Is ECL a problem from levels 1 to 6?

[Ry]

I am leery of ECL, but I want to include a few ECL +1 races in my next campaign for flavor reasons.

The most vociferous complaint I hear about it revolves around upper-level abilities. My campaign is capped at level 6, and I was wondering if ECL will be a problem at low levels.

 

[Joshua Randall]

The problem would seem to be that the LA+1 races will overshadow the LA+0 races at 1st level. And in a campaign that ends at 6th level, that's a big deal.

(Or maybe not, depending upon how you run the game. But it could be.)

 

[Ry]

Oh, my PCs start at level 2 (As my players are fond of saying, "level 1 is for peasants"), so I can start ECL+1 races at level 1, that should work, right?

I mean, until the other PCs start calling the ECL+1 one a peasant.

 

[Patlin]

I think having 1/2 the HD at start will prevent the ECL races from overshadowing anybody. My concern would be the other way around, actually.

 

[Voadam]

ECL races are rather frail on the basics. My frontline aasimar fighter had 12 hp and +1 BAB when the human variant paladin was second level with more hp, better BAB, slightly higher saves, etc.

I don't think you have anything to worry about. LA PCs gimp themselves mechanically.

 

[Ry]

Gimped at 1st vs. 2nd level is OK. Gimped at 5th vs. 6th level is a problem, because PCs can be there for a long, long time.

 

[The Souljourner]

ECLs hurt most at the low levels, where that +1 is anywhere from 20% to 50% of your total levels. I wouldn't worry about them being too powerful. +1 LA races are fine in just about any campaign, because they have a small drawback and a small set of extra abilities. Including ones higher than that, and/or with racial hit dice, is when things start to get unbalanced.

-Nate

 

[szilard]

Just give +1 LA races a level of Commoner alongside their LA.

-Stuart

 

[Ry]

slizard - wow, that sounds like it really might do the trick.

 

[blargney the second]

Bump the LA +0 races up to +1. Then everybody's on a slightly more even keel.