@
ouini &
SSquirrel: The problem I have with that approach is that it's not at all unbalancing to be able to, for example, Rage 3x/day right from the start.
Extra Rage is a feat that first appeared in MotW and has been reprinted in the Complete Warrior. It allows 2 additional uses of Rage per day, and the only prereq is that you have the ability to Rage or Frenzy already. I've seen that feat taken as early as 1st level in play, and IMO it wasn't unbalanced at all.
I don't believe Extra Smite, Extra Wildshape, and Extra Favored Enemy (as other examples that appeared in the Splatbooks) have yet been reprinted and/or updated in 3.5, but I don't see real problems with allowing those feats as is IMC (except maybe Extra Favored Enemy now that the Ranger has been powered up vs 3.0, it would need retooling for 3.5 IMO).
Instead, I've adapted something from one of
ouini's previous posts and inserted a flat level-based limit in most places. Sneak Attack maxes out at +(Level/2)d6, so while you can take the feat every level, the bonus damage is based upon your character level.
While I'm still tinkering with those limits here and there, here's what I've currently got for the Rage feats:
Rage
Prereqs: Fort save +2
Benefit: PRIME; Allows use of the Rage ability 1x/day. You can take this feat multiple times allowing additional uses per day, but maximum of (1+Level/3) per day.
Rage, Greater
Prereqs: Fort save +6, Rage
Benefit: As the PHB Barbarian's Greater Rage ability.
Rage, Tireless
Prereqs: Fort save +10, Greater Rage
Benefit: As the PHB Barbarian's Tireless Rage ability.
Rage, Mighty
Prereqs: Fort save +12, Tireless Rage
Benefit: As the PHB Barbarian's Mighty Rage ability.
With the level limit for taking
Rage at 1+Level/3 the fastest/most you could take it is at levels 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 at which time you'd have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Rages per day, respectively. Compared to Core you end up potentially getting your extra Rages a few levels earlier (if you take each one as soon as you can) and end up with a potential maximum of 7 Rages/day instead of just 6 as a Core Barbarian, but I'm not worried about that since I've seen Rage in play quite a bit and don't feel Extra Rage is unbalancing as early as 1st level. Obviously, YMMV.
And yes, with limits in place in this system based upon Levels instead of classes (as
ouini was alluding to in his last post) you
could take Rage twice as early as level 3 (assuming you didn't take it at levels 1 & 2, of course), but I don't think that should necessarily cost more as
ouini suggests. In Core that's pretty much like taking your 3rd character level as a multiclassed 1st level Barbarian and taking the Extra Rage feat at that level as well. No big deal to me!
I'll try to email both of you soon with what I've got so far,
ouini for early feedback and
SSquirrel for that and to host the files again (thanks much, dude!

).
I'm done revamping both Core and AU classes (and pretty much the XPH classes as well) and I've fractured them into separate files for ease of use. I happily, using the values
ouini and I both independently came up with, didn't have to alter the Core & AU classes much at all, which was very pleasing. The biggest change (and really the only major one, IMO) I made was to downgrade the Druid from a Full caster to a Half caster, but their Wild Shape abilities are a bit cleaner overall, more versatile and slightly more powerful at later levels.
Thanks for the feedback!
DrSpunj