Taking class levels: reqs?

[hong]

Never really paid that much attention to this before. Are there any technical requirements for a creature to be able to take levels in a class? Say Int >= 3 or something?

 

[Numion]

Never really paid that much attention to this before. Are there any technical requirements for a creature to be able to take levels in a class? Say Int >= 3 or something?

If there reads "By character class" in the advancement line in the monsters statistics, then it can take levels. Otherwise it's by extra HD.

 

[Li Shenron]

Re: Re: Taking class levels: reqs?

If there reads "By character class" in the advancement line in the monsters statistics, then it can take levels. Otherwise it's by extra HD.

...although in several WotC accessory books there are monsters with class levels even for creatures that are supposed to advance only by HD.

I would suggest that AT LEAST it requires the ability to learn a profession. IMHO Int 3 is a good lower limit for such a thing, but I'd also require the creature to have hands-like appendages and to be able to speak at least some language. (But these're just my own ideas! )

 

[hong]

Re: Re: Taking class levels: reqs?

If there reads "By character class" in the advancement line in the monsters statistics, then it can take levels. Otherwise it's by extra HD.

I'm pretty sure I've seen examples of levelled creatures that ignore the advancement line. Wasn't there something on this in a WOTC article somewhere?

 

[hammymchamham]

The way I understand it (and INMO), if a creature advances by hit die, and has more than 1 hit die, that is their favored class. But they can take levels in other clases. (MM pg 14). Of course I haven't seen anything offical saying you need an intellegence of 3 or more to take levels in a class, but it sounds resonable enough that I'm going to use that restriction.

 

[SpikeyFreak]

Re: Re: Re: Taking class levels: reqs?

...although in several WotC accessory books there are monsters with class levels even for creatures that are supposed to advance only by HD.

I would suggest that AT LEAST it requires the ability to learn a profession. IMHO Int 3 is a good lower limit for such a thing, but I'd also require the creature to have hands-like appendages and to be able to speak at least some language. (But these're just my own ideas! )

I guess beholders would never be able to take the beholder PrC in Monsters of Faerun with you DMing. Poor guys.

--One-Eyed Spikey

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Considering that they just published a big list of creature ECLs for creatures whose advancement is in HD, I'd think just about anything can take classes-- though I'd stick with the INT 3 prerequisite, myself.

Also, I'd think that mixed advancement was possible-- an NPC or PC of such a creature could choose to advance a Hit Die or a character class every level, until they hit their maximum Hit Die advancement. If adding a HD would add more than a single level of ECL, I'd allow them to do it but then make them spend their next level (or more) adjusting into the new ECL.

It would make sense that their HD or "monster class levels" would be their favored class, too. That's a good idea.

 

[Baron Von StarBlade]

We had this discussion a couple of weeks ago. I don't think there really is any definitive place where it states a monster requires x prerequisites to get a character class. I'm in the camp of look in the advancement column and I posted my reasons why in
this thread.

 

[Li Shenron]

Of course I haven't seen anything offical saying you need an intellegence of 3 or more to take levels in a class, but it sounds resonable enough that I'm going to use that restriction.

Actually, I haven't read anything either. IIRC "Int at least 3" is a requirement for a Player's character in the PHB (chapter 1?). Since PCs are supposed to get XP and therefore levels, it is quite common to think it is also a requirement for that, even if it doesn't necessarily make a very logical consequence, isn't it?

It sounds like a reasonable idea IMHO, that advancing in a class requires the creature to be able to discern the difference between a sorcerer and a ranger... but actually nothing prevents a character with Int drained to 1 to advance in levels.

Just let's make those monsters as we like

...and forget about E&A's mummy-monks or umber hulk-barbarians

 

[Li Shenron]

Double post