After several long debates on the subject of Effective Character Levels and Challenge Ratings, I believe that I have finally found a good formula that works all the way around.
I am unable to take even a majority of the credit for this work, however, because this would not have been possible had many of us here not worked as a team. Upper_Krust was especially essential to this, having originated the system from which this derives. Although there may yet be some debate on this matter, I believe that this takes a HUGE step toward fixing all the problems surrounding ECL and CR.
Here it is, "Rules: Effective Character Levels and Challenge Ratings"! This post will be updated as necessary with additions, corrections, errata, etc. ENJOY!
REVISED ECL/CR RULES
Determining ECL:
CLASS ECL MODIFIERS
+1 ECL per Class Level*
+1/4 ECL per Integrated Class Level**
*Commoners receive +1 ECL/3 Levels. Adepts, Aristocrats, and Experts receive +1 ECL/2 Levels. Warriors receive +3 ECL/4 Levels.
**Integrated Class Levels are when a creature has, for instance, the spellcasting abilities of a Level 20 Wizard or a Level 20 Cleric, such as a Titan.
DIVINE ECL MODIFIERS
+16 ECL for Divine Rank 0
+24 ECL for Divine Rank 1
+4 ECL per Divine Rank over Divine Rank 1
HIT DICE ECL MODIFIERS
+3 ECL/4 Hit Dice (75%) for Dragons and Outsiders
+1 ECL/2 Hit Dice (50%) for Aberrations, Elementals, Fey, Giant, Humanoids, Magical Beasts, Monstrous Humanoids, Shapechangers, Undead (except for Skeletons and Zombies)
+1 ECL/3 Hit Dice (33%) for Animals, Beasts, Constructs, Oozes, Plants, Undead (Skeletons and Zombies), Vermin
+1 ECL per +1 CR increase of a Template
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
+0.1/-0.1 ECL per +1/-1 total modifier to ability score (i.e. an athach has Str 27, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 6, which constitutes Str +16, Dex +2, Con +10, Int -4, Wis +2, and Cha -4 for a +22 total for +2.2 ECL total for ability scores)
SPECIFIC SPECIAL ABILITIY MODIFIERS
+1/4 ECL per SA or SQ (except as noted below)***
Damage Reduction: The modifier for all damage reduction is ECL +0.25 per damage reduction "plus" and for each full 100% increase in actual damage reduction points over 5 points per "plus". Here is a table to demonstrate how this works:
+1/2 ECL per 5 points of hardness (includes damage reduction of X/-)
+1/2 ECL per 5 points of Spell Resistance over 10
+1/2 ECL per Energy Resistance
+1 ECL per Energy Immunity
+1/2 ECL per 5 points of Fast Healing or Regeneration
+1 ECL if creature has Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate 1st-3rd level spells that are usable at will, +2 ECL if creature has Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate 4th-6th level spells that are usable at will, +3 ECL if creature has Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate 7th-9th level spells that are usable at will, +4 ECL if creature has Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate spells of 10th level and above that are usable at will (half these values if usable only a certain number of times per day, quarter these values if usable once per day or less); this becomes +1/2 ECL total if the creature's Hit Dice ECL Modifier is equal to or greater than the level needed for a wizard or cleric to cast the spells duplicated by the spell-like ability (half that if usable a certain number of times per day, quarter that if usable once per day or less); apply only the highest modifier as this bonus does not stack for multiple spell-like abilities
+1 ECL per 20 Spellcraft DC of Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate Epic Spells that are usable at will (half that if usable a certain number of times per day, quarter that if usable once per day or less)
+2 ECL for Blindsight
+1 ECL per appendage over two
+1/2 ECL if the creature can summon other creatures, +1 ECL if the creature can summon other creatures of its CR, +2 if the creature can summon other creatures of a higher CR; apply this modifier for each time per day the creature can summon
***Some SAs and SQs not mentioned here are still worth more than ECL +1/4. Modifiers for more powerful abilities are subject to the DM's discretion based on relative power.
For the purposes of this system, ECL equals CR in all cases. For CRs over 20, use the following table, borrowed from UK's article in Asgard 6:
This format can be continued indefinitely as ECL and CR increases.
I am unable to take even a majority of the credit for this work, however, because this would not have been possible had many of us here not worked as a team. Upper_Krust was especially essential to this, having originated the system from which this derives. Although there may yet be some debate on this matter, I believe that this takes a HUGE step toward fixing all the problems surrounding ECL and CR.
Here it is, "Rules: Effective Character Levels and Challenge Ratings"! This post will be updated as necessary with additions, corrections, errata, etc. ENJOY!
REVISED ECL/CR RULES
Determining ECL:
CLASS ECL MODIFIERS
+1 ECL per Class Level*
+1/4 ECL per Integrated Class Level**
*Commoners receive +1 ECL/3 Levels. Adepts, Aristocrats, and Experts receive +1 ECL/2 Levels. Warriors receive +3 ECL/4 Levels.
**Integrated Class Levels are when a creature has, for instance, the spellcasting abilities of a Level 20 Wizard or a Level 20 Cleric, such as a Titan.
DIVINE ECL MODIFIERS
+16 ECL for Divine Rank 0
+24 ECL for Divine Rank 1
+4 ECL per Divine Rank over Divine Rank 1
HIT DICE ECL MODIFIERS
+3 ECL/4 Hit Dice (75%) for Dragons and Outsiders
+1 ECL/2 Hit Dice (50%) for Aberrations, Elementals, Fey, Giant, Humanoids, Magical Beasts, Monstrous Humanoids, Shapechangers, Undead (except for Skeletons and Zombies)
+1 ECL/3 Hit Dice (33%) for Animals, Beasts, Constructs, Oozes, Plants, Undead (Skeletons and Zombies), Vermin
+1 ECL per +1 CR increase of a Template
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
+0.1/-0.1 ECL per +1/-1 total modifier to ability score (i.e. an athach has Str 27, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 6, which constitutes Str +16, Dex +2, Con +10, Int -4, Wis +2, and Cha -4 for a +22 total for +2.2 ECL total for ability scores)
SPECIFIC SPECIAL ABILITIY MODIFIERS
+1/4 ECL per SA or SQ (except as noted below)***
Damage Reduction: The modifier for all damage reduction is ECL +0.25 per damage reduction "plus" and for each full 100% increase in actual damage reduction points over 5 points per "plus". Here is a table to demonstrate how this works:
Code:
5/+1 = ECL +0.25
10/+1 = ECL +0.50
15/+1 = ECL +0.75
10/+2 = ECL +0.50
20/+2 = ECL +0.75
30/+2 = ECL +1.00
15/+3 = ECL +0.75
30/+3 = ECL +1.00
45/+3 = ECL +1.25
20/+4 = ECL +1.00
40/+4 = ECL +1.25
60/+4 = ECL +1.50
25/+5 = ECL +1.25
50/+5 = ECL +1.50
75/+5 = ECL +1.75+1/2 ECL per 5 points of hardness (includes damage reduction of X/-)
+1/2 ECL per 5 points of Spell Resistance over 10
+1/2 ECL per Energy Resistance
+1 ECL per Energy Immunity
+1/2 ECL per 5 points of Fast Healing or Regeneration
+1 ECL if creature has Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate 1st-3rd level spells that are usable at will, +2 ECL if creature has Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate 4th-6th level spells that are usable at will, +3 ECL if creature has Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate 7th-9th level spells that are usable at will, +4 ECL if creature has Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate spells of 10th level and above that are usable at will (half these values if usable only a certain number of times per day, quarter these values if usable once per day or less); this becomes +1/2 ECL total if the creature's Hit Dice ECL Modifier is equal to or greater than the level needed for a wizard or cleric to cast the spells duplicated by the spell-like ability (half that if usable a certain number of times per day, quarter that if usable once per day or less); apply only the highest modifier as this bonus does not stack for multiple spell-like abilities
+1 ECL per 20 Spellcraft DC of Spell-Like Abilities that duplicate Epic Spells that are usable at will (half that if usable a certain number of times per day, quarter that if usable once per day or less)
+2 ECL for Blindsight
+1 ECL per appendage over two
+1/2 ECL if the creature can summon other creatures, +1 ECL if the creature can summon other creatures of its CR, +2 if the creature can summon other creatures of a higher CR; apply this modifier for each time per day the creature can summon
***Some SAs and SQs not mentioned here are still worth more than ECL +1/4. Modifiers for more powerful abilities are subject to the DM's discretion based on relative power.
For the purposes of this system, ECL equals CR in all cases. For CRs over 20, use the following table, borrowed from UK's article in Asgard 6:
Code:
ECL --- CR
1-20 --- +1/Level
21-40 --- +1/2 Levels
41-80 --- +1/4 Levels
81-160 --- +1/8 Levels
161-320 --- +1/16 LevelsThis format can be continued indefinitely as ECL and CR increases.
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