What ECL a half fire elemental?

[Hygric]

I am toying with a charcter concept and the half fire elemental template from manual of the planes fits it well. However, I can't find it's ECL anywhere. Anyone know of an ECL for this critter?

 

[Darkness]

I'd set it at +2, as it's somewhere between Tiefling/Aasimar and Half-Celstial/Half-Fiend in power.

 

[Hygric]

Thanks Darkness. So I guess there is no "official" list with them listed?

 

[Soldarin]

+2 sounds about right.

 

[Celebrim]

I'd say around +3 or +4.

The ECL of the half-celestial/half-fiend is +5 (or is it +4?) now, not the +2 published in the MM. This is I believe in both the official erratta, and the ECL article suggestions in Dragon magazine.

While there is no way that a 1st level half-elemental is as powerful as a 5th level character, by the time you hit upper levels the number of free spells and free special abilities regardless of class is simply priceless. And further, the enhanced attributes you have will eventually roughly make up the difference in hit points/BAB that you lose by being 4 levels below your peers.

This is the enherent weakness of a linear ECL system, and hopefully a better system will become standard sometime in the future. Until then, I'd give half elementals +4 ECL (erring on the side of caution until I get a chance to look over the template closely).

 

[Gunslinger]

It's +2, but I don't remember exactly where it says so.

 

[Darkness]

The ECL of the half-celestial/half-fiend is +5 (or is it +4?) now, not the +2 published in the MM.

The MM does say it should be +2? Can you give a page reference for that, please?

This is I believe in both the official erratta, and the ECL article suggestions in Dragon magazine.

Again, could you say where it says so in the errata? 'cause I haven't seen it yet - but if it's there, I'd like to be up-to-date.
As for the Dragon magazine article: I'm not so sure whether that stuff is too balanced. So, before Savage Species comes out, the DMG (and other sources - except for OA, which seems kinda broken ) are probably a safer bet.

 

[Kvantum]

The DMG lists both half-celestials and half-fiends at ECL +3 (pg 22) There's no change in the DMG errata AFAIK. The Dragon article lists them at ECL +5, though. (The CR mods from the MM are +1 for half-celestials (HA!) and +2 for half-fiends.)

Since the half-elemental templates don't have nearly the stat mods or elemental immunities/resistances that the other half-outsider templates do, I'd say that ECL +2 sounds right.