Pathfinder and Monstrous PCs

[Draxar]

A friend is thinking of running a monsters-as-PCs, evil based game. I've been interested in trying Pathfinder out for a while. Looking up the pathfinder stuff on such, they suggest the best way to do it is to pick a CR, and everyone chooses monsters of that CR.

Has anyone tried this? This would be an all-monster game, so mixing between monsters and normal races wouldn't be an issue. I know there will always be monsters that can break things, but assuming the ST is able to keep an eye out for that, will it work?

Secondly, if you've tried it, what do you do for monsters equipment? Do they get none, or at least none based on their monster CR, just based on their levels in classes? Or do they get it as if they were a PC with as many levels as their CR + their levels?

[BobVosh]

Haven't tried it, but let me know how it turns out. A fun way to give them loot would be to roll it for the CR :P

Beyond that I would just give them WBL for ECL like normal.

[Akal Saris]

I haven't tried it personally, I'm afraid. But as long as everyone chooses monsters within relatively the same power level, it will probably be a fun game.

Just keep in mind that even though PF pays closer attention on balance between the CRs of the same level than 3.5, there can still be some pretty major disparities in power, especially with dragons of any CR.

For wealth, I'd give them whatever PCs of that ECL would have.

[Draxar]

Aye, I'd lean towards giving them the ECL's items, but it could be argued that the advantage a monster gets is it's self contained power, and thus they shouldn't get it. Then again, if everyone's the same CR, it doesn't really matter as it's all equal – if you were mixing between non monstrous and monstrous, then it might.