Idea: Metagame Feats!

[Knightfall]

Okay, so my players dislike Level Adjustment, but there is no way in the Nine Hells I'm taking La out of the game. But I'd like to give them options for reducing the "in game cost" of level adjustment. So, here's my idea... a Metagame feat.

Reduce Level Adjustment [Metagame]
Your level adjustment is lower than normal for a creature of your kind.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5, must have a level adjustment of +2 or more.
Benefit: Your character's level adjustment is considered to be one less than normal. This reduces the character's total ECL by one for the purpose of all game rule benfits and restrictions. The character’s experience point total isn’t changed, which effective allows the character to gain an additional level immediately. (This last part doesn't apply if selected to replace a standard racial feat.)
You cannot use this feat with Monster Classes.
Normal: You must apply a character's entire level adjustment to determine its total ECL.
Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time it is selected, your' character's level adjustment is reduced by one. You can never reduce your character's level adjustment to less than one-half of its original number (rounded down).
For example, if the character is a doppelganger (LA +4), then its level adjustment can only be reduced to a minimum of +2, by selecting the feat twice. A bralani eladrid (LA +5) character could also be reduced to +2 (rounded down from 2.5), but it would have to take the feat 3 times.

Opinions?

 

[Terraism]

Ignoring the general merits and issues with it for now, the first thing I'd suggest is to change the prereqs slightly so that melee characters aren't the only ones who can reduce LA in the early/mid levels. No reason to prohibit casters, after all, especially when they're already the ones usually most hurt by LA. Add "or caster level 5+," or some such would be a start, though that wouldn't necessarily help your rogue types...

 

[Vrecknidj]

My first reaction is to cut the BAB +5 prerequisite as well. I don't really get it. People are loathe to put in prerequisites like Level 5, but, sometimes that's what you really want. The whole affair of making up a prerequisite to match the minimum level at which it can be taken sometimes gets tiresome anyway.

Dave

 

[Awakened]

Have you seen the "reducing level adjustment" rules in Unearthed Arcana? There's a system that allows you to pay some experience every now and then to drop your level adjustment. Thus, instead of effectively allowing a PC to gain two levels at once (as this feat would) the system rather puts a character with LA closer to the next level.
This works pretty well in practice, as the racial benefits that are so nice but pricey early on don't become a burden in the later game. I definitely suggest checking it out, as it's not too different than this idea. I believe the first level where this option is available is 6th.

 

[Randolpho]

Seriously, what's so wrong with level adjustments that people feel the need to lose them? Are they just that desperate to be able to squeeze out another level before going epic?

 

[Edheldur]

In my campaign, I've been using the Reducing level adjustment rule from Unearthed Arcana, and haven't had any complains about it.

I believe the first level where this option is available is 6th.

It's 3rd level if you LA is 1, 6th and 9th if its 2 (1 at 6th, one at 9th).

You can find all the relevant information about it HERE.

 

[robberbaron]

Seriously, what's so wrong with level adjustments that people feel the need to lose them? Are they just that desperate to be able to squeeze out another level before going epic?

Nah, it's because players want the powerups without the cost.

Cake and eat it.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I think this feat is too strong. Look at the benefits of +1 LA (at least for a non caster), are those benefits equal to a feat. The answer should be no. If the answer is yes then either that creatures LA is too much or you over value or use overpowered feats.

Consider also taking this feat 3 times essentially gives you a free feat (3 character levels = 1 feat).

That said I think the MM sometimes states a monsters LA higher than it should be, DMs should lower these creatures LA, but only after careful consideration.
Likewise there are a few creatures whose LA could use with an increase.

 

[Nifft]

D&D is a level-based game. Levels are everything. Your level is the basic measure of your raw power.

Feats are nice to have, but there's no comparison between an extra feat and an extra level.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Andre]

Seriously, what's so wrong with level adjustments that people feel the need to lose them? Are they just that desperate to be able to squeeze out another level before going epic?

Many times the benefits which warrant a +1 or +2 LA at low level are worth far less at higher levels. The OP's idea makes sense for these situations. A good example is a race with wings - flight is typically considered a +1 LA, and is very valuable at low levels. By the time a character is nearing 10th level, however, that one ability is worth nowhere near as much as an entire level.

I'd probably allow something like this on a case-by-case basis, depending on how well the benefits scale. It would allow a player to select a race that would otherwise become a sub-optimal choice later on.