List of all RHD1 races?

[Hollysword]

One player in my group is asking me for all races with a racial hit die of 1 or less (which means that HD will be replaced with class HD at level 1). We decided LA is no issue, picking a race with high LA is their own risk, just that the races can't have any racial hit dice. Is there a list of all races with only 1 hit die?

[John Longarrow]

If you can find it, do a search for crystalkeep Indexes. They were put together a while ago so its not complete these days and doesn't cover Pathfinder, but its a really good starting point.

Alternately just ask them what they are looking to play (character concept) and then start hunting for something that matches.

[Hollysword]

I'll give it a look, thanks. The player decided to play an Aasimar, a Good type race. Now he can't decide between a dancer-style Bard or Rogue or a marauder-style Fighter or Barbarian, but that's for him to decide.

[GilesTheCleric]

Unseenmage has a good list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?401132-Lists-of-Every-Playable-Monster&p=18888380).

[rrwoods]

RAW, only humanoid races can replace a lone racial hit die with the first class level. However it's evident that WotC didn't know their own rule here, as (for example) goliaths are clearly intended not to have RHD on a player character but are monstrous humanoids.

[ZamielVanWeber]

I use the Master Race List III. Just Google that with 3.5 added and it will show in the top link. Would do it but on my phone.

[KillianHawkeye]

RAW, only humanoid races can replace a lone racial hit die with the first class level. However it's evident that WotC didn't know their own rule here, as (for example) goliaths are clearly intended not to have RHD on a player character but are monstrous humanoids.

The same goes for Pixies, who are specifically noted as trading their single Fey hit die for their first class level. All of the Planetouched races as well, although they're at least supposed to be closely related to humans despite being (native) Outsiders.

I think applying the 1st HD trade to creatures of all types is a pretty easy house rule, as long as it's done consistently. Or at least any 1 HD creature that normally advances by character classes.

[Troacctid]

RAW, only humanoid races can replace a lone racial hit die with the first class level. However it's evident that WotC didn't know their own rule here, as (for example) goliaths are clearly intended not to have RHD on a player character but are monstrous humanoids.
Actually, Savage Species says that any creature with only 1 RHD can do it.

And goliaths don't have any RHD, so it doesn't really matter for them.

[Rizban]

Personally, I use two different lists when trying to fist this information. Both lists contain all the 1 RHD creatures with a +0 to +2 LA but none that have LA -.

Master +0 LA Race List (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1281.0)
Player Race List with LA +1 and LA +2 (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=342.0)


Actually, Savage Species says that any creature with only 1 RHD can do it.

And goliaths don't have any RHD, so it doesn't really matter for them.

Savage Species is 3.0. The humanoid only rule being referenced is 3.5.

Goliaths do have 1 RHD if they don't have any class levels, just like all creatures. Even humans can have 1 humanoid RHD if they have no class levels...

[Troacctid]

Savage Species is 3.0. The humanoid only rule being referenced is 3.5.
I don't believe there was ever a 3.5 rule contradicting the Savage Species one. It wasn't reprinted, but AFAIK it was never overridden either.

Besides, it gets really weird if you have nonhumanoid races running around with only a single RHD that is never replaced by a class level. It screws up feat progression because you get the 1st level feat twice, it screws up skills because you get the x4 skill points twice, and it's just kind of a mess.


Goliaths do have 1 RHD if they don't have any class levels, just like all creatures. Even humans can have 1 humanoid RHD if they have no class levels...
There's no rule that says creatures universally start with 1 RHD, as far as I'm aware. And I challenge you to comb the books for any indication whatsoever that goliaths have any number of RHD—I'm pretty sure you won't find any. There are a fair number of goliath NPC statblocks and none of them have RHD.

[Rizban]

I don't believe there was ever a 3.5 rule contradicting the Savage Species one. It wasn't reprinted, but AFAIK it was never overridden either.

Besides, it gets really weird if you have nonhumanoid races running around with only a single RHD that is never replaced by a class level. It screws up feat progression because you get the 1st level feat twice, it screws up skills because you get the x4 skill points twice, and it's just kind of a mess.You only get a 1st-level feat and x4 skill points on your first Hit Die, regardless of source (either racial or class).


There's no rule that says creatures universally start with 1 RHD, as far as I'm aware. And I challenge you to comb the books for any indication whatsoever that goliaths have any number of RHD—I'm pretty sure you won't find any. There are a fair number of goliath NPC statblocks and none of them have RHD.Monsters as Races (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monstersAsRaces.htm). The section in the MM/SRD only specifically addresses how to deal with Humanoids. It never touches on any other creature type, though we always assume it's meant to extend to any creature with a non-null LA.

The Humanoid type is the only creature type (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm) specifically given the ability to exchange RHD, and then only if they have exactly 1.


I didn't say that Goliaths were required to have RHD. I said that they have one IF they have no class levels, just like every other creature. The most direct evidence I have to support this is that you simply cannot have a creature with 0 HD. If it has no HD, then it is by definition not a creature. As creatures, they must have at least 1 HD, therefore, if they have no class levels, they must have a racial HD based on their creature type.

Indirectly, there is this statement from the SRD: "Humanoids with 1 Hit Die exchange the features of their humanoid Hit Die for the class features of a PC or NPC class. Humanoids of this sort are presented as 1st-level warriors..." combined with the 1st-level Goliath Warrior presented in Races of Stone p183. That they have 1 RHD can be inferred by applying the rule in reverse, though this is definitely not strict RAW (which I don't advocate anyway).

[Troacctid]

You only get a 1st-level feat and x4 skill points on your first Hit Die, regardless of source (either racial or class).
"Creatures with Hit Dice of 1 or less have normal, class-based Hit Dice and features. They get a feat for their first class level and multiply the skill points for their first class level by four (even if they have a level adjustment." DMG 172.

So you'd get the feat and x4 skill points for your first class level, even if you already got them for your RHD.


Monsters as Races (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monstersAsRaces.htm). The section in the MM/SRD only specifically addresses how to deal with Humanoids. It never touches on any other creature type, though we always assume it's meant to extend to any creature with a non-null LA.

The Humanoid type is the only creature type (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm) specifically given the ability to exchange RHD, and then only if they have exactly 1.
Sure, and in the absence of any rule contradicting Savage Species on the topic of creatures of other types, the 3.0 rule should stand.


I didn't say that Goliaths were required to have RHD. I said that they have one IF they have no class levels, just like every other creature. The most direct evidence I have to support this is that you simply cannot have a creature with 0 HD. If it has no HD, then it is by definition not a creature. As creatures, they must have at least 1 HD, therefore, if they have no class levels, they must have a racial HD based on their creature type.
Actually, a creature with 1 or less HD is required to begin with a class level (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monstersAsRaces.htm#levelAdjustmentandEffectiveCha racterLevel). Starting with 1 RHD and no class levels is not allowed.

[Rizban]

"Creatures with Hit Dice of 1 or less have normal, class-based Hit Dice and features. They get a feat for their first class level and multiply the skill points for their first class level by four (even if they have a level adjustment." DMG 172.

So you'd get the feat and x4 skill points for your first class level, even if you already got them for your RHD.That's descriptive language explaining how to apply the rules in the specific case where you replace the creature's HD. It's not the rule itself.

The earlier rules text is
Add a monster’s level adjustment to its Hit Dice and class levels to get the creature’s effective character level, or ECL.It goes on to explain what this means and that feats/ability score increases/skills are based solely on Total HD.


Sure, and in the absence of any rule contradicting Savage Species on the topic of creatures of other types, the 3.0 rule should stand.And I'm not arguing that it should be abolished. I was just agreeing with the earlier poster who pointed out that in 3.5 the core rules are written such as to only apply to the Humanoid type. I never once said that it should apply only to Humanoids, only that the rules are written as such.


Actually, a creature with 1 or less HD is required to begin with a class level (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monstersAsRaces.htm#levelAdjustmentandEffectiveCha racterLevel). Starting with 1 RHD and no class levels is not allowed.
Lantern Archon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/archon.htm#lanternArchon), Formian Worker (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/formian.htm#worker), etc., though they have LA -.
Then there's the Nixie (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/sprite.htm#nixie) and Pixie (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/sprite.htm#pixie) which do have LAs. However, the Nixie doesn't present a non-RHD version...


It's pretty well known that this is a dysfunctional rule in D&D due to bad writing and poor editing. I'm not sure why we're even discussing it when it seems pretty clear that we agree on how it should be handled. So, with that said, I'm dropping this part of the discussion.

[rrwoods]

Hm. I could have sworn there was a Goliath monster entry that had 1 HD. I stand corrected.

[Troacctid]

It's pretty well known that this is a dysfunctional rule in D&D due to bad writing and poor editing. I'm not sure why we're even discussing it when it seems pretty clear that we agree on how it should be handled. So, with that said, I'm dropping this part of the discussion.
It's because rrwoods said it was RAW. It's not; nonhumanoids with 1 RHD replacing it with their first class level is totally in the text, it's just hard to find and confusingly written.

[Rizban]

It's because rrwoods said it was RAW. It's not; nonhumanoids with 1 RHD replacing it with their first class level is totally in the text, it's just hard to find and confusingly written.Nor does it address the Nixie, who has 1 RHD and no class levels and is still apparently a valid 4th-level character according to the MM...

[Troacctid]

Nor does it address the Nixie, who has 1 RHD and no class levels and is still apparently a valid 4th-level character according to the MM...
The rules are slightly different for PCs. For example, they always advance by class level, regardless of the advancement line in their monster entry. Anyway, the monster entry is more specific than the general rule, so it always wins for that specific monster.

Savage Species does address this issue specifically, in the sidebar on page 13.