Templates

[Max Caysey]

Hello guys-...

Can I just ad templates to PCs?

[Red Fel]

Not without the permission of their players.

And of the DM.

[KillianHawkeye]

There are two types of templates: acquired templates and inherited templates. An inherited template is almost always something that you are born with, although there are sometimes ways of getting it later on (Dragon Disciple prestige class and the Half-Dragon template, et al). An acquired template is always something that gets added onto an already existing creature. The template will tell you how that is normally done.

[Zanos]

Your initial question requires some clarification, so I'll be general.

There are two types of templates, inherited and acquired. Acquired templates can be applied at any point the creature qualifies for it. Inherited templates the creature must be born with.

You can add an acquired template to any creature that meets the prerequisites for the template. A Lich, for example, must be an a humanoid capable of crating a phylactery, which requires a caster level of 11 and the craft wondrous item feat.

Inherited templates are applied at character creation, and are part of the character from their minimum ECL. I believe there are variant rules for using rituals to apply inherited templates to creatures after creation, but I am not familiar with them.

[WhamBamSam]

A template can be applied to a PC if said PC is a suitable candidate for it. However, many templates come with a Level Adjustment, and LA is made of fail, so there are costs as well as benefits.

For example, a human is an eligible candidate for Half-Dragon as an inherited template, so you can create a Half-Dragon human PC. However, Half-Dragon gives you LA +3, so a Half-Dragon human Fighter 1 is effectively a 4th level character, and will often be less effective at that ECL (effective character level) when compared to the alternative of having 3 more class levels.

EDIT: There may also be some templates which have "--" as their listed LA. Such templates cannot be applied to PC characters.

[Captnq]

Hello guys-...

Can I just ad templates to PCs?

I can. I'm a DM. Check this out.

*sends an Email*

There. I just made one of my players a lich.

[Story]

Also note that you can sometimes add inherited templates later via template class progressions if you really want to.

[Morcleon]

I can. I'm a DM. Check this out.

*sends an Email*

There. I just made one of my players a lich.

Generally, changing anything about a character without the player being able to give consent or do anything about it is in very poor taste, and will almost never be well received.

[KillianHawkeye]

There may also be some templates which have "--" as their listed LA. Such templates cannot be applied to PC characters.

Sure they can. The character just won't be a PC anymore.