T.D.F.K.A. Ethyl Ermengarde's page

Steps in character creation:
1. Choose a base monster (no humanoids but monstrous humanoids are allowed). Pull its stats/equipment/feats/etc. straight from the bestiary.
2. Add positive or negative templates to get your monster CR to 5. No more than three +0 CR or less templates.
3. Add 5 class levels, stacking on top of whatever you already have from base monster and CR.

We will be using fractional multiclassing for mixing saves and BAB progression of monsters and classes. Overall, this will be a little more math but make your characters tend to be stronger. Let me know if you want help doing the math for your monster.

Young characters (mechanically young) count the same in terms of CR as other characters. NPC classes count the same as other classes.
Adding class levels: Class levels are just added on top of the monster abilities. This is not the same system as that listed in the pfsrd’s Monster Advancement section. IMO, that section exists for GM’s to make interesting monsters, where there’s less of an issue of GM’s making overpowered monsters that break the campaign. For PCs, there needs to be a more careful balance. Here’s the system:
1. Adding a class level grants you the additional powers, hp, bab, saves, etc of the class. So your first class level grants you an extra feat as does your third. Your fourth grants you +1 to one ability score, etc. Max HP at first class level and PFS-style hp thereafter.
2. Adding class levels will not grant the big +4, +4, etc bonuses to ability scores. This is a major difference from the “Monster Advancement” section of the pfsrd.
3. You do get to pick a favored class and you get a favored class bonus whenever you take a level in that class. If you’re interested in a race-specific favored class bonus for your monster, we can discuss options.
You may play any non-humanoid monster that could go adventuring and would willingly work with other monsters to save the world. So poltergeist is out, for example, because it is bound to a specific site. Whatever you play must be capable of communicating with the other party members. So you have to be capable of speaking some language or telepathy. And the party will need to have some language in common.
To help with that, you get two background skills ranks for every CR you have. Max ranks in a skill will be based on your CR or HD, whichever is higher.
You will want to consider level-up possibilities when you choose your monster. You might want to play a monster that has a power progression already, such as most elementals, dragons, etc. You can take and re-spec as we level to make things work out. There will be a lot of options for how to do your progression. But your character shouldn't change so much as to disrupt the concept. E.g. your advanced dryad a dragon. In addition, there should be a match between what your monster is RPing, learning, practicing, how its changing, etc that matches the mechanical change upon leveling up to a higher CR and class level.
Banned stuff: Class templates (e.g. wizard creature), mythic templates, anything that comes up as game-breaking, blood money, sacred geometry. Leadership is not banned but I will only allow certain uses of the feat.
Allowed templates: All paizo and some 3rd party upon request and GM review.
Starting equipment as the bestiary says you would have+normal WBL for level 5.
When you take your first class level, you may take traits.
Hero points: Physical or magical uses of hero points (to recall a spell, take an extra action, impose 1d6 points of damage. You do not receive free hero points from level up, feats, or any means other than having them granted by the GM.