How to change HD and type to Dragon?

[Tarlek Flamehai]

I would like to take an Anthropomorphic Animal (Wolverine) and change him into Dragonborn. But I would rather not be stuck with 2d8 of Monstrous Humanoid. Level draining racial HD before creation is banned. So far the best alternative I can come up with is the Feral template, and while d10 are alright I would rather have dragon hit dice.

[atemu1234]

Half-Dragon would boost them another step, if that helps. Though it has a high and relatively pointless LA. On the bright side, constitution bonuses make your Breath weapon kind of awesome.

[Tarlek Flamehai]

I would really rather hold the total LA to no more than +3. And wolverine is already +2.

[ninjamaster1991]

A slightly less powerful option would be to take the Necropolitan template - instead of Dragon, it gives you the Undead type. It gives lots of immunities on top of changing all hit dice to d12, but takes away your CON modifier.

[Uncle Pine]

I second the necropolitan suggestion, albeit for a different reason: due to how the necropolitan template is applied, a necropolitan werewolverine has only 1 racial hit die. As races with 1 RHD replace it when they gain their 1st class level, a necropolitan werewolverine has a LA of +2 if afflicted or +3 if it's a natural lycanthrope. Sure, you'd definitely not end with a draconic character, but it'd solve your ECL issue.

EDIT: Apparently my bad eyesight made me read "werewolverine" instead of "anthropomorphic wolverine". Nevertheless, a necropolitan anthropomorphic wolverine has no RHD if you apply the necropolitan template at 1st level. Remembered that if you take necropolitan without class levels you'll dissolve to dust and that if you take it when you have more than a single class levels it won't eat your RHD.

[Judge_Worm]

Ritual of association from Savage Species can (IIRC), and if you get it ok'd by your dm I see no reason it can't be combined with your dragonborn ritual to make you a Medium Dragon (Augmented Monstrous Humanoid).
That's not per RAW mind you, but it makes sense fluff wise.

[ShurikVch]

How about the Half-Dragon Template Class (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030912a)?

[Flickerdart]

I second the necropolitan suggestion, albeit for a different reason: due to how the necropolitan template is applied, a necropolitan werewolverine has only 1 racial hit die. As races with 1 RHD replace it when they gain their 1st class level, a necropolitan werewolverine has a LA of +2 if afflicted or +3 if it's a natural lycanthrope. Sure, you'd definitely not end with a draconic character, but it'd solve your ECL issue.
Not quite. A were-wolverine starts with 4 HD. 1 HD of whatever humanoid creature it was or a class level, and 3 HD of wolverine added on top. He sheds however many levels (1 level + 1000 XP, was it?) for a necropolitan ritual but he can't get rid of all the wolverine HD.

Anthrowolverine should work though, since there's no extra humanoid HD in there.

[Uncle Pine]

Not quite. A were-wolverine starts with 4 HD. 1 HD of whatever humanoid creature it was or a class level, and 3 HD of wolverine added on top. He sheds however many levels (1 level + 1000 XP, was it?) for a necropolitan ritual but he can't get rid of all the wolverine HD.
Oh right, if you don't have class levels you get the lycanthrope RHD on top of your starting HD. I forgot about that. At this point the only way I see to replace all the RHD from werewolverine is to get 3 levels drained from some sort of undead... But it's a really cheesy trick and it'd probably be frowned upon. Obviously, this would also work if you plan to play an anthropomorphic wolverine. Or a minotaur. Or anything else.

[Tarlek Flamehai]

Thank you all for your inputs. As being undead is not what I have in mind; I have decided to go Dragonborn Feral Anthropomorphic Wolverine Warblade/Kensai.