Githzerai too good at LA +2?

[pbd]

The title pretty much says it all.

Also, are githyanki under powered for their LA +2?

Am I remembering something wrong (actually, I don't have the book)?

 

[Nightfall]

Uhm considering the party I'm in...no as I've had my butt kicked around a good bit. But that's just me as githzerai paladin, not a monk or a rogue.

 

[Finley DaDum]

Well lets look at what they get:
+6 Dex, -2 Int, +2 Wis (net +6 with a major boost to one ability-worth LA+1 right here)
Psionics: 3/day-Daze, Feather Fall, Shatter, @ 10th level 1/day-Plane Shift
(nice but probably not worth more much more than the host of abilities that dwarves, halflings and elves have.)
Inertial Armor: +4 Armor Bonus nice but most useful only to classes that are not going to wear armor (nice but most useful only to monks, pretty much everyother class either has at least light armor or Mage Armor-maybe with the psionics above worth another LA +1)
Spell Resistance: 5+Class Levels (so for a PC facing a spellcaster of equal ECL they have to role a whoping three to beat it-so basically useless for encounters where it really matters).

Personally I think Githzerai are pretty well balanced at LA+2. They are actually one of the few races with an LA that is worth it. That being said they only work well for maybe 3 or 4 character concepts. They make very good monks obviously, maybe slightly overpowered but really no worse than a dwarven fighter, halfling rogue, or orc barbarian (all races who's major abilities match up very well with specific classes). Otherwise they only really work for anyother concept that relies heavily on Dexterity.

For other concepts they are underpowered for LA+2.

Githyanki are underpowered especially at ECL 3rd-5th, once they get Blur and later Dimension Door it gets better but I still don't think their worth the LA.

 

[KarinsDad]

Inertial Armor: +4 Armor Bonus nice but most useful only to classes that are not going to wear armor (nice but most useful only to monks, pretty much everyother class either has at least light armor or Mage Armor-maybe with the psionics above worth another LA +1)

This is good for most classes as it protects against incorporeal creatures whereas regular armor does not. It also allows combatant types to have quick mini-armor if they do not want to sleep in their heavier armor and since the manifester level is half the class level, it does go to AC +5 at level 6, AC +6 at level 10, etc. Not huge, but nice. Especially in situations where armor might not be the proper choice.

Spell Resistance: 5+Class Levels (so for a PC facing a spellcaster of equal ECL they have to role a whoping three to beat it-so basically useless for encounters where it really matters).

That's a 10% miss chance equivalent on all spells with spell resistance. This is obviously not as nice as the Drow 40%.

But, it is mostly good for fighting lower level spell casters (like NPC Henchmen). It is about equivalent to having +2 to +4 on saves against lower level mooks.


They also get darkvision which very few non plus LA races get (typically just Dwarves).


But, I agree the +6 to Dex is worth +1 by itself. With weapon finesse and a decent starting Dex, this is +3 more to hit, +3 more on Reflex saves, +3 more to Dex based skills, +3 more on AC (in addition to the Inerital Armor) and for many character concepts, adds about 16 to 18 to the point buy (if you use that).


Compared to Drow, they are similar. Not as good Darkvision or Spell Resistance, but very good Dex and no susceptibility to light.


With regard to the Githyanki, I think they are slightly less powerfu, but still similarly powered. Not so much in ability scores, but in special Psionic powers. Concealing Amorpha and Dimension Door are fairly nice, but they do not get the Inertial Armor.

However, still more potent than +1.

 

[Shin Okada]

In my experiences, Githzerai are actually underpowered. IMHO most LA+x races are. LA +2 races without truly significant advantages are no match against LA +0 core races.

Inertial armor is not bad. But it is relatively easy to get Inertial Armor or Mage Armor in med to higher levels. Popular Monk related prestige classes can have it easily. Enlightened Fist & Fist of Zuoken can cast or manifest by themselves. Sacred Fist may be too (with force domain, or with Magic domain and wands). Even for pure monks, it is relatively easy to ask one's buddy wizard to use a 1st-level slot for him.

Regarding "pajamas" for other classes, 100gp chain shirt is almost as good.

+6 Dex is good. That is +3 AC. And +3 attack if he is a finesse monk. But +2LA means at least -1 BAB and 2 lower HD. Monks are already relatively low on HP and that -2 HDs are bad. And IMHO finesse monk can never be that efficient. Strength monk is a way to go.

SR is better than nothing. But HD +5 means effective character level +3. That is hardly a significant advantage. And at higher level, monks can get much better SR from class ability.

And, the most significant factor is, IMHO, that their preferred role is monk. Many people think Monk to be one of the weakest core class. Races better for Barbarian or Cleric will be good. But a race better for (and just probably) monk can be "overpowered"? Not at all, IMHO.

Edit: And, at certain levels, -2 class levels mean -1 AC and/or one size smaller unarmed damage dice. That will offset Githzerai's high ability scores in some degree.