Necroticplague
2014-01-04, 02:29 PM
O.k., over the time on some dnd boards, every once in a while you'll see these two used in a ludicrous build. The core would be using a Host or base humanoid that's a valid PC ECl+0 race, and a guest or base monster that's a templated monstrosity with a CR of "Yes". So I've run into two interpretations, one by the people positing these monsters, and one by those who thing it shouldn't work.
PRO: The LA is only only applied to the base Humanoid/Host, irregardless of the other creature. For all the rules care, you can have a god for your other half and it's o.k..
Anti: The creature, being a part of you, requires you take all of its ECL into your own. You couldn't be a god unless you were willing to shed the ECL yourself.
Of course, I have problems with both of these interpretations, as follows, that makes me have a hard time accepting either one.
PRO: Suffers from lack of specificity, and makes it pointless to not stack as many templates as you can fit while still meeting type qualifications on the guest/base creature (for say, symbiotic, thanks to half-fey and greenbound, you just need to keep it a living corporeal creature tiny or smaller, assuming human base).
Anti: Taken to its logical extent, makes the templates impossible to use. If you must pay the ECL of the base creature/guest, then that even more severely limits it until the valid creatures can be counted on one hand. The vast majority of valid Guests/base creatures aren't valid PC races, so have no ECL to pay. Most notably for Tauric, as it means the two most classical tauric examples are impossible (as neither horses nor giant snakes have an LA).
I'm inclined to agree with the former as the latter seems a larger problem to me, but I figured asking the Playground for clarification couldn't hurt.
PRO: The LA is only only applied to the base Humanoid/Host, irregardless of the other creature. For all the rules care, you can have a god for your other half and it's o.k..
Anti: The creature, being a part of you, requires you take all of its ECL into your own. You couldn't be a god unless you were willing to shed the ECL yourself.
Of course, I have problems with both of these interpretations, as follows, that makes me have a hard time accepting either one.
PRO: Suffers from lack of specificity, and makes it pointless to not stack as many templates as you can fit while still meeting type qualifications on the guest/base creature (for say, symbiotic, thanks to half-fey and greenbound, you just need to keep it a living corporeal creature tiny or smaller, assuming human base).
Anti: Taken to its logical extent, makes the templates impossible to use. If you must pay the ECL of the base creature/guest, then that even more severely limits it until the valid creatures can be counted on one hand. The vast majority of valid Guests/base creatures aren't valid PC races, so have no ECL to pay. Most notably for Tauric, as it means the two most classical tauric examples are impossible (as neither horses nor giant snakes have an LA).
I'm inclined to agree with the former as the latter seems a larger problem to me, but I figured asking the Playground for clarification couldn't hurt.