Please forgive my verbosity. I'm doing my best to make sure my question is understood, and that sometimes leads to long-windedness. :(
Okay, I've searched, but found no answer to my question.
Here's my question: Does a creature with racial HD and character class levels get maximum hit points for its first class level? Core Rules seems to say "no", but Bestiary seems to imply that it might.
Core Rules, p.12 ("Hit Points"): "...A creature gains maximum hit points if its first Hit Die roll is for a character class level. Creatures whose first HD come from an NPC class or from his race roll their first Hit Die normally..."
Bestiary, p.6 ("hp"): "...Creatures with PC class levels receive maximum hit points for their first HD, but all other HD rolls are assumed to be average..."
Bestiary 2 repeats the information from Bestiary.
You'll notice the Bestiary definition does not say "Creatures with PC class levels and no racial HD"... just "Creatures with PC class levels".
So, what do you do with a creature with racial hit dice AND levels in a "character" class...for example, a 1st-level Hill Giant Fighter. He has 10 racial HD and 1 Fighter HD.
The Core Rules would seem to say he rolls his first fighter HD (no max hp).
The Bestiary could be interpreted either way, however. It could be read as saying "Creatures with PC class levels receive maximum hit points for their first class level", or it could be read as saying "Creatures with PC class levels and no racial HD receive maximum hit points for their first HD".
(The Bestiary could also be interpreted just as it is read, saying that a creature with class levels, regardless of whether or not it has racial HD, gets max hp for its first HD, regardless of whether or not that HD is a racial HD or a class level HD. But I'm sure it's not MEANT that way.)
Whew... again, I apologize for my long-windedness. I've looked for an answer online and in the books, but every answer I've seen seems to overlook the combination of racial HD with character class levels.
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Taffer
I always took it as that you gain the maximum hp for your first level of PC class.
look at the FAQ of the Corebook, your question is answered there.
(FAQ can be fond by clicking on Core book and just above reviews you switch to FAQ)
the answer is Core Book is right.
If your FIRST HD comes from a PC-class, you get full HP, if it comes from racial HD (or NPC class!) they don't get full HD then or later.
Altough the ruling is very clear, it somehow seems to go against the general intention of Paizo that the level at which you take a feat or class, doesn't matter. No *3 skills at first level, no weirdness with +int items.
For example a human with class Commoner2/Witch3 could have full HP at first level or not, depending what class he takes first. However the unwritten assumption that someone with PC-class doesn't go back to NPC-classes helps this.
p.s. don't worry if you couldn't find the FAQ, only a chosen few can. Paizo is working on this (I think).