Changeling Question

[DiscipleofBob]

Besides simply looking like any race you choose, what benefits can a changeling get from changing his race/appearance? Does he become small-sized when impersonating a halfling, or large-sized when impersonating an ogre, and gain the mechanical benefits of either? Does he get natural armor if he turns into a lizardman? I ask, because a friend tried this in a game recently, turning into a lizardman for the +5 natural armor bonus. It doesn't sound like it should work, but I couldn't find anything in the Changeling entry of why it wouldn't. Any help here?

[Iku Rex]

Changelings basically get a non-illusory version of disguise self: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/disguiseSelf.htm .

You make yourself—including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment—look different. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your body type. Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person.

The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment.

If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on the Disguise check.

A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.

You don't get natural armor, natural weapons or anything like that. You just look different.

[Bag_of_Holding]

Also, since you can only change your height to about 1 foot shorter/taller, the shortest changeling can imitate a tallest possible dwarf, but not halfling iirc.

[TheOOB]

The ability to look like whoever you want, whenever you want is power enough for the ability, no ability adjustments are needed.

Given the ability would be a bit more useful if any 1st level arcanist couldn't replicate it, but oh well.

[nerulean]

Being a changeling allows roleplay versatility, not statistical versatility. That's why it has no level adjustment. If you're going to start getting things stats as if you'd wild-shaped into them, then I think a slightly higher LA might be in order, ne?