Reincarnation: Racial HD, ECL, Orginal Class Levels.

[spazztick]

(So I realize this is a pathfinder forum, but this game I'm playing 3.5... hope nobody minds.(The DM plays pathfinder as well, and a ruling form this would also be considered.) <.<

So I'm playing a play by post game, and my character is coming at 9th level.

For story wise, I've got the character as a once conceded elf, totally high charisma and beyond vain. Well she's going to be a spell caster focus. Her story is she's gotten ganked,(so 1 death towards her three.) and has been reincarnated into a Bugbear.(I picked a caster class, as I didn't want to use the bugbear simply to boost her physical stats.) So the DM loved the idea, and it's gotten okayed... but now I have no clue how to get this started.

Let's say for creation purposes, she died when she was 7th level, was reincarnated, and regained her levels back up to 9th. (I offered to take the death penalty and start at lower levels than the others, but he said it wasn't a problem, so she'll come in at 9th as wel.)

So. 7th level Sorcerer, DEAD... comes back to life...
Now... How do you calculate the Bugbear racial HD, ECL into the character?
Racial Hit Dice: A bugbear begins with three levels of humanoid, which provide 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +3, and Will +1.
bugbear ECL+1

When she comes back, does she come back as a 3nd level Sorcerer with 3 levels of Bugbear, and the -1 level penalty for being brought back to life? Or does the Bugbear HD stack with her original class levels, so she comes back as a 6th level Sorcerer with 3HD worth of Bugbear strength?

Thanks for your read guys, this has been a pain in the neck to find answers for, or even opinions.

-Spazz

[Jeraa]

Your sorcerer starts out at 7th level, but looses a level due to the Reincarnate (3.5 reincarnate, Pathfinder Reincarnate works differently), so is now a 6th level sorcerer. The bugbear hit dice and level adjustment are then added to that. So you would now have 6 levels of Sorcerer, 3 racial hit dice, and a +1 level adjustment, making you a 10th level character.

In Pathfinder, if your 7th level character was Reincarnated into a Bugbear, you would still be a 7th level sorcerer with the bugbear stuff added on top. You would also have 2 negative levels, and so take a -2 penalty on all ability checks, attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, Combat Maneuver Defense, saving throws, and skill checks, as well as loosing 10 hit points from your maximum amount. You are also treated as 2 levels lower for level-depending abilities (such as spellcasting). These penalties can be removed with a Restoration spell or similar.

[spazztick]

Oh so it makes your overall character level that much higher, so if we're starting at 9th level.. than to stay balanced. I'd need her death to have happened at 6th level, so she comes back as a 9th level character, 5 sorcerer, 3 bugbear, +1 ECL

[eakratz]

I don't think you need to worry about the bugbear racial hit dice. Just use your 9th level character and add the attribute modifiers, darkvision, +3 natural armor, and possibly a +4 to Move Silently. Ask you GM about what he wants done with the negative level situation.