Fractional HD and Lycanthropy

[Jeff the Green]

What happens to ECL if you become a werecat or other lycanthrope of an animal with less than 1 HD?

[Fax Celestis]

It rounds up to one whole HD. The only functional difference between a half HD and a whole HD is the average HP granted to a creature. All creatures with fractional HD "upgrade" to a whole HD when advancing, and you can't have a fractional HD with any other HD.

[Urpriest]

It rounds up to one whole HD. The only functional difference between a half HD and a whole HD is the average HP granted to a creature. All creatures with fractional HD "upgrade" to a whole HD when advancing, and you can't have a fractional HD with any other HD.

While there are rules suggesting that in PF, I don't think it's true in 3.5. I've never run into a rule that says you don't just keep the fractional HD, and have a fractional ECL.

[Chronos]

OK, so when your ECL is six and a half, what line of the table do you look on to determine how much XP you need?

[Urpriest]

OK, so when your ECL is six and a half, what line of the table do you look on to determine how much XP you need?

Quite a problem indeed. :smallwink:

[Fax Celestis]

While there are rules suggesting that in PF, I don't think it's true in 3.5. I've never run into a rule that says you don't just keep the fractional HD, and have a fractional ECL.

I just went and checked, and everything with fractional HD (in the MM, at least) has — as its advancement line. So you might be right, but quite honestly the easiest means of making it work is to do what I said.

[Urpriest]

I just went and checked, and everything with fractional HD (in the MM, at least) has — as its advancement line. So you might be right, but quite honestly the easiest means of making it work is to do what I said.

I'd rather round down, actually, and let players swap the fractional HD for their first class level. But yeah, this is one of many vacua in the rules that never got plugged.

[Fax Celestis]

I'd rather round down, actually, and let players swap the fractional HD for their first class level. But yeah, this is one of many vacua in the rules that never got plugged.

Problem with rounding down is it creates a weird rules area where halfling werecats need class levels but halfling dire-wereweasels don't.

[ShurikVch]

While there are rules suggesting that in PF, I don't think it's true in 3.5. I've never run into a rule that says you don't just keep the fractional HD, and have a fractional ECL.
Then, so what's about the, say, Incarnated Dustform Jermlaine Werecat?
Both Jermlaine and Cat are have 1/2 HD

[Necroticplague]

For 3.5, the general rule about rounding is that you round down. Since the Lycanthrope template doesn't list an exception, presumably you'd round down in this scenario as well. And honestly, lycanthropy isn't really that powerful, don't see why we can't throw the dog a bone here (other than dogs having 1 HD, 2 for riding and 5 for climbdogs).

[Urpriest]

Problem with rounding down is it creates a weird rules area where halfling werecats need class levels but halfling dire-wereweasels don't.

Why is that weird? Halflings themselves need class levels after all.

[Fax Celestis]

I dunno, it just feels weird.