Advance Monster

[Yklikt]

Can add class level then HD?

[hamishspence]

Can't see why not. Classic example - dragon takes levels in sorcerer (which stack with its own racial casting) - those don't stop it from continuing to age, grow, and gain HD.

[Yklikt]

Yeah was thinking like that but also I have heard some say it is not legal.

[FreddyNoNose]

Yeah was thinking like that but also I have heard some say it is not legal.

Check with the DM.

Are you the DM?

It works!

[Yklikt]

I'm not talking about DM rule I mean what rules is in the books

[Zakerst]

Some monsters advance by class some by HD which monster are you referring to?

[Yklikt]

Some can do both which is what kind I am describing

[hamishspence]

It's only if you're using Savage Species Monster Classes that being unable to take PC classes is called out as a thing - those rules reduce the monster's hit dice to 1, they take "Monster levels" and they can't take a PC class until they've taken all their Monster Levels.

[Yklikt]

I know how savage species is.

What I mention is some have said if you take class level you cannot get more Monster HD afterward

[Zakerst]

Some can do both which is what kind I am describing

Which specific monster?
For example a barghast has a built in feature to add HD at any point.
But generally speaking you would advance either as a monster or as a class part of the reason being monsters of different HD may have different level adjustments and abilities so recalculating based on those two things would be a mess. Likewise class levels are almost always better than HD so I don't know why you would want to advance by HD if you didn't have to.

[Yklikt]

Which specific monster?
For example a barghast has a built in feature to add HD at any point.
But generally speaking you would advance either as a monster or as a class part of the reason being monsters of different HD may have different level adjustments and abilities so recalculating based on those two things would be a mess. Likewise class levels are almost always better than HD so I don't know why you would want to advance by HD if you didn't have to.

But you can. Like wizard is better than fighter but sometimes you want fighter.

[Zakerst]

But you can. Like wizard is better than fighter but sometimes you want fighter.

Yes but you would take fighter over a monster HD if you had the option. The only exception I can think of off hand is outsider and dragon all others have some better class you could be instead. Now could you please give us the specific case you're looking at?
Off the top of my head I cannot think of any monster where the entry gives you the option to advance as either a class or by HD they say one or the other.
In theory I see no reason why a monster couldn't go back to advancing by HD but unless it's a player character I can't think of a reason to do so other than to try and sneak into a higher LA monster without paying for the LA... and I'm not convinced it would help as they would just have the new LA to go with it

[Yklikt]

You don't understand. I am not asking whether it is a good idea. I am just trying to see if what I proposing is legal.

[Yklikt]

For example this quote

You've intermixed advancement by HD and advancement by class levels, which the DMG specifically says you shouldn't do.

Like I want to know where this is stated in DmG.

[Daedroth]

Improving Monsters

Each of the monster entries describes a typical creature of its kind. However, there are several methods by which extraordinary or unique monsters can be created using a typical creature as the foundation: by adding character classes, increasing a monster’s Hit Dice, or by adding a template to a monster. These methods are not mutually exclusive—it’s possible for a monster with a template to be improved by both increasing its Hit Dice and adding character class levels.

You can do it