Pathfinder Halfdragon

[Zanthy1]

So it has come to my attention that there is not LA in pathfinder. So if a PC wished to play a halfdragon, would they just apply the template to their base race? Like could that PC be a human half dragon as a level 1 character? say with a class level in fighter?

Please clarify this for me

[Andrewmoreton]

Only if the GM lets him.
I would tell the player that if he wants to cheat then he has to come up with something better than that to get past me.
Half Dragon is not a player race, templates are not part of character design so NO.

[Drelua]

The player would use the +2 CR that comes with the template, counting as 2 levels, automatically gaining an extra level halfway between every third level and the level after that (between 3 and 4, 6 and 7...) IIRC, a number of times equal to it's CR adjustment. This is because the bonuses from a template tend to become less useful over time. I could be wrong about the details, considering I can't find the relevant quote right now, but I know I've read something like this on the prd somewhere.

[Zanthy1]

Thanks that is really helpful!

[Psyren]

The player would use the +2 CR that comes with the template, counting as 2 levels, automatically gaining an extra level halfway between every third level and the level after that (between 3 and 4, 6 and 7...) IIRC, a number of times equal to it's CR adjustment. This is because the bonuses from a template tend to become less useful over time. I could be wrong about the details, considering I can't find the relevant quote right now, but I know I've read something like this on the prd somewhere.

It's a number of times = half the CR adjustment (so a CR 4 monster race would do it twice.) Otherwise you're right.

The guideline is here (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races)

[Drelua]

It's a number of times = half the CR adjustment (so a CR 4 monster race would do it twice.) Otherwise you're right.

The guideline is here (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races)

Ah, thanks. I knew I had to have something wrong. Rereading the rules for that, I also got the levels wrong; it's between 2 and 3, not 3 and 4. Still, not bad for a rule I haven't seen in months.

So, in this case, a half dragon PC would count as having 2 extra class levels until he was halfway between gaining his second and third levels, at which point he would count as having one extra level for the rest of his career. I think.

Edit: I feel I should clarify. He would gain an extra level between his second and third actual class levels, not counting his CR adjustment. For a half-dragon, this would be at the point when a PC playing a race without a CR adjustment would be midway between levels 4 and 5.

[CTrees]

Just be very, very careful with PF's CR->LA system. It works pretty well for things like half-dragons or minotaurs. In other cases? Well, everyone likes the Young+Advanced combo (iirc,+1 NA, +8 Dex, +4 to all mental stats, and drop a size category for the painful cost of +0 CR), but look at Skeletal Champion. A level 20 Wizard with the Skeletal Champion template is a CR 9, and maintains full casting (and other abilities). Seriously. That's not the only craziness available.