Jackinthegreen
Explorer
Speaking of critters that matter, the DMG mentions using the Elite array if one wants to up the ante a bit since all monsters are assumed to have 10's or 11's for base abilities.
Level Adjustment Alternative
- Thread starter IllithidFan
- Start date
Greenfield
Adventurer
It matters in that one is an acquired template that might be taken slowly, over time, and the other is an inherited one that you either have or don't.
As for the rest of it... You are, in essence, arguing for a rewrite of the Were Bear template.
Besides, who would ever get bitten by a Were Panda? They're herbivores, and not technically "bears" at all.
Jackinthegreen
Explorer
I know it's splitting hairs, but according to Wikipedia and its cited source at Nature.com, pandas are indeed bears. They're still omnivores since they'll eat meat, fish, and eggs if need be, so they would qualify for lycanthrope, but it's probably safe to use the normal werebear stats.
RAW, yes, but they are both created from the same template, and even as filtered through the Racial class optional rules, there need be no difference at all. Indeed, the Template itself notes how much like multiclassing it is:
Re: Pandas
When I was a kid, they were bears. When I was a young adult, they were reclassified as a separate species. When I hit 30 something, they were re-reclassified as bears. SCIENCE!
(Side note: with the discovery of cannibalism and occasional attacks on crocodiles, Hippos were recently reclassified as omnivores as well. Werehippos, anyone? <Hungry, hungry!>)
Jimlock
Adventurer
After a first search I couldn't find it in Unearthed Arcana...
Could you be more specific?
Not Unearthed Arcana, the WotC product, but Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved from Monte Cook's Malhavoc Press?
Greenfield
Adventurer
Well the point of my long winded diatribe on lycanthropes and half dragons was this:
Whether you're running a Drow, a Pixie, a Half-Ogre or a Werewolf, these racial options were given an LA for a reason. You try to play one in a 1st level party and you'll out power the other PCs.
We can argue how effective or accurate any given LA is, and like CR the answer will vary depending on the campaign. Some templates or races do better in combat heavy campaigns, some are a definite disadvantage in RP heavy settings.
But try explaining how you could ease into being a Drow or a Pixie, how you could grow into the roll of Half Ogre or Githzeri.
You either are or you aren't, and short of completely rewriting all the races to make them more Human, you have to accept that they aren't Human, that they have advantages and disadvantages that have to be accounted for somehow.
Currently, that's done through LA.
You want to fix the LA system though? Here's a simple solution: Bump the point at which someone goes Epic. Allow normal class development for 20 class levels and/or hit dice.
Creatures like the Lycanthropes would have to count their racial Hit Dice as levels, no question about it. But the Character Adjustment part? That can be handled by allowing them normal progression until their Racial Hit Dice plus their attained levels total to 20.
At that point running something with a LA doesn't mean a truncated career, doesn't deprive you of the upper end class abilities.
Whether you're running a Drow, a Pixie, a Half-Ogre or a Werewolf, these racial options were given an LA for a reason. You try to play one in a 1st level party and you'll out power the other PCs.
We can argue how effective or accurate any given LA is, and like CR the answer will vary depending on the campaign. Some templates or races do better in combat heavy campaigns, some are a definite disadvantage in RP heavy settings.
But try explaining how you could ease into being a Drow or a Pixie, how you could grow into the roll of Half Ogre or Githzeri.
You either are or you aren't, and short of completely rewriting all the races to make them more Human, you have to accept that they aren't Human, that they have advantages and disadvantages that have to be accounted for somehow.
Currently, that's done through LA.
You want to fix the LA system though? Here's a simple solution: Bump the point at which someone goes Epic. Allow normal class development for 20 class levels and/or hit dice.
Creatures like the Lycanthropes would have to count their racial Hit Dice as levels, no question about it. But the Character Adjustment part? That can be handled by allowing them normal progression until their Racial Hit Dice plus their attained levels total to 20.
At that point running something with a LA doesn't mean a truncated career, doesn't deprive you of the upper end class abilities.
