Are Beastiary Templates not meant for PC use?

[Legora]

In another thread, I've been asking about kobold half dragons, and it seems the majority of the answers I'm getting is "Half Dragons" are for encounters.

Does this mean PC's shouldn't use the templates in the Beastiary for playable races?

[Starglim]

Ask your GM. She is just as likely to allow a half-dragon as any other weird higher-CR monster out of the Bestiary for a PC.

For PFS they are definitely not allowed unless granted by another legal source.

[Cold Napalm]

PFS, they are not allowed.

Generally...no they are not allowed.

For YOUR game...ask your DM.

[Bearded Ben]

I could totally see an "you are all half-dragons" game. I'd be easier to balance than letting just one character be a half-dragon.

[Belle Mythix]

Bearded Ben wrote:

I could totally see an "you are all half-dragons" game. I'd be easier to balance than letting just one character be a half-dragon.

or different Point-buy. or different templates (Half-Celestial, Half-Fiend, Advanced, etc...)

[Legora]

In my latest game, 2 characters wanted to be half dragon kobolds. So, started at lvl 4, Kobolds are -2CR, while Half Dragons are +2 CR. Hence, Kobold half dragons are 0 cr and playable as a lvl 4 character.

But lets forget kobolds. What if a human wanted to play a half dragon. Human = 0 CR, Half Dragon = 2 CR, hence in my game, they would be a half dragon half human 2nd level character. Counted as a full 4 HD for sake of encounter CRs

Or have I been using CR's wrong all these years??

[Cold Napalm]

Legora wrote:

In my latest game, 2 characters wanted to be half dragon kobolds. So, started at lvl 4, Kobolds are -2CR, while Half Dragons are +2 CR. Hence, Kobold half dragons are 0 cr and playable as a lvl 4 character.

But lets forget kobolds. What if a human wanted to play a half dragon. Human = 0 CR, Half Dragon = 2 CR, hence in my game, they would be a half dragon half human 2nd level character. Counted as a full 4 HD for sake of encounter CRs

Or have I been using CR's wrong all these years??

You used CR wrong all these years :P .

[Belle Mythix]

CR aren't level adjustment, they can be used as such in some manners, but aren't level adjustment.

[Starglim]

Legora wrote:

In my latest game, 2 characters wanted to be half dragon kobolds. So, started at lvl 4, Kobolds are -2CR, while Half Dragons are +2 CR. Hence, Kobold half dragons are 0 cr and playable as a lvl 4 character.

But lets forget kobolds. What if a human wanted to play a half dragon. Human = 0 CR, Half Dragon = 2 CR, hence in my game, they would be a half dragon half human 2nd level character. Counted as a full 4 HD for sake of encounter CRs

Bestiary kobolds are -2 CR because they have an NPC class. By this standard, you should count a human with a PC class as -1 CR and a kobold with a PC class the same.

I don't know about "all these years". Pathfinder does CR and level equivalence differently to 3e or 3.5e.

[Coridan]

I tend to just take the 3.5 LA and reduce it by one

[Belle Mythix]

Monster as PC (PRD), Should be a good guide line.

[Belle Mythix]

Coridan wrote:

I tend to just take the 3.5 LA and reduce it by one

Depends on level, imho, at low level it could be deadly.