Casting Stat Bonuses vs. XP Bonus

[Viktyr Gehrig]

One thing I've long maintained is that the majority of core races (and, indeed, the majority of non-humans in general) should have mental ability score adjustments, since they're a useful, if crude, way to distinguish them psychologically from humanity.

This runs into problems, though, because many people maintain that mental ability bonuses are unbalanced at LA +0 because of classes that use them as casting stats. One thing I have tried to do to keep this from becoming unbalancing is to never give a LA +0 race a bonus to a casting stat for their Favored Gestalt.

Because there's less incentive to multiclass in a Gestalt game, however, the normal Favored Class mechanics have most of their teeth removed-- and I'd prefer to use a reward mechanic over a penalty mechanic.

I've been thinking of giving a 10% experience bonus to characters progressing in their Favored Gestalt-- with FG: Any giving a 10% bonus to further progression in the first Gestalt a character selects.

Do you think that a 10% XP bonus for staying in your Favored Gestalt is too much? Is it unbalancing? And which is more powerful-- a +2 bonus to your casting stat, or receiving a 10% XP bonus?

 

[Crothian]

Hard to say. +10% is good but not that great. +2 stat bonus is also good, but not near as good as people think.

It relaly depnds on some other factors. How are the attributes being generated? and do I expoect the game to go high (10+) in levels?

THe worse the attributes are for instance a low point buy makes the +2 stat bonus that much better. While the higher the levels the character gets makes the stats less important and the +10% XP more important.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Well, in my games, the stat generation depends on level-- I use point buy 25 at first level, and then additional points as characters raise in level (for a total of 85 at 20th).

Can't make any assertions regarding the level of play, since I generall try to start at low-level and eventually reach Epic.

 

[Crothian]

under that, I'd go with the XP Bonus

are the stat increases in addition to the bonus every 4 or instead of?

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

under that, I'd go with the XP Bonus

So, having a race with a +2 Charisma whose Favored Gestalt is Ranger/Wizard (as my Elf) would be balanced at +0 LA in your opinion?

Currently, I have two races with a Charisma bonus (Halflings and Elves) and two races with an Intelligence bonus (Gnomes and Kobolds). Halflings are Rogue/Scout, Elves are Ranger/Wizard, Gnomes are Bard/Druid, and Kobolds are Rogue/Sorceror.

are the stat increases in addition to the bonus every 4 or instead of?

Instead of. It actually allows a character to pursue a single stat somewhat faster than normal, but since I'm using Gestalt rules, more characters have MAD issues to deal with.

 

[Nifft]

Interesting.

Here's a question: why must you give a stat bonus? Would it be acceptable to give the major effect of a stat bonus instead?

For example, grant Elves +1 to all Charisma-based checks (including skills), and grant Kobolds & Halflings +1 skill point/level and +1 to all Int-based checks?

In the flavor text, say "Elves are charismatic. They get a +1 to all Charisma-based checks." This gives most non-caster benefits, and the casters can come out a tiny bit ahead too (if they have skills that rely upon their casting stat, they really excel).

-- N

 

[Crothian]

So, having a race with a +2 Charisma whose Favored Gestalt is Ranger/Wizard (as my Elf) would be balanced at +0 LA in your opinion?

Ya, I'd think so

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

IHere's a question: why must you give a stat bonus? Would it be acceptable to give the major effect of a stat bonus instead?

For example, grant Elves +1 to all Charisma-based checks (including skills), and grant Kobolds & Halflings +1 skill point/level and +1 to all Int-based checks?

Well, for the first, it strikes me as a way to make them more distinctly non-human. Adjusting mental scores, and justifying the changes, seems like a good inroad to a non-human race's psychology.

It's also because a single +2/-2 pair for a race is dull as dishwater.

As for your proposed half-measure... I could do this, but it makes little sense to me. If a creature has all of the effects of the ability increase, why wouldn't they have the ability increase? How can something have +1 skill point/level and a +1 to all Intelligence checks and Intelligence-based skills, and still have the same Intelligence score?

I'm also looking for a mechanical bonus to apply to characters reinforcing their racial archetypes. Since I have two balance issues I'm looking at, I wondered if I could find a way to make them more or less cancel each other out.

 

[Nifft]

How can something have +1 skill point/level and a +1 to all Intelligence checks and Intelligence-based skills, and still have the same Intelligence score?

Because it's an alien mentality, of course!

Anyway, just a thought -- give some effects that you want, don't give effects that you're worried about (e.g. making Elves better Sorcerers than they are Wizards).

-- N