CR vs. ECL [3.5]

[Chess435]

I have a question for you playgrounders: Is there a way to calculate a creature's Effective Character Level from it's challenge rating? If not, is there a way at all?

[hamishspence]

ECL is never calculated from Challenge rating- only from Hit Dice plus LA.

If a creature has no LA, or LA (cohort), it's not really supposed to be used as a character- still, if your DM agrees to it, you can work together to get a ballpark LA.

[Myth]

ECL is a PC thing. It's all your race's LA (if any) + your racial Hit Die (If any) + your Character Levels.

edit: semi swordsaged.

However for monsters ECL is tricky because they get some unique abilites/SLAs. Or get full casting. Take the Planetar for example. It has 14 HD, casts as a lvl 17 Cleric, gets a metric ton of other stuff and is CR 16. Yet I'd put it at around ECL 19 or 20 if measured to it's full potential.