I like that idea - it's very classy!
That's a lot of talk/writing just to circumvent one little exception.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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I think including a short paragraph that said barbarians get a d12 HD would be space better spend on another element of the final book. I think that there already is a place for this exception to be noted, and it is, right where it says "HD: d12".
In the GM section of the book, it can talk about designing classes and prestige classes and state that the guideline for HD is poor BAB - d6, medium BAB - d8 and high BAB - d10. This will still allow a GM to make exceptions similar to the barbarian (or presumably dwarven defender).
It wouldn't be that much text:
Incredible Durablity (Ex) - Barbarians have a d12 HD.
Dwarven Defenders could get the same ability.
Alternatively, of course, they could just get Improved Toughness as a bonus feat. (This option makes no change to the average mono-classed barbarian, and is actually better for multiclass ones.)
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Alternatively, of course, they could just get Improved Toughness as a bonus feat. (This option makes no change to the average mono-classed barbarian, and is actually better for multiclass ones.)
Actually it is worse, since it wouldn't allow barbarians to have a d12 hd in addition to taking the toughness feat, since the feat wouldn't stack with itself, while it does stack with a d12 HD.
The barbarian should have a class feature that says it gets to bump up its hit die by one step. This is so that it is not a strange exception to the (BAB == HD).
Unneeded giberish; I am sorry, but that rule sucks and bending the barbarian to it sucks too. Again, adding more is completely unneeded and just leave it as is, it sets grounds for leaving classes/PrCs that get D12s to remain D12s not knocked down to a D10.
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The BAB sidebar was used to justify the low BAB classes getting a bump up in HP. However the barbarian was just sitting there with a d12 saying look at me. I don't think anyone thinks that the barbarian should be moved to a d10. But if their is going to be a standard rule, rather than writing a whole side bar explaining the exception, white a very small class feature in the barbarian.
PrCs are looking at a similar problem with matching their HD to their BAB. There could be a medium BAB guy with d10 HD, they would be given the class feature.
I don't like the exception. Although it increases the chance of a dip, I would prefer Toughness as bonus feat on first level.
I am sorry but leave the barbarian alone. The reason for the exception is also there for the fact that there are other classes that have a D12 hit die that can't be touched by PDnD due to the copy rights. D12 needs to remain a D12 otherwise backwards compatibility might become an issue. Just because they list this lose rule out of no where that has an exception does not mean we need to tie up all the exception. I am sorry but being rude but this seems more like a practice in obsessive compulsive need for neatness.
P.S. If you think this exception is taking too much space, then that is fine. That is another problem.