news item detailed an interview with Monte Cooke on the origins of 3rd ed, and asked what he might do differently, given the chance to start again. Most of the answer centered around the point that he was surprised how well the community took to the fundamental changes that were introduced. To my mind, the PHB was first off the shelf, and by the time we get to the DMG, you can already see the evolution. I suspect that, were we to start again, you wouldn't even see the "standard races restriction" for player characters !!!
I'm curous how the fiendish/halfdragon/vampire would work in RPM...
Very well. You can choose multiple templates now. The templates appear in the Races screen (with abilities, skills, items (phylactory for Lich?)) etc, and RPM just adds them up together, much as it does for the abilities of multi-class characters.
Lycanthrop is a bit of a pain, where you effectively need a SubRace, as you get with your normal race.
All these are quite do-able, with time being the most precious commodity. I've only got "half-celestial" decently coded up/configured so far...