Class of the Smoking Eye (+1 LA Question)

[Fangor the Fierce]

It appears that my fighter has recently gained the Smoking Eye Template, in the Shackled City campaign. Now, there are a few things I guess I am needing cleared up with regards to the +1 Level Adjustment I just received.

I was at 49,139 exp, gaining 10,730 on the completion of this whole series of tests we just went through. Now, since I was level 10 when all this took place, and without the +1 LA, i gained enough EXP to get me to Lvl 11 (55,000 exp), as I would now have 59,869 EXP.

I guess I am confused on what exactly a +1 LA does to me. I know that I am now considered +1 higher in regards to earning EXP, but does that mean that I can't level until I reach 66,000 EXP?

Thoroughly confused now.... HELP!!!

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I guess I am confused on what exactly a +1 LA does to me. I know that I am now considered +1 higher in regards to earning EXP, but does that mean that I can't level until I reach 66,000 EXP?

Yes. When you, at 10th-level, gained the Smoking Eye template, you immediately became an 11th-level character (10 class levels + 1 LA = ECL 11). You won't gain an eleventh class level until you have 66,000xp.