Ability Substitutions

[Scribble]

I was glancing through Drow of The Underdark today, and I saw something that allowed drow characters to substitute certain class features for ones that were more drow like.

Were these found anywhere else for the standard races?

 

[Simm]

Off hand I think most of them are in the relevent races book.

 

[WayneLigon]

I was glancing through Drow of The Underdark today, and I saw something that allowed drow characters to substitute certain class features for ones that were more drow like.
Were these found anywhere else for the standard races?

Yes. It's called 'Substitute Levels' and all the race books have them for the standard races. I was thinking something like this might replace prestige classes; it seems more elegant, somehow.

 

[Scribble]

Off hand I think most of them are in the relevent races book.

I know there are substitution levels in there, but ability swaps?

 

[useridunavailable]

Pretty sure, in addition to the "Races of..." series, there are some variant class features in Unearthed Arcana, Complete Mage, Complete Champion, Complete Scoundrel, and Player's Handbook II. There are probably more elsewhere.

Racial substitution levels, on the other hand, are pretty much the domain of the "Races of..." series IIRC.

 

[freyar]

Pretty sure, in addition to the "Races of..." series, there are some variant class features in Unearthed Arcana, Complete Mage, Complete Champion, Complete Scoundrel, and Player's Handbook II. There are probably more elsewhere.

Not along racial lines, but Champions of Valor for FR had substitution levels (more for members of certain classes who belong to specific organizations).

 

[Scribble]

Pretty sure, in addition to the "Races of..." series, there are some variant class features in Unearthed Arcana, Complete Mage, Complete Champion, Complete Scoundrel, and Player's Handbook II. There are probably more elsewhere.

Racial substitution levels, on the other hand, are pretty much the domain of the "Races of..." series IIRC.

But it's not racial substitution levels I'm talking about. SOrry I guess I'm not clear...

They were just special ability swaps... Like if you were a thief instead of say taking evasion you could swap it for the power they listed... in the Drow book there were a few just for Drow...

I was wondering if they did anything for the "normal" races like that.

Not a racial substitution level.

 

[ShadowX]

There is really little difference between what you describe and racial substitution levels. However, there is also a mechanism called alternate class features that cropped up in some books like the Complete series that more strictly fits your definition.

 

[Scribble]

Thats it. The alternate class features.

 

[Psion]

But it's not racial substitution levels I'm talking about. SOrry I guess I'm not clear...

They were just special ability swaps... Like if you were a thief instead of say taking evasion you could swap it for the power they listed... in the Drow book there were a few just for Drow...

I was wondering if they did anything for the "normal" races like that.

Not a racial substitution level.

That sort of thing varies from racial substitution levels in only one way I can think of mechanically: substitution levels let you expand your skill list too. Other than that, it's a matter of presentation.

Really, it's pretty much the same thing.