Reducing Level Adjustment

Bront · Jul 3, 2007

Rystil Arden said:
For high LA races, it is very helpful in flattening the power disparity, but for LA +1 races, it is broken as all hell--especially since we're letting them start at level 3. They just need to waltz to level 4 and then buy off the level adjustment. At that point, they will count as level 3 characters while being vastly superior. The only thing that stopped me from voting NO immediately is the presence of the broken-as-all-hell-for-LA+0 Warforged in Eberron. (Well, that and an IP ban for my last hotel, but that doesn't count).

Would adjusting the first level this is available fix it? Maybe just adding 3 to the very first level this is available?

Rystil Arden · Jul 3, 2007

Come to think of it, I don't think it would ever be balanced in a Living World setting like this one. To preface that, I do allow this buyoff rule directly from UA in my home games, but that is because I know I can adjust and give cool extras to other characters so that everyone is having fun. Playing with your level 3 Human Fighter when there's also a level 3 Half-Giant or Goliath Fighter in the group who counts as the same ECL is just not fun in a game that isn't carefully watched and regulated by a GM with that balance in mind, since the Human will typically be rendered incompetent, and they will advance at exactly the same speed.

Bront · Jul 4, 2007

That is an excelant point, and I guess in a living campaign, it's not the same drawback, as you can always adventure with lower level companions as well, where your LA will be less of an issue.

I'm inclined to say no to this as well, but I won't to give any potential defenders a chance to change my mind

Wik · Jul 4, 2007

I don't like it either. even in our low-level games, LA wasn't too big a deal - while the Goliath had less HP, he could *really* deal out damage (and more damage means shorter combats, which means he loses fewer HP).

Buying it off with XP, to me, seems like you'd encourage some weird character options. Last thing I want to see is a bunch of strange MM3 characters, and very few human characters, because LA can be purchased off, so why not?

Since it's already been shown that LEW is fairly melee-centric, something that boosts melee characters isn't a good idea, in my opinion.