Fractional BAB/Saves

[Handigar]

Where are the rules for these variants located? I can't seem to find them in Unearthed Arcana or the variant section of d20srd.org.

 

[javcs]

They are in Unearthed Arcana ... the sidebar on page 73.

 

[frankthedm]

IIRC the way it works is each level gives you a fraction of a bonus.

Good BAB level +1 point
Medium BAB level +.75 point
Poor BAB level +.50 point

The very first level you take that has a good save gives you a one time +2 bonus in that save.

Good Save level +.5 point
Poor BAB level + 1/3rd of a point

Many folks who want fractional BAB balk at fractional saves. The two compliment each other IMHO.

 

[Handigar]

Thank you. I was consfused by their non presence in the index and failure to see.

 

[Salthorae]

I would rather have the fractonal Saves than the BAB most of the time I think!

But yeah that's how it works. If you are using these rules you never get the +2 bonus to a save if you have already gotten it before. A wiz/cle would only get one of the +2's to Will. A Wiz/Rog would get the +2 to both Ref & Will

 

[starwed]

I would rather have the fractonal Saves than the BAB most of the time I think!

The thing is, multiclassing often hurts your BAB but helps your saves. That extra +2 bonus at the start of each class can add up over time, while taking several differant medium/low BAB classes really hurts your attack.

A variation on using the fractional rules is to simply count how many levels you have on each track. So a rogue 1/ninja 1 has 2 levels of medium BAB, and thus a BAB of +1.

 

[seans23]

But yeah that's how it works. If you are using these rules you never get the +2 bonus to a save if you have already gotten it before. A wiz/cle would only get one of the +2's to Will. A Wiz/Rog would get the +2 to both Ref & Will

That's not what it says in Unearthed Arcana. You still get the +2 bonus, even if you've gotten it before.
They give an example of a cleric5/fighter 2, with Fort 7(7.5), Ref 2(2 1/3), Will 5(5 1/6)
as opposed to the standard method which would be Fort 7, Ref 1, Will 4

 

[Sound of Azure]

A variation on using the fractional rules is to simply count how many levels you have on each track. So a rogue 1/ninja 1 has 2 levels of medium BAB, and thus a BAB of +1.

Yeah, that's what I do (and with saves as well).

 

[frankthedm]

That's not what it says in Unearthed Arcana. You still get the +2 bonus, even if you've gotten it before.
They give an example of a cleric5/fighter 2, with Fort 7(7.5), Ref 2(2 1/3), Will 5(5 1/6)
as opposed to the standard method which would be Fort 7, Ref 1, Will 4

Heh. Thats not the version I'd allow. One has to give up something to get something.

 

[Musrum]

Heh. Thats not the version I'd allow. One has to give up something to get something.

You could say that one has given up a level of simplicity in order to get a system that is fairer.

The accumulated rounding errors is especially harsh on concepts like Rog/Wiz where the base classes and any PrCs all have a bad FORT save. It takes a weakness and makes it a crippling weakness.