Hello all! Please, allow me to apologize in advance for this lengthy & likely overcomplicated question.
No one in my group has ever applied a template to a post level 1, including the GM. So when he (the GM) suddenly turned me and my companions into Zombie Lords per the template located in Bestiary 4 {Change all of the creature's racial Hit Dice to d8s, then add 2 racial Hit Dice to this total [creatures without racial HD gain 2 undead HD]. Hit Dice from class levels are unchanged.), much of the conversion process was confusing. Most annoyingly, we can't figure what "Hit Dice from class levels are unchanged" does to our total HIT POINTS from those same Class Levels. Do they remain unchanged? And if so, do we keep the CON bonus from our 'Class Level' Constitution scores & only apply the CHA bonus to our newly acquired Zombie Lord HD?
Also, for our new saves, does "Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/3 HD, and Will +1/2 HD + 2" refer to our total HD from all sources, or just our Zombie Lord HD?
Or put more simply, with only max faced hit dice:
If a Level 9 Human Cleric with 117 HP [72 from HD + 36 from Constitution + 9 from Favored Class] and my Saves, unaided, are F10 R5 W11 becomes a Zombie Lord, is his new HP 148 [117 + 16 from ZL-HD + 4 from Charisma + 11 from Toughness] and F11 R6 W14 [old saves + 1/3 ZL-HD Fort +1/3 ZL-HD Ref ZL-HD +1/2 ZL-HD Will+2 rounded down w/ a minimum +1 each] or not? And if not, then what and why/how?
Again, sorry for all the reading. We're new to this whole 'playing by the rules' thing.
You keep your class hit dice, and the the HP from those that is, you lose you HP to Con bonus, but replace it with Cha bonus, which looks like +2?
So HP:
Cleric 9, (guess you get max HP in your game) 72 +18(Cha) +9(FCB) = 99 from class hit dice
ZL +2HD (guess he gave you max HP again) 16 +4(Cha) = 20 from undead hit dice
Toughness +11
Total 130 HP
For your saves they go to
F 10
R 5
W 14
You have only 2 undead hit dice, that is why Fort and Ref don't go up. When you get one more undead HD for a total of 3, your saves will be
F 11
R 6
W 14
F and R well go up on undead HD of 3, 6, 9, etc., Will goes up on undead HD of 2, 4, 6, etc.
Your BAB goes up by +1 since you have 2 undead HD, and will go up like a Cleric's progression
So if I am still an undead when I level up, do I gain a ZL level or a cleric level?
Oh and no, we don't get max HP. It was just easier for me to calculate it that way.
You level up with class levels. Can be cleric or whatever you choose.
You dont "level up" in racial hit dice, just as you dont take a level in Human. Your race either has them, or doesnt. They stay constant.
Thanks!
For all intents and purposes, treat it as a Multiclass.
You all just took 2 levels in the "Zombie Lord" Class.
HD: d8
Saves:
FORT REF WILLL
+0 +0 +2
+0 +0 +3
So for all intents and purposes, you should have gained +2d8 HD and +3 Will, on top of any other bonuses.
Speaking of which, I do believe that should include BAB, so:
BAB (3/4)
+0
+1
You all gain +1 BAB from the 2 HD as well.
Considering all of the bonuses your GM is giving you, I hope they know what they're getting themselves into!