LA help needed

[psychoduck14]

I made a centuar character and was told I didnt have the LA on the sheet but im not shure how to LA in. The ECL is 12 centuars have +2 LA so what do I do? Is it just 2 extra levels? If needed the sheet in question is here. And on a more random note can centuars be ridden like a horse?

[Citizen Joe]

I believe that means knock two class levels off your character. So you would be class level 10 plus 2 from the level adjustment leaving you at Effective Character Level 12. Not seeing a place on the sheet for it, I would put your race as Centaur (+2 LA)

[PinkysBrain]

ECL = class levels + RHD + LA.

So in case of the Centaur you start with 4 racial HD. They essentially work just like class levels, only with a really sucky class. This also means you won't get 4x skillpoints for your first actual class level, and you certainly won't get those 6th level spells you have on your character sheet.

At ECL12 you have 6 actual class levels to work with. I'm sorry to say but you will have to start all over again, you don't want to play a centaur druid (<- jedi mind trick, I'd recommend you fall for it ... I very much doubt you will like playing a character which sucks).

Does your DM have the planar handbook? The Bariaur is kinda like a centaur-light (based on goats rather than horses) with no RHD and only +1 LA (it's SR makes it a pretty good race even, any kind of LA is painful for a caster ... but unlike the centaur this would be playable).

[psychoduck14]

well if I have to start over I wont bo doing that...the game starts today so I dont have enough time...oh well thanks.

[PinkysBrain]

I'd scratch out centaur and put in dwarf or something rather than remove 6 class levels. If you were a fighter or something you could get away with being a centaur, but your present character doesn't just suck a little bit ... he won't be able to even scratch level appropriate challenges in combat with his spells.

[psychoduck14]

he wants differerent races other than the norm...if I were to change to ranger would it be ok? or maybe a drow?

[Fax Celestis]

So in case of the Centaur you start with 4 racial HD. They essentially work just like class levels, only with a really sucky class. This also means you won't get 4x skillpoints for your first actual class level, and you certainly won't get those 6th level spells you have on your character sheet.

Incorrect. RHD act like class levels in all aspects, including x4 skill points at first level.

[psychoduck14]

what if I changed it to a Lizardfolk druid?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Incorrect. RHD act like class levels in all aspects, including x4 skill points at first level.

For the first HD (monster class level), yes.

PinkysBrain is talking about when you take your first level in one of the "normal" classes, i.e. fighter, barbarian, ranger etc.




Seems like you might be getting your popcorn today anyway....
VVV VVV

[Jasdoif]

Incorrect. RHD act like class levels in all aspects, including x4 skill points at first level.

He's saying he won't get x4 points for his first class level. He'll get them for his first RHD.

EDIT: Ack, ninja'd by the Popcorn Tyrant!

[Driderman]

As lizardfolk you'll spend 3 levels on non-caster levels. 1 for level adjustment and 2 for racial hitdie. It's not as bad a hit as the centaur, but it certainly isn't optimal.
I'm not too much into druids, but I'll wager those +2 strength and constitution, those natural weapons and that +5 natural armor won't follow over into your wildshape...
Lizardfolk ranger, on the other hand, is pretty decent since you don't have to worry about missing out on caster levels and a lizardman is a pretty neat melee presence...
Good thing about the lizardfolk ranger is that it has the same HD type as the ranger (D8) and has class skills that the ranger could use (jump, climb, etc). Also, that +5 natural armor will give you some pretty hefty AC even though you're in light armor.
Only bad thing I can see is the -2 to intelligence, which means less skill points but we all know people take ranger levels for dualwielding, right?

[Inyssius Tor]

Lizardfolk have 2 HD and a +1 LA.

2 HD means that you would be treated as if you took 2 levels of Lizardfolk before you took whatever class you're taking; your Base Attack Bonus would increase (as if you took two levels in a low-BAB class), you would get the feat you normally get at level 1 (and you would get another at level 3, which coincidentally happens to be your first level of Druid), and you would get a bunch of skill points (2 + Int, you get x4 at first level, and your Lizardfolk class skills are Balance, Jump, and Swim).

The +1 LA means you get treated as another level higher, but it doesn't actually do anything.

[Fax Celestis]

As lizardfolk you'll spend 3 levels on non-caster levels. 1 for level adjustment and 2 for racial hitdie. It's not as bad a hit as the centaur, but it certainly isn't optimal.
I'm not too much into druids, but I'll wager those +2 strength and constitution, those natural weapons and that +5 natural armor won't follow over into your wildshape...
Lizardfolk ranger, on the other hand, is pretty decent since you don't have to worry about missing out on caster levels and a lizardman is a pretty neat melee presence...

Driderman! Driderman! Does all the things that a drider can! Driderman! Driderman!

[PinkysBrain]

A kobold or goblin druid would both work well enough.

[psychoduck14]

How about this?

[Fax Celestis]

O_O Why on earth are you dumpstatting Intelligence?

[psychoduck14]

well...good question, not real shure myself...at least i gave it a +4 item.

[Fax Celestis]

As a ranger, Intelligence is a good thing to have. As an archer ranger, I'd recommend reprioritizing your statistics as follows: Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Str, Cha. Wisdom in this instance is a bit interesting: you don't need higher than 14, but if you've got a spare 15, 16, or higher floating around, it might be worthwhile investing it in Wis and getting a Monk's Belt.

[psychoduck14]

thanks I changed them around and got a necklace of wisdom thingy

[Citizen Joe]

Lizard folk are LA +1 and 2 racial HD... so you can take 9 levels of ranger for a total ECL of 12.

[Driderman]

High dex is nice... if you're going archery style. You have to remember you could also go dual-wielding style, in which case you'd probably want a bit more strength.
You'd be a pretty decent melee presence, what with the natural armor, str and con boosts and you probably have quite a load of cash to spend at ECL 12 so magic items really shouldn't be a problem.

One thing though, if you want to go melee.... Maybe you'd want to add a half-dragon template?
Changes your HD to D12 and your base attack progression to Fighter progression (ie: 1 for every level), gives you another +4 natural (and don't forget, there are feats in the Monstrous Manual that add to natural armor) AND there's some sweet ability modifiers as well. Of course, you'll have to sacrifice 3 more leves for it

[Jasdoif]

Changes your HD to D12 and your base attack progression to Fighter progression (ie: 1 for every level)

No, it doesn't. It increases your racial hit dice to one step (so d10s for lizardfolk), and you don't recalculate your BAB.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/halfDragon.htm

Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to dragon. Size is unchanged. Do not recalculate base attack bonus or saves.

Hit Dice
Increase base creature’s racial HD by one die size, to a maximum of d12. Do not increase class HD.

[Driderman]

Doh... never quote from memory... My mistake... Still, it's a solid build. You get some extra HP for your first two levels and you only miss out on a single point of base attack