-1 LA race?

[atomn]

kobolds are -1 CR, but not LA.

Ah, that could be what I noticed and confused me.

 

[atomn]

I've tinkered with making LA -1 templates before, but a creature with a base LA of -1 couldn't really work. That extra class level would be a huge advantage. I think either the penalties would be so huge it would be unplayable for anything but the most optimized setup, or a combo would exist which would break it.

I'd welcome attempts to prove otherwise, though. It's a neat idea, but I don't think it could work in practice. ^_^

That's a novel idea, I like it! Did you actually develop any or just have some brainstormed ideas?

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Well, not officially. Although there are plenty of races, like kobolds, which are designed deliberately to be significantly weaker than other LA +0 races, because the designers have (or had) a weird desire to make all adventuring parties look like the Fellowship of the Ring, and so applied unnecessary penalties to many of the non-PHB races.

 

[starwed]

That's a novel idea, I like it! Did you actually develop any or just have some brainstormed ideas?

Szilard's idea sounds interesting as well.

I think I came up w/ 3 of them, but I'm not sure how balanced they were. ^_^ From what I remember, they were gravetouched (take on some of the penalties of a zombie), sunbound (a template which gives penalties when underground, so most of the time in a typical D&D campaign) and a bizaare one which was especially susceptible to magic. I've probably still got the details somewhere at home.

 

[Deset Gled]

-1 LA race would have to be Tiny or smaller.
1d2 damage on a dagger anyone? A dagger that you've either got to throw or provoke AoOs by moving into the guy's space in order to get that 1d2 damage.

Being tiny or smaller would probably be worth a +1 LA to a rogue or assassin.

I don't think there's any way to balance a -1 ECL race. The opportunities you open up are just too powerful, especially for casters.

 

[thorian]

Not exactly a race, but the Incarnate Construct template from Savage Species has a LA of -2. Applying this template to a warforged might be what you are looking for.

 

[frankthedm]

Well, not officially. Although there are plenty of races, like kobolds, which are designed deliberately to be significantly weaker than other LA +0 races, because the designers have (or had) a weird desire to make all adventuring parties look like the Fellowship of the Ring, and so applied unnecessary penalties to many of the non-PHB races.

That desire is a normal one. This is D&D not WoD:Freak Legion. LA's were wisely set to be protective of normal PHB characters. A LA is set assuming the player would be power gaming the critter’s abilities to the utmost. If the critter benefits just one class the worth of 3 levels, while only benefiting other classes 1 class level, it is LA3, not 1 or 2.

A DM who desires a party of freaks who should be run out of town or lynched in a normal settlement could easily lower or compensate characters for higher LA’s.

Also kobolds and such are supposed to be weak pathetic foes the players mow through. They were designed to be CR 1/6th, not be a player appropriate race.

 

[comrade raoul]

Well, not officially. Although there are plenty of races, like kobolds, which are designed deliberately to be significantly weaker than other LA +0 races, because the designers have (or had) a weird desire to make all adventuring parties look like the Fellowship of the Ring, and so applied unnecessary penalties to many of the non-PHB races.

Or just to give low-level characters humanoid monsters to fight who didn't pose much of a threat for their level.

 

[Pyrex]

I don't think there's any way to balance a -1 ECL race. The opportunities you open up are just too powerful, especially for casters.

Actually, I think one of the answers posted above works quite well. -LA can be balanced on a creature with Racial HD.

Granted, such a creature would still need to have wretched stats to qualify for a -LA, but it is concievable.

 

[Iku Rex]

Not exactly a race, but the Incarnate Construct template from Savage Species has a LA of -2.

(minimum 0)