[3.5e] need help with starting level 1 Half Ogre build

[SirVire]

So, ive come up with a real silly, but fun concept im trying to make, but i cant seem to wrap my head around how to deal with atually writing down the character sheet the 1st class level.

Basically, im making a Ninja Ogre. specificly a Ninja Half-Ogre, using Races of Destiny as my start point.

Now, i have almost everything written about the first level of the class (ninja), the attribute adjustment, and racial features as listed. But, since Half Ogre comes with a +2 Level adjustment, i can't figure out what his starting Racial Hit Dice and Skill Points should be. And RoD and Savage Species, and the guides ive read on this site, have been helpful but a tad confusing, with no direct reference to how to deal with the first two "levels" before i add on Ninja 1.

Do i use Ogre's opening HD and Skill points? and what dice do i use?

i know his effective character level is Level 3, but beyond what i mentioned, im lost.

[Falontani]

Half ogre have no racial hit dice. So your first level is whatever class you'd like (probably ninja in this case). The stuff listed in races of destiny are your class features.

Level adjustment only means you add the adjustment to your class levels to determine your effective character level, which only matters to dictate starting experience, experience required to level, and how much experience you gain from encounters.

It is true that some races (like ogre) have both a level adjustment and racial hit dice. Treat racial hit dice as class levels with special rules and you should be fine.

For more information on playing monstrous characters I suggest Ur-Priest's guide to monsters.

[SirVire]

Half ogre have no racial hit dice. So your first level is whatever class you'd like (probably ninja in this case). The stuff listed in races of destiny are your class features.

Level adjustment only means you add the adjustment to your class levels to determine your effective character level, which only matters to dictate starting experience, experience required to level, and how much experience you gain from encounters.

It is true that some races (like ogre) have both a level adjustment and racial hit dice. Treat racial hit dice as class levels with special rules and you should be fine.

For more information on playing monstrous characters I suggest Ur-Priest's guide to monsters.

Thank you! i just need a straightforward point, but it felt like i was missing something obvious.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Level Adjustment is levels you don't get to have. A Half-Ogre Ninja 1 is a 3rd level character, you can't play one in a 1st level party.

You can buy off a level adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm) that you begin play with. So for a +2 LA, you'll pay 7,000 xp at ECL 8 and 9,000 xp at ECL 10 to get rid of it. You'll be 16,000 xp below the rest of the party, but you'll gain more experience per encounter by being a lower level and be able to eventually catch up.

Savage Species and Savage Progressions (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/sp) offers rules for gradually gaining a level adjustment by delaying some of the benefits the race grants. Since a Half-Ogre only has +2 LA, you wouldn't get any hit dice or anything that comes with it for gradually gaining it, because level adjustment doesn't give any of that.

For gradually gaining the level adjustment, your DM would need to figure out what benefits you'll get with 0 LA, and divide the rest into the two 'levels' that don't grant any HD, just additional racial benefits. For example, at 0 LA I'd give it +2 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha, medium size, Giant type, Darkvision 60 ft., 30 ft. land speed, and the standard languages and favored class. You'd get +2 Str and +2 natural armor at the first point of level adjustment, and another +2 Str and +2 natural armor, along with the large size at the second point of level adjustment. When the rest of the party hits 4th level, you'll be hitting Ninja 2.