[3.5] Non-humanoid party

[Thurbane]

Hey all,

If you were setting out to make a party where none of the characters were of the Humanoid type, what are the races you could use with the lowest LA/RHD?

Aberration: Elan
Construct: Warforged
Dragon: Kobold (?)
Elemental: (?)
Fey: Duskling, Killoren
Giant: 1/2 Giant (+1 LA)
Monstrous Humanoid: Goliath (+1 LA)
Outsider: Neraph
Plant: Volodni (+1 LA)
Undead: Necropolitan

...I don't think there are any playable Animals, Oozes or Vermin (other than awakened versions, which generally change type)?

Please feel free to expand the list...

[DaragosKitsune]

Construct: Exiled Modron (Dragon 354)
Monstrous Humanoid: Lupin (Dragon Compendium), T'Kel (Dragon 317)
Outsider: Glimmerfolk (Dragon 321), Most Planetouched (+1LA, typically)
Fey: Killoren (Races of the Wild), Gruwaar (Dragon 317), Uldra (+1LA, Frostburn)

Read Dragon, they tend to have a lot. Also, look into templates.

[Thurbane]

I suppose I should include them for the sake of completeness, but my group(s) never use Dragon material...templates that change type are a good idea. I included Necropolitan, but I guess there are others.

[Endarire]

Use these Savage Progressions.

Aasimar and Tiefling come in at LA0 Outsiders.

[Psyren]

Synads are LA 0 Aberrations as well, and don't have negative stats like Elan do.

Bariaur are LA 1 centaur-like Outsiders.

[DaragosKitsune]

Now that I think of it, check out Crystal Keep. They have some good lists of races and templates.

[Coidzor]

Hmm, now if only there were low RHD, low LA magical beasts....

[gorfnab]

Hmm, now if only there were low RHD, low LA magical beasts....

Magical Beast - Beguiler from Shining South +0LA, 0 RHD (1 hit dice but would be replaced with class level upon character creation)

[Lev]

Construct: Exiled Modron
Reptilian: Kobold
Elemental: Stonechild
Fey: Pixie
Giant: Half Giant
Monstrous Humanoid: Thri-Kreen
Outsider: Celadrin or Aasimar
Shapechanger: Changeling

[Thurbane]

Beguiler is a good pickup.

Is Stonechild the only playable Elemental? It has 2 RHD and +4 LA. I know it has a monster class, but still...

[Makiru]

Stonechild's actually an Outsider. I think that the lowest ECL elementals are the small elementals from MMI/SS, coming in at ECL 6.

[Lev]

Beguiler is a good pickup.

Is Stonechild the only playable Elemental? It has 2 RHD and +4 LA. I know it has a monster class, but still...

There are mephits and such, but I was just naming the ones I like =]

[Ernir]

Speaking of non-humanoid PCs...

is the

Humanoids with 1 Hit Die exchange the features of their humanoid Hit Die for the class features of a PC or NPC class. Humanoids of this sort are presented as 1st-level warriors, which means that they have average combat ability and poor saving throws.

rule repeated anywhere outside the "humanoid" type description?

[true_shinken]

Tibbits are monstrous humanoids, surprisingly. ^^

[dsmiles]

is the rule repeated anywhere outside the "humanoid" type description?

Savage Species restates it. Any 1HD creature replaces that HD with the HD from their first class level.

[Runestar]

Stonechild's actually an Outsider. I think that the lowest ECL elementals are the small elementals from MMI/SS, coming in at ECL 6.

MM2 has the stone spike, 3 elemental HD, +2LA or ECL5.

[FelixG]

are there any rules references for playing as an awakened animal? That could be a way to get Animal on the list

[true_shinken]

are there any rules references for playing as an awakened animal? That could be a way to get Animal on the list

No, there are not.

[Thurbane]

Also, Awakened animals automatically become Magical Beasts.

[TurtleKing]

You could also look into any that have a racial progression. With this a lot more options open up to you. You could play a dragon, outsider, elemental, monstrous humanoid, magical beast, and more.

[dsmiles]

Hey all,

If you were setting out to make a party where none of the characters were of the Humanoid type, what are the races you could use with the lowest LA/RHD?

Aberration: Elan
Construct: Warforged
Dragon: Kobold (?)
Elemental: (?)
Fey: Duskling, Killoren
Giant: 1/2 Giant (+1 LA)
Monstrous Humanoid: Goliath (+1 LA)
Outsider: Neraph
Plant: Volodni (+1 LA)
Undead: Necropolitan

...I don't think there are any playable Animals, Oozes or Vermin (other than awakened versions, which generally change type)?

Please feel free to expand the list...

I dunno, I generally like the ones that have a higher RHD/LA, even if it is just for flavor reasons.
Aberration: Silthilar (? I think. The CG ones from LoM that like to do the grafts.)
Construct: Maug (2RHD+3LA)
Dragon: Half-Dragon
Elemental: (?)
Fey: Nymph or Half-Fey
Giant: Half-Ogre (Savage Species)
Monstrous Humanoid: Doppleganger or Half-Troll (Fiend Folio)
Outsider: Rakshasa or Half-Celestial/Fiend
Plant: (?)
Undead: None. I dislike undead as PCs.

[Sir Swindle89]

Gensai are either Elementals or Outsiders
Mephlings also (pretty sure they are elementals)

[Psyren]

Gensai are either Elementals or Outsiders
Mephlings also (pretty sure they are elementals)

Genasi are Outsiders
Mephlings are Humanoids (Extraplanar subtype.)

[Thurbane]

MM2 has the stone spike, 3 elemental HD, +2LA or ECL5.

Was the +2LA in errata, because it's not listed in my book.

[Curmudgeon]

Savage Species restates it. Any 1HD creature replaces that HD with the HD from their first class level.

It's too bad that rule predates the 3.5 core rules, which take priority.

[dsmiles]

It's too bad that rule predates the 3.5 core rules, which take priority.

Hit Dice and Class Levels

Creatures with 1 or less HD replace their monster levels with their character levels. The monster loses the attack bonus, saving throw bonuses, skills, and feats granted by its 1 monster HD and gains the attack bonus, save bonuses, skills, feats, and other class abilities of a 1st-level character of the appropriate class.

Characters with more than 1 Hit Die because of their race do not get a feat for their first class level as members of the common races do, and they do not multiply the skill points for their first class level by four. Instead, they have already received a feat for their first Hit Die because of race, and they have already multiplied their racial skill points for their first Hit Die by four.

That better?

[Runestar]

Was the +2LA in errata, because it's not listed in my book.

It's in the MM2 update booklet. Think it will be hard to find a cheap elemental race, since elemental immunities are worth a fair bit.

[Thurbane]

It's in the MM2 update booklet. Think it will be hard to find a cheap elemental race, since elemental immunities are worth a fair bit.

OK, thanks. Yeah, I think you're right - I looked at the consolidated lists archive over at Wizards, sorted by type, and there really wasn't much in the way of playable Elementals. Like the posters above, most of the creatures I thought of (Mephits, Mephlings, Genesai etc.) are all Outsiders (or Extraplanar Humanoids).

Magmin would seems a logical choice, but have no LA listed, unfortunately.

[Psyren]

It's too bad that rule predates the 3.5 core rules, which take priority.

MM1 pg. 290

[Curmudgeon]

MM1 pg. 290

Yeah, I know. That's a rule for "Humanoids and Class Levels", so it doesn't apply to any other creature types.