When you add class levels to a monster....

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

According to the DMG passages about creating new species: Yes, it is more powerful.

The +4 to Strength is to much. To balance only a +2 bonus to strength, you would need the -2 stats.
The rest of the racial abilities aren`t very impressive, so they are okay.

For a DragonStar Campain (where you primarily use ranged weapon that inflict - as a small weapon - 3d8 points of damage), it might be okay, but probably there would be needed a third -2 stat...

 

[Madfox]

Reason?

How about they already have skill points if they have monster HD? Is that right? If so, that's why, because they are not starting with class levels, they already have monster "levels."

Except that those numbers are quite low compared to what the different classes get. This is especially true for rogues, bards, rangers and barbarian. For example, a standard humanoid gets 6 skill points +1 per extra HD. Compared to the classes with 2 skill points this is of course more or less equal to the 4x base ranks. For classes that start with 4+ skill ranks this number pales.

A 1st level rogue troglodyte would get 13 skill points (6 racial + 7 class).
A 1st lvl human rogue would get 32 skill points.

The difference is rediculously big. So I have some difficulties with the official rules concerning this...

 

[AGGEMAM]

A 1st level rogue troglodyte would get 13 skill points (6 racial + 7 class).
A 1st lvl human rogue would get 32 skill points.

The difference is rediculously big. So I have some difficulties with the official rules concerning this...

Well, I guess that a troglodyte just isn't cut out to be a rogue then if you get my point.