2 Experience Point 'Pools'

kilamanjaro · Nov 14, 2006

I'm getting ready to start a campaign for 3 players. I'd like to give them a power boost to increase their survivability. Two of the players want to play creatures with LAs. The system I'm considering using would be that each character has to Experience Point Pools. Whenever EPs are totalled they can split their EPs between the pools however they want. Levels from both 'pools' are totalled to determine character level. The normal multiclassing rules apply to each pool seperately. The catch is that one pool can only be used for racial levels (from Savage Species), paragon levels (from Unearthed Arcana), favored class levels, or racial prestige classes. Humans and Half Elves choose their favored class the first time they take a level in it and can't change it later. So, for example, a fifth level human character might look like this, Human Paragon 1/Fighter 1//Wizard 3, with the double slashes representing the split between EXP Pools.
Does anyone see any major issues with this system? Any thing subtle that I might be missing?

Quartz · Nov 14, 2006

Why don't you simply make them Gestalt and restrct one side of the Gestalt?

GreatLemur · Nov 14, 2006

I'm not sure I see the point. If you're totalling all the levels to determine ECL, it's not really a power boost. And all the separate XP pools seem to be doing--correct me if I misunderstand--is keeping sepate multiclass tallies for the sake of softening XP penalties and allowing class progression before the racial progression is completed.

So why not just ditch the multiclassing restrictions completely? It'd be a hell of a lot simpler, and multiclassing restrictions are generally pretty dumb, anyway.

Pyrex · Nov 14, 2006

Mabye because gestalt characters create a totally different result than mandatory multiclassing.

The major problem is that your characters are going to be gaining levels way, way faster than the encounter tables suggest they should advance.

For example: Most characters with 90,000xp will be just shy of 14th level. With the changes you propose to the XP system a character in your campaign with 90,000xp split as 45,000/45,000 will be Level 20.

Secondly, it also harshly penalizes players who want a non-traditional combo like Dwarven Wizard -> at 90,000 xp the dwarf can only have 10 Wizard levels, but his Elven or Human companion could put Wizard on both pools and be Wizard 20.

OTOH, if you *can't* put the same class on both pools simultaneously, casters are completely borked; because by the time your Wizard hits 14th level (putting all his 91,000xp in one pool), his Ftr/Rgr companion is already level 20. Ouch.

GreatLemur · Nov 14, 2006

Pyrex said:
The major problem is that your characters are going to be gaining levels way, way faster than the encounter tables suggest they should advance.

For example: Most characters with 90,000xp will be just shy of 14th level. With the changes you propose to the XP system a character in your campaign with 90,000xp split as 45,000/45,000 will be Level 20.

Ah, hell. I completely missed that implication.

kilamanjaro · Nov 14, 2006

That's what I get for thinking this through without actually checking the numbers on the experience point table. My goal was to encourage multiclassing and soften the LA penalty. Running a limited choice gestalt might be a better way to go.

Pyrex · Nov 14, 2006

Limited choice gestalt can work fairly well.

For example, one game I ran I only had 3 players, and we collectively decided on stronger PC's rather than players running multiple characters. So I decided the PC's all worked for a renowned mercenary outfit and were all gestalt Ftr/whatever.

Gestalt FavoredClass/Whatever is kind of interesting, but *hugely* favors humans.

Another way to go about it might be to say that levels 1-3 are Gestalt (which softens +LA considerably) but levels 4+ are single-class.

Nifft · Nov 15, 2006

Limited choice gestalt sounds fun, and it's a great way to create theme parties.

Thieves' Guild: All half Rogue, Scout or Ninja

Mercenary Company: All half Fighter, Barbarian or Ranger

Wuxia Extreme: All half Monk

Mystic Wierdos: All half Sorcerer, Psion, or Warlock

C, -- N