Another level adjustment for hardness question

[Raishoiken]

So if a player is essentially playing an animated object made of oerthblood pure ore obdurium, should the LA be assigned based on:

a: what CR monsters start being able to deal any damage
b: based on when monsters that do stuff other than HP damage start almost auto-incapacitating them
c: when a character of equal level becomes essentially just as immovable as far as hp is concerned

[Doctor Despair]

So if a player is essentially playing an animated object made of oerthblood pure ore obdurium, should the LA be assigned based on:

a: what CR monsters start being able to deal any damage
b: based on when monsters that do stuff other than HP damage start almost auto-incapacitating them
c: when a character of equal level becomes essentially just as immovable as far as hp is concerned

The level adjustment should be based on what the level adjustment is listed as. If it is listed as -, it is unplayable. Animated objects do not have a listed level adjustment, so they are not valid character race options.

With that said, if you were going to home-brew it, I would give it LA +1. A human can take Half-Undead (Gheden) [template; makes you immune to nonlethal damage, among other things, for LA+1] and Troll Blooded [feat; converts all damage except fire and acid to nonlethal] to become functionally immune to damage. That human is weak to fire and acid; this object isn't actually immune to damage, just very resistant to it, so things that ignore hardness can still deal damage. For both of these things, a DM should also be prepared to let them shine (soak up damage to feel good), challenge them (make them work on tactical positioning to force enemies to fight them instead of ignoring them when they realize their hits aren't working), and threaten them (use spells and abilities that disable or threaten without dealing HP damage) in an appropriate ratio. If a DM doesn't want to worry about managing that, they should just say "no" to either of these options.

[Quertus]

So if a player is essentially playing an animated object made of oerthblood pure ore obdurium, should the LA be assigned based on:

a: what CR monsters start being able to deal any damage
b: based on when monsters that do stuff other than HP damage start almost auto-incapacitating them
c: when a character of equal level becomes essentially just as immovable as far as hp is concerned

No. It should not.

But it depends on what "essentially" means.

If it means that they Magic Jar their consciousness? If they, say, started as human, then their LA should be +0. If they started as an Ogre, they should be 6 levels behind the party. Plain and simple.

If, OTOH, you mean "actually" instead of "essentially" and are looking for the LA to homebrew this most unusual race? Then option "C" - when they could do something equivalent with the existing toolkit is the most fair. So, what is the LA on a… Trollblooded Gheden?

[Doctor Despair]

So, what is the LA on a… Trollblooded Gheden?

LA+1 for the Half-Undead template; no adjustment for the feat.

[Quertus]

LA+1 for the Half-Undead template; no adjustment for the feat.

There you have it. Before other considerations, the value of a sentient oerthblood pure ore obdurium animated object as a PC race is +1 LA, and two feats.