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Qwertystop
2011-02-08, 10:33 AM
Does casting granted by race stack with casting granted by class?
For example, a Nymph casts as a 7th level Sorcerer. Would a Nymph with 1 Sorcerer level cast as an 8th level Sorcerer, or would she have 7th level casting and extra 1st level casting?

Greenish
2011-02-08, 10:38 AM
A spellcasting class is an associated class for a creature that already has the ability to cast spells as a character of the class in question, since the monster’s levels in the spellcasting class stack with its innate spellcasting ability.

So, a nymph (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/nymph.htm) druid 1 would cast as an 8th level druid, while a nymph sorcerer 1 would cast as a 7th level druid and 1st level sorcerer.

[Edit]: Assuming 3.5, though I'm pretty sure PF works the same way in this regard.

Qwertystop
2011-02-08, 10:39 AM
A spellcasting class is an associated class for a creature that already has the ability to cast spells as a character of the class in question, since the monster’s levels in the spellcasting class stack with its innate spellcasting ability.

So, a nymph druid 1 would cast as an 8th level druid, while a nymph sorcerer 1 would cast as a 7th level druid and 1st level sorcerer.
ok, thanks.

Incidentally, does LA stack with Racial Hit Dice, or do they overlap?

Greenish
2011-02-08, 10:42 AM
Incidentally, does LA stack with Racial Hit Dice, or do they overlap?They stack. A nymph druid 1 would have ECL of 14 (6 RHD + 7 LA + 1 class level).

Studoku
2011-02-08, 10:44 AM
You count both the RHD and the LA towards your ECL. (Love the acronyms there). This means that a level 1 Nymph druid is equivalent to a level 14 character.

Most level adjustments, especially those for caster races err on the side of caution and, as a result, tend to be seriously underpowered.

PlzBreakMyCmpAn
2011-02-08, 03:14 PM
If you want to have LA+HD races actually playable see here (URL="http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8578981#post8578981") before they

MrRigger
2011-02-08, 05:51 PM
The link doesn't seem to be working for me.

MrRigger

Thurbane
2011-02-08, 08:28 PM
A spellcasting class is an associated class for a creature that already has the ability to cast spells as a character of the class in question, since the monster’s levels in the spellcasting class stack with its innate spellcasting ability.

So, a nymph (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/nymph.htm) druid 1 would cast as an 8th level druid, while a nymph sorcerer 1 would cast as a 7th level druid and 1st level sorcerer.

[Edit]: Assuming 3.5, though I'm pretty sure PF works the same way in this regard.
Are you sure that's RAW - I thought it only stacked with class levels if specifically called out in the monster description (like Rakshasa)?

AtomicKitKat
2011-02-08, 09:35 PM
Are you sure that's RAW - I thought it only stacked with class levels if specifically called out in the monster description (like Rakshasa)?

I think they usually just call it out for convenience's sake. I can't really remember any instances where they didn't.

Hyudra
2011-02-08, 09:41 PM
If you want to have LA+HD races actually playable see here (URL="http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8578981#post8578981") before they

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8578981#post8578981 is the link he posted.

Alternately, you could check out this homebrew project (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182724), which strives to make a tier 2-3ish PC out of the myriad monsters in official material. Licenses are taken to make monsters viable and interesting as PCs, which means reducing huge stat bonuses and getting creative with abilities. It's not all perfect or great, but we're making strides.

So you could wrestle with Nymph LA & RHD, or just take seven levels in this nymph class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8167378&postcount=278). It's not one of our better monsters (we've been changing our methodology since mid-2010) but it's more playable.

Qwertystop
2011-02-09, 10:02 AM
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8578981#post8578981 is the link he posted.

Alternately, you could check out this homebrew project (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182724), which strives to make a tier 2-3ish PC out of the myriad monsters in official material. Licenses are taken to make monsters viable and interesting as PCs, which means reducing huge stat bonuses and getting creative with abilities. It's not all perfect or great, but we're making strides.

So you could wrestle with Nymph LA & RHD, or just take seven levels in this nymph class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8167378&postcount=278). It's not one of our better monsters (we've been changing our methodology since mid-2010) but it's more playable.

Actually, a nymph was just the first example I thought of. I was asking in general.

Greenish
2011-02-09, 10:09 AM
Are you sure that's RAW - I thought it only stacked with class levels if specifically called out in the monster description (like Rakshasa)?Improving monsters: (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#associatedClassLevels)
A spellcasting class is an associated class for a creature that already has the ability to cast spells as a character of the class in question, since the monster’s levels in the spellcasting class stack with its innate spellcasting ability.A nymph casts as a 7th level druid, a rakshasa as a 7th level sorcerer, and so forth.

Yuki Akuma
2011-02-09, 10:54 AM
Don't think of racial hit dice as something special - they're levels. Just like class levels. That's all.

Thurbane
2011-02-09, 04:06 PM
Improving monsters: (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#associatedClassLevels)

Originally Posted by SRD
A spellcasting class is an associated class for a creature that already has the ability to cast spells as a character of the class in question, since the monster’s levels in the spellcasting class stack with its innate spellcasting ability.

A nymph casts as a 7th level druid, a rakshasa as a 7th level sorcerer, and so forth.
I stand corrected - I have never noticed that clause before. :smallredface:

Well, that will certainly make this list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7557460&postcount=1)more interesting...I'm off to make some NPCs! :smallbiggrin: