Pathfinder Special Races

[kirerellim]

Ok, I've read through the race section in book and chapter twelve, but I don't see anything on level adjustment. Did they remove that entirely? Is there any new way to balance a character with a strong race?

[torrasque666]

Because they have powerful racial traits and abilities, advanced and monstrous races require greater challenges, especially at lower levels. The basic guideline for accomplishing this is to treat a group of characters with advanced and monstrous races as a level or more higher for a number of levels based on their total RP spent, using the following chart. Calculate the party's adjusted average party level, and use that number, rather than the actual APL, when creating encounters and adventures for the group. For groups with mixed power levels, average the RP and round the result to the nearest multiple of 10.


Avg RP
Average Party Level


1–5
6–10
11–15
16–20


20
+1 level
+0 level
+0 level
+0 level


30
+2 level
+1 level
+0 level
+0 level


40
+3 level
+2 level
+1 level
+0 level





From the d20pfsrd.

[Spore]

Just curious. Which book are we talking about?

[kirerellim]

The core book. Also, that is helpful thank you.

[Gemini476]

Ah, if you aren't using the Advanced Race Guide then the core method for Monsters as PCs is that ECL=CR.
Basically, a CR 7 Dragon would be a level 7 character and gain experience and wealth as if it was level 7 rather than however many hit dice the Dragon may actually have.
There's some extra things about how the CR is lowered after a certain number of class levels, but I don't remember it.

It works somewhat decently, but runs into some special cases where it just falls apart. Mostly with under-CRed monsters or monster with more spellcasting levels than their CR would indicate.

[Sayt]

Pathfinder ditched LA. Now you can use the Advanced Race Guide to build a race, or use the guidelines in the Bestiary for monstrous PCs.

For monstrous pcs, you basically gain a 'free' level every three levels you would otherwise gain, until you have gained a number of free levels equal to half your original CR. So, say a minotaur (cr 4) magus 18 (because it amuses me) would be an ecl 20 character.

[RedMage125]

I also just began reading the pathfinder books. And while the volume of races in the Advanced Race Guide amused me, I sadly did not see gnolls in it anywhere.

They're a normally 2 HD race, but only CR1, does that mean I could make them a PC race with no racial HD garbage for no "free levels" given to them?

And what would they have for racial traits?

[Sayt]

A gnoll is basically ECL1 on it's own.

As for traits, looking at it, and the reincarnate spell, I'd go +4 Str, +2 Con -2 Cha, +1 Natural armour and darkvision 60ft.

On the other hand, pg 225 of the ARG gives an extremely barebones PC appropriate Gnoll, which is kinda weak and could easily do to have another 4-7 points work of stuff tacked on.

[Gemini476]

I also just began reading the pathfinder books. And while the volume of races in the Advanced Race Guide amused me, I sadly did not see gnolls in it anywhere.

They're a normally 2 HD race, but only CR1, does that mean I could make them a PC race with no racial HD garbage for no "free levels" given to them?

And what would they have for racial traits?

Alright, the Gnoll (http://paizo.com/PRD/monsters/gnoll.html).


Str 15, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 8
Races never have odd modifiers to ability scores, and most monsters use the nonelite array (10s and 11s everywhere).
So if you take -10 from the even scores and -11 from the odd ones:

Str +4, Dex +0, Con +2, Int -2, Wis +0, Cha -2
It has two hit dice, those being d8s. It has BAB +1 from those dice, and 2+Int skill points from each one with class skills being Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Profession, Ride, and Survival. It should be proficient with light armor, simple weapons, and the Battleaxe and Longbow.
It has darkvision 60ft. and +1 natural armor.
It has Fort +3 and Ref and Will +0.

There might be something more, but yeah. That's the big things I noticed.

[RedMage125]

A gnoll is basically ECL1 on it's own.

As for traits, looking at it, and the reincarnate spell, I'd go +4 Str, +2 Con -2 Cha, +1 Natural armour and darkvision 60ft.

On the other hand, pg 225 of the ARG gives an extremely barebones PC appropriate Gnoll, which is kinda weak and could easily do to have another 4-7 points work of stuff tacked on.

Maybe Scent (4 RP), Weapon Familiarity (Flails) (1 RP), and a Skill Bonus to Survival, or perhaps bonus to saves against disease and ingested poisons?

That should leave it around 14 RP or so, which is about on par with some other PC races.

[ghanjrho]

I also just began reading the pathfinder books. And while the volume of races in the Advanced Race Guide amused me, I sadly did not see gnolls in it anywhere.

They're a normally 2 HD race, but only CR1, does that mean I could make them a PC race with no racial HD garbage for no "free levels" given to them?

And what would they have for racial traits?

Gnolls appear on page 225 of the ARG, in a sidebar on the bottom of the page. To reproduce it here:

Type: Humanoid (gnoll)
Size: Medium
Base Speed: Normal (30 ft)
Ability Mod: Flexible (+2 STR, +2 CON)
Languages: Xenophobic (starts with Gnoll, high INT can choose Common and 3 unspecified other languages)
+1 natural armor
Darkvision 60 ft.

Total RP cost =6.

[RedMage125]

Gnolls appear on page 225 of the ARG, in a sidebar on the bottom of the page. To reproduce it here:

Type: Humanoid (gnoll)
Size: Medium
Base Speed: Normal (30 ft)
Ability Mod: Flexible (+2 STR, +2 CON)
Languages: Xenophobic (starts with Gnoll, high INT can choose Common and 3 unspecified other languages)
+1 natural armor
Darkvision 60 ft.

Total RP cost =6.

Yeah, I eventually dug that up. I think adding a few more RP abilites, such as the ones I mentioned above, would work. At least give them the same RP total as the "standard" races.

[ghanjrho]

Yeah, I eventually dug that up. I think adding a few more RP abilites, such as the ones I mentioned above, would work. At least give them the same RP total as the "standard" races.

Totally agree, just pointing out Paizo's view :)