How do you make humans worth LA +1?

[Imret]

While tweaking the overall rules set for my homebrew...it's only just still D&D at this point. I'm using generic classes, Elements of Magic Revised, and a Destiny Pool; lacking Eberron I'm hesitant to compare them to Action Points, but they're designed to save yourself from certain death, enable great stunts and efforts, and generally Break The Rules when everything is on the line. Humans are getting an extra Destiny token, but that just replaces the loss of Favored Class.

I mention this only to give a vague sense of my rules set for consideration.

Among the changes involve making permanent magic items anyone can use much rarer, and altering the characters themselves to bump the power level - I want heroes like Paris and Achilles, not Joe Fighter decked out like Elminster's Yuletide tree. I'm eyeing a loaner copy of Iron Heroes to see if I can integrate it somehow, but that's another topic entirely.

Anyway, one of my current thoughts to increase their power is to make all of the PC races worth a level adjustment, but continue to treat it as 1st level. Now, I'm not having any trouble with most of the races; they have themes and niches that can be enhanced. Humans, though...how do you create a level of "versatile and the new favorites of fate"? I don't really want to give them just another feat and 4 more skill points.

At the moment, I'm stuck. Anybody got some ideas?

 

[Caliban]

A few suggestions.

Versatile:

All skills are class skills.
May gain a +2 stat boost to any single stat at character creation.
BAB, Caster Level, Attributes, Skill Ranks, Base Saves all count as one higher for the purposes of qualifying for feats or prestige classes (only).

Favorite of Fate:

May re-roll any single D20 roll, once per session.
Or: Anytime a natural 1 is rolled on a save, may immediately re-roll it. Must keep the 2nd roll.

 

[Jack Simth]

Perhaps give them a floating stat bonus - +2 to the stat of their choice, determined at character generation.

Or maybe a bonus caster level OR an Extra point of BAB - so that the Human Sorceror 1 casts as a Sorceror-2, the Human Wizard 1 casts as a Wizard-2, the Human Cleric 1 casts as a Cleric-2.... while the Human Fighter-1 hits 5% more often.... hmm... decisions, decisions....

 

[comrade raoul]

Perhaps give them a floating stat bonus - +2 to the stat of their choice, determined at character generation.

Or maybe a bonus caster level OR an Extra point of BAB - so that the Human Sorceror 1 casts as a Sorceror-2, the Human Wizard 1 casts as a Wizard-2, the Human Cleric 1 casts as a Cleric-2.... while the Human Fighter-1 hits 5% more often.... hmm... decisions, decisions....

The latter is straightforwardly worse than the class level you could get otherwise. The stat bonus and the caster level or base attack benefit might be too much.

 

[comrade raoul]

Humans, though...how do you create a level of "versatile and the new favorites of fate"? I don't really want to give them just another feat and 4 more skill points.

At the moment, I'm stuck. Anybody got some ideas?

I think all of the races get a power-up in the Midnight setting; you might want to look to that.

One option is just to make humans the "only" LA +0 race. That is, given them a bonus class level of their choice, but don't increase their effective character level.

 

[Nyaricus]

Actually, i'd say that +2 to any ability plus some other (very) small bonus would bring them up to be +1 LA. The Favoured of Fate ability mentioned beforehand might work well for that.

also, i wouldn't do much to dwarves - they are already UBERLY powered as is.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Nifft]

Gestalt (1st level only)?

-- N

 

[Imret]

Thought I'd stick my head in and see what's come up so far:

Caliban, the all skills are class skills is fairly substantial when using Unearthed Arcana's generic classes; it takes out a lot of the incentive to multi-class into expert, and since class abilities are now feats with mostly skill-based prerequisites, it's a fairly big boost to be that much closer to any abilities you'd like.

I'm pretty sure the prestige class one isn't going to make it; I'm boiling the "general" ones (swashbucklers, dual-weapon specialists) into feat chains and the rest will be part of organizations you commit to. Reputation bonuses, enemies, superiors, new goals...a prestige class should be prestigious! The single reroll per game session is too much like another Destiny token, really.

You seem to have generated a fairly popular idea with the +2 floating bonus; is it worth a level because it's a +2 without a corresponding -2, or because you can apply it anywhere? Is it too good as a floating +2 with the re-roll of natural 1s on saves? If it is, what if it's a bonus to Charisma with the save reroll? I treat it very much like force of personality, and the spirits, gods, and Powers take note of that kind of thing; it has more uses than the RAW.

comrade raoul- Well, there wouldn't ever be a class level instead; it just has to be as "worth" a level as any group of LA +1 racial abilities. I personally don't think I've ever seen one that was anywhere as good as a class level, but YMMV. I also prodded a friend with Midnight for their mightier humans; means doing several groups for my own world, but it's an option.

Nyaricus - You find dwarves that over-powered? I haven't seen any used in 3.5 yet, so I can't really say; what particular combination of abilities makes them so mighty?

Nifft - I can see where the appeal is, but I wanted it to be seamless with the other races; racial abilities rather than class levels.

 

[comrade raoul]

Gestalt (1st level only)?

Also straightforwardly worse than a class level. (Though it sounds like the OP is going for a more general "beefing up," and if you gave up the strict adherence to LA +1, I think this is a great idea.)

 

[wolfpunk]

Increasing their size to Large would be worth a +1.