A Method For Dealign With LA's?

[Talonblaze]

My DM and I were contemplating on how to make LA's alot easier than the buy off or the standard 'deal with it' scenario that plagues players and still keeps them overall weak.

So far the DM only accepts characters of the +1 variety till he can figure out a system for the others. But for the 1st ones we thought of a minor xp addition that wouldn't leave them too far behind. The DM got thinking, why not take 10% (since its just +1) off each XP earned? (he tried doing with 10% per LA, but any higher than +1 seemed too much.)

So thinking;
Level 1 = 1,100 instead of 1000 to advance
Level 2 = 3,300 instead of 3000 to advance
Level 3 = 6,600 instead of 6000 to advance

And so on and so forth.
We haven't yet decided if there should be a cut off point where they eventually stop taking this penalty or keep it going. How fair would such a system be?

 

[Dandu]

I am not sure if your method is better than LA buyoff.

 

[Visigani]

Allow +5 Gestalt.

In other words... You could end up with a 20/1 Sorc Rogue Pixie, or a 20/5 Sorc Rogue Human.

The Level adjustment takes the place of the gestalt levels for the characters with LA.

 

[Talonblaze]

@Visigani

Not sure what Gestalt is, but from what I read its essentially them taking a 'fake level'? Giving them 0 benefits and effectively making them still one (or more) level behind the others?

Unless I misunderstood. But it reminds me of how the bloodline levels worked.

 

[Dandu]

I recommend you don't touch gestalt or bloodlines. Unless you really understand what's going on there.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

Based on the math for a +1 LA without RHD, this 10% method is worse.

Let's go over the experience needed for levels under this system:

2 = 1100 (1000)
3 = 3300 (3000)
4 = 6600 (6000)
5 = 11000 (10000)
6 = 16500 (15000)
7 = 23100 (21000)
8 = 30800 (28000)
9 = 39600 (36000)
10 = 49500 (45000)


At 10th level he's taken a penalty of 4500 XP. Using LA buyoff, a +1 LA without RHD can buy the LA off with as little as 3000 XP. Each Racial HD increases this by 1000.

Extrapolating the math up to level 20, and including level 21 base xp for a bit of comparison:

11 = 60500 (55000)
12 = 72600 (66000)
13 = 85800 (78000)
14 = 100100 (91000)
15 = 115500 (105000)
16 = 132000 (120000)
17 = 149600 (136000)
18 = 168300 (153000)
19 = 188100 (171000)
20 = 209000 (190000)
21 = xxxxxxx (210000)
Upon attaining 20th level, this 10% character has effectively lost 19000 xp because of his LA. He could have just lost 3000 xp by buying it off.

If the LA wasn't bought off and it was played under the normal rules, the character would reach 20 class levels at 210000 xp, or just 1000 xp more than with the 10% version.

Sorry. ^^;

 

[Visigani]

@Visigani

Not sure what Gestalt is, but from what I read its essentially them taking a 'fake level'? Giving them 0 benefits and effectively making them still one (or more) level behind the others?

Unless I misunderstood. But it reminds me of how the bloodline levels worked.

Gestalt levels are relatively simple once you get the hang of it.



Let's say you're a lvl1 Gestalt Cleric/Wizard.

You would have the Clerics BAB, d8 hp, Good Fort and Will Saves, simple and heavy armor proficiency, 1 bonus metamagic/item creation feat, a familiar and arcane and divine spellcasting.


Essentially it takes the best bits of each class and makes it their own while only going up a single level.

Many of the same restrictions still exist... youcan't be a Palabard for example, because of Alignment... and arcane still has the same failure chance.

 

[Androrc]

The best method I've seen so far is that done by a "Savage Progressions" article at the old Wizards 3rd edition site: have racial classes that replace the level adjustment.

 

[xigbar]

I've heard some people make you take levels in the crappy NPC classes for adjusted levels.

 

[Dandu]

Careful what you say, them experts are dangerous.