Dragon 293 ECL chart, anything on it?

[clockworkjoe]

I'm using the ECL chart from dragon 293 in my games. It seems a bit harsh, but I suppose its better that than giving the players too much power.

Is there an updated version or any articles about it? Does anyone have an opinion on it?

 

[Xarlen]

It's Waaaay too harsh.

Note, those ECLs wern't very playtested, and the author wanted feedback on how they worked out.

 

[MerricB]

The revised version will probably come out in the "playing monsters as PCs" sourcebook, whenever that comes out.

Cheers!

 

[Mark]

Personally, I think EN World's own Soldarin has the right of it -

http://www.webspawner.com/users/enbsoldarin/index.html

 

[Holy Bovine]

Well, there are all these ECLs for monsters.......




*ahem* It is way too harsh for creating PC monsters. I would take between 25-50% of the values given. ECLs are a tough one to adjudicate in my opinion - a Lizardman would be ECL 3-4 for a fighter class but probably only ECL 2 for a bard or sorceror. It is one of the areas that makes me break out in hives just thinking about - fortunately I would only use it to run a one-off PCs-as-monsters campaign - anything more than that would give me the screaming meamies!

 

[Celebrim]

When in doupt, I would always suggest treating the ECL as being 'how much does this chracter' gain if he min/maxes in the right class.

After all, the Dwarf is not balanced against the other races as a Bard or Sorcerer (though a Sorcerous Dwarf could be interesting), but as a Fighter or Barbarian.

So if being a Lizard man is as good as being a 4th level fighter (reall??), or being a 17th level Lizard man fighter is as good as being a 20th level human fighter, then ECL +3. I'm not suggesting of course that the ECL of Lizard men should be +3 or +1 or +5 or whatever. But I am suggesting that as a DM you should always take the worst case scenario.