LA+1. Can you be a 0-level character?

[melkorspawn]

Well, as a placeholder until you level, you could have 8 HP, no skill points, no BAB, no base saves and no special abilities... then hide and wet yourself until everyone hits level 1, at which time you replace your current HP, and start becoming a character that does things other than die.

 

[Glyfair]

Personally, I've houseruled in previous campaigns that players can't start an LA+1 character as a first level character in my game. They don't gain a 2nd class level, of course, until they gain the experience for 3rd level.

Now, I might consider it for a +2 LA, but definitely not further. Basically, as long as the character isn't going to be dominating the game at 1st level, I'd allow it.

 

[Vysirez]

On thier website, WOTC has release a few LA 0 versions of low LA races. Then they give racial levels you can take to fill things out. If the races your interested in isnt listed it shouldn't be to hard to make one. Might try swinging this past your DM.


http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a

 

[saucercrab]

IIRC, one of the FR books (I think PGtF) has optional rules for playing LA races at 1st level. The gist of it was that a character would have a penalty to all rolls/checks/etc., equal to its level adjustment. Each level after 1st would remove 1 from the penalty (& not give an actual HD level), until the character leveled to the point where the character would be normally.

For example, a drow elf (+2 LA) could start at 1st level (with one HD in any class, as normal), but would have a -2 to all rolls. At 2nd level, the character wouldn't gain a HD, but instead would then only have a -1 penalty to rolls. At 3rd level, the penalty would go away, & at 4th level, the character would gain its first additional HD, & progress from there.

However, I don't remember the specifics of what exactly the above penalty applied to. Prob' attack rolls, saves, & skill/ability checks, but not sure about ability scores, caster level, etc.

 

[Silveras]

Ask the DM if he's allow it. There were rules for a 0 level classes in 3.0 DMG but I've never seen them in 3.5

No, there were rules for being a 1st-level multi-classed character, with partial abilities from each class. "0-level" was a 1st/2nd Edition concept that was done away with in 3rd Edition (i.e., unless the DM uses a house rule, every PC starts as a Level 1 something).



That's basically the point of the LA; it is there to indicate that you can't start as one as a 1st level character in a game.

Now, since it also means you will need extra experience before you advance, the DM might be Ok with saying that your character starts out a little stronger than the others in the party. If the rest of the party is agreeable to that, what's wrong with using the rules as they are written?

If, on the other hand, the DM has already said "All PCs must start evenly at level 1", then looking for loopholes is more likely to tick him/her off than to get the PC in that way. I know it ticks me off no end when players try to be "clever" about getting around something like that.

[Edit]
Or, as also suggested, the "Racial levels" concept might work. I am not too sure of the efficiency of such things with regard to +1 LA races (which often would only have 1 racial class level), but if the DM finds that workable and the other players find it fair, it is as close to "starting at level 0" as you can get.

 

[QuaziquestGM]

But what race are you talking about?
Knowing that wuld help the discussion.

if it is something simple, then decide what class it is training for, start off with (base sp/lev +int bonus) X 3 for starting skills. No class features. No feat unless one if provided by race. Hit die by race. That would count as your level 1.

When you gain enough xp for lev 2, then you level up as though you multiclassed into that class. You gain class features, but no starting feat. lossing the starting feat for a lev 1 charater should balance any advantage that the race confers.