LA and Multiclass Spellcaster Houserules

[Sylrae]

Continued from the rules-post about LA is broken (in a weak way) HERE

LA is not a perfect system. I think the numbers are too high usually, and in races with HD particularly.

Racial HD should be equivalent in power to a comparable class of the same level., and LA should only happen if its more powerful than a class of the same HD. - my .02$.

IE: Minotaur should have no LA, unless you lower the mandatory HD. That's my thought. Maybe the system could be effectively houseruled per monster? What say you?

Minotaur with 6 HD should be as powerful as the level 6 fighter or level 6 barbarian.(Not sure which to balance it with but it shouldnt matter). So the Minotaur abilities, if balanced against fighter class abilities, should get no LA.

Maybe On top of the HD getting LA Abilities counting as 'class abilities' and the UA idea buying off LA, LA doesnt take effect immediately. Maybe if LA took effect 1 after every 3 levels/HD the Hit Dice wouldnt be as broken. So a Drow who is ECL 4 would have 3 Levels, at ECL 8 they would have 6. This is comparable to Racial Levels, but without the hassle of making racial levels for the race. They can have all the abilities up front, but they miss every 4th level until they pay for their LA. That way you dont have a level 3 wizard with 4 hit points.


and Secondly

I help with the spellcasters in this way:

Spellcasting classes that multiclass may add one third of their total level in their other classes to their effective caster level for all spellcasting purposes (Spells Known/Spells per Day/Familiar&Animal Companion Level/Caster Level). For example a fighter 10/ wizard 10 will cast spells as a 13th level wizard, and a cleric 10/sorcerer 10 would cast spells as a 13th level cleric and a 13th level sorcerer. Prestige classes that improve the spellcasting ability of a class a character already has levels in, such as mystic theurge or eldritch knight, improve spellcasting normally and are not counted toward this benefit unless 1/3 is higher than the class’ improvement, in which case the 1/3 is used instead.


Perhaps +LA Races with an affinity for spellcasting or spell-like abilities could somehow have their LA count towards a primary casting class.

Exception: the 1/3 adds up to a maximum of being tied with the amount of caster levels for that class. So a Fighter 10 Wizard 3 casts as a Wizard 6

What do you think of my variant rules. Do they work? Maybe some tweakage?

 

[Sylrae]

From the Rules Forum, another Idea.

For HD creatures that also have an LA is where I see real issues. Monster Hit Dice, by themselves are not equivalent to class levels. Classes get class abilities, and bonus feats, and spells. Usually the total ECL of a monster with abilities, has less extras than a character with the same amount in levels. Especially where some monsters have low CR and just get a shitload of hit points. Instead of LA, which go on TOP of Hit Dice, we need like a LEq (Level Equivalent) which includes all monster Hit Dice AND Level adjustments. So it would be possible for a creature to have 12 hit dice and count as a level 8 character, for example, if it doesnt get the special abilities to make it worth a total +12.

Of course, that means assigning LEq values to monsters, but thats entirely doable, and in my opinion that's what they should have done in the first place.

 

[Shin Okada]

IE: Minotaur should have no LA, unless you lower the mandatory HD. That's my thought. Maybe the system could be effectively houseruled per monster? What say you?

Minotaur with 6 HD should be as powerful as the level 6 fighter or level 6 barbarian.(Not sure which to balance it with but it shouldnt matter). So the Minotaur abilities, if balanced against fighter class abilities, should get no LA.

I am afraid of that you are already making a really bad assumption.

Are you really comparing Minotaur and LA 0 race 6th level fighter with same base ability arrays and gears?

I mean, monsters without class levels shown in MM has either three 11s and three 10s for their score, or 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8. But most PCs have better base stats.

Also, while plain minotaur do not have much equipment, if played as a PC, they are meant to have wealth equal to their ECL. Even if you drop their ECL to 6, a Minotaur PC meant to have equal wealth as a 6th-level fighter.

So you must at least compare either

(1) 6th-level fighter or barbarian with a great axe only and no armor or other gear, with 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 against the minotaur as shown in MM.

I am confident that the Minotaur simply wins

(2) 6th-level Fighter PC or Barbarian with appropriate stats and gears, against a Minotaur who has same base stats (plus their racial stats bonus) and gears which worth 6th-level character's total wealth.

In this case, I am not truly sure if which side wins. Because Mino has no armor proficiency and may not use armor well. But still may win due to his offensive prowess.

But now, what you really need to compare is,

7th level fighter or Barbarian
against
Minotaur Fighter or Barb 1 (with PC stats and gears)

This Minotaur is wearing good armor and likely to be much better in offence and defense comparing to those poor humans. He has even much better saves and even his HP will be higher than that of the fighter (Assuming the base con=14, the fighter has 10 +(5.5x6) + 14= 57 hp, the Barb has 12 +(6.5x6) + 14= 59hp, the Mino has 8 +(4.5x5) +5.5 +28=64hp, in average).

And, arena fight is not the everything. Minotaur has darkvison, minotaur is immune to maze, minotaur never get lost one's way, minotaur is never flat-footed.