Fun/Strong Monstrous Races

[ZamielVanWeber]

If we cap ECL at 9, what are some fun monstrous races to play that are decently strong?

[Red Fel]

How exactly are we defining "monstrous"? Non-human? Non-humanoid? Monstrous humanoid? Level-adjusted? Are we including only races, or templates as well? Subtypes and sub-races?

And is this 3.5, 3.0. PF, other?

[ZamielVanWeber]

Good point. Anything with an LA and at least 1 RHD. Not humanoid a plus. Target ECL is no higher than 8, although 9 if okay is absolutely necessary. 3.0/3.5.

[Phelix-Mu]

A friend of mine had a pretty good time playing a stonechild with their monster class. It was, admittedly, a rather low-op campaign, but they make for some pretty impressive frontliners when compared with the other low-op choices.

I always wanted to play a xill. Not sure it would be fun, or if it even meets your guideline.

Back in 2e, I had a bladeling character. That was fun, but I'm not sure if the 3e stats make this plausible.

As DM, I made a shadar-kai npc. She was pretty badass with her spiked chain and HiPS. Went for an AoO-build, with Sneak Attack of Opportunity from Dragon Magz. Not high-op, but her concept was cool; she had a double-strength form of the racial curse and was the guinea pig in a shadar-kai project to breed immunity to that curse. Great flavor, interesting plothooks that were very interesting in the hands of the party-members, and overall shadar-kainess is just fun to play with.

[Rubik]

Centaurs are pretty great, especially if you buy off the LA. They always count as mounted, meaning they can use mounted combat feats to great effect, and you never have to worry about the more confusing and frustrating mounted combat rules (such as wrapping your head around how the action economy works, what actions can be taken by mount and rider, and having a fragile mount be Dominated, fail to follow proper directions because of a low Int, or getting squashed by an AoE effect or direct assault). Also, since you ARE your mount, you can take full advantage of buffs like Expansion without issue.

They do, however, run into problems with having to wield Large weapons despite having a Medium sized upper body, but that's more a logical :smallconfused: than an actual rules issue.

Planar Handbook bariaurs are even better if your DM says they also count as mounted, due to the centaur's racial HD and LA.