Soldarin
First Post
This is a suggestion to fine-tune the SS method. Comments are welcome.
Soldarin
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Modified Savage Species Level Adjustment (LA) determination
Unbalanced Ability Scores
Determine the saldo of racial ability modifiers, counting physical stats as twice as powerful as mental stats. STR, DEX and CON count as +0.2 LA for every +1. INT, WIS and CHA count as +0.1 level for every +1. Penalties work the same with a minus instead of a plus.
{at low bonuses, ie a single +2 to a physical stat, this will add less than the SS method, and at higher bonuses, exceeding +10 to physical stats, it will add more than the SS method}
Size
I suggest you do not modify LA based on size (not even the –1 for being Small).
{Attack and AC modifiers seems to balance out the differing speed and grapple effects. Differing Strength scores are taken into account via Unbalanced Ability Scores}
Natural Armor Bonus
Natural armor and/or deflection bonuses add +1 LA per 5 points.
Natural armor or deflection bonus to AC adds +0.2 LA per +1 bonus.
{this way a +6 is easier to assign an LA cost to}
Speed
A swim speed adds +0.2 LA (+0.5 LA in campaigns where a lot of water is encountered).
A climb speed adds +0.5 LA (far less useful than burrowing)
A burrow speed adds +1 LA, due to its effectiveness in combat, and hiding and running from enemies.
A flight speed adds +1 LA if maneuverability is worse than Good, otherwise +1.5 LA is added.
{having a swim speed is a benefit, but not worth a whole +1 LA, but by allowing smaller increases it can be taken into account, anyway}
Natural Weapons
More attacks than usual due to extra arms, heads etc. Add +0.2 LA plus +0.2 per attack beyond the number of iterative attacks a fighter of the creature’s (monster) HD would have had. For example a 4 hd monster with 2 attacks would get a +0.4 LA , whilst the same creature with 3 attacks would get a +0.6 LA.
Natural weapons that deal more damage than a one-handed weapon for their size would (1d4 for F, D and T, 1d6 for S, 1d8 for M, 2d6 for L, 2d8 for H, 4d6 for G, 4d8 for C) add +0.2 LA per weapon in the attack routine that does so.
Reach
Reach is useful, it adds +0.5 LA for every 5 ft. beyond the first 5 ft. Creatures without reach (a reach of 0 ft.) subtract –1 LA, because this denies them the ability to make AoOs and makes melee combat very painful to them.
{+1 per 5 ft. seems too high to me}
Skills and Feats
Racial modifiers to skills not based on a feature already counted (ie size, incorporeal, spell like ability, skill ranks, movement mode) count as +0.1 LA per +1. Provisional modifiers count only for half (for example the +4 to Spot during daylight of the Giant Eagle adds +0.2 LA). Racial bonus feats add +0.2 LA per feat.
{elves would get a +1 LA using the SS method}
Special Abilities
{To be redone.}
Modifying LA by monster type
Not all HD are created equal, and many are certainly not equal to class levels. So based on the number of HD and type each race has a certain reduction in LA, or Level Adjustment Allowance (LAA). Remember that 1 HD or less races loose this HD, so count those as 0 HD.
Multiply HD with 0.5 for Constructs, Oozes, Plants and Vermin, 0.4 for Abberations, Animals, Elementals, Fey, Giants, Humanoids and Undead, 0.3 for Monstrous Humanoids, add 0.2 for Magical Beasts, add -0.2 for Dragons and Outsiders (assuming Outsiders get 8 skill points per HD, otherwise drop Outsiders to 0.2) to determine LAA.
Now subtract this number (LAA) form your LA to get the race’s definitive LA. Note that Dragons and Outsiders actually ADD their LAA to the LA, this is because their HD are actually better than normal class levels (compare to Barbarian, Fighter or Monk).
Savage Species starting ECL determination
Add the definitive LA to the number of (monster) HD to get starting ECL.
Soldarin
--------
Modified Savage Species Level Adjustment (LA) determination
Unbalanced Ability Scores
Determine the saldo of racial ability modifiers, counting physical stats as twice as powerful as mental stats. STR, DEX and CON count as +0.2 LA for every +1. INT, WIS and CHA count as +0.1 level for every +1. Penalties work the same with a minus instead of a plus.
{at low bonuses, ie a single +2 to a physical stat, this will add less than the SS method, and at higher bonuses, exceeding +10 to physical stats, it will add more than the SS method}
Size
I suggest you do not modify LA based on size (not even the –1 for being Small).
{Attack and AC modifiers seems to balance out the differing speed and grapple effects. Differing Strength scores are taken into account via Unbalanced Ability Scores}
Natural Armor Bonus
Natural armor and/or deflection bonuses add +1 LA per 5 points.
Natural armor or deflection bonus to AC adds +0.2 LA per +1 bonus.
{this way a +6 is easier to assign an LA cost to}
Speed
A swim speed adds +0.2 LA (+0.5 LA in campaigns where a lot of water is encountered).
A climb speed adds +0.5 LA (far less useful than burrowing)
A burrow speed adds +1 LA, due to its effectiveness in combat, and hiding and running from enemies.
A flight speed adds +1 LA if maneuverability is worse than Good, otherwise +1.5 LA is added.
{having a swim speed is a benefit, but not worth a whole +1 LA, but by allowing smaller increases it can be taken into account, anyway}
Natural Weapons
More attacks than usual due to extra arms, heads etc. Add +0.2 LA plus +0.2 per attack beyond the number of iterative attacks a fighter of the creature’s (monster) HD would have had. For example a 4 hd monster with 2 attacks would get a +0.4 LA , whilst the same creature with 3 attacks would get a +0.6 LA.
Natural weapons that deal more damage than a one-handed weapon for their size would (1d4 for F, D and T, 1d6 for S, 1d8 for M, 2d6 for L, 2d8 for H, 4d6 for G, 4d8 for C) add +0.2 LA per weapon in the attack routine that does so.
Reach
Reach is useful, it adds +0.5 LA for every 5 ft. beyond the first 5 ft. Creatures without reach (a reach of 0 ft.) subtract –1 LA, because this denies them the ability to make AoOs and makes melee combat very painful to them.
{+1 per 5 ft. seems too high to me}
Skills and Feats
Racial modifiers to skills not based on a feature already counted (ie size, incorporeal, spell like ability, skill ranks, movement mode) count as +0.1 LA per +1. Provisional modifiers count only for half (for example the +4 to Spot during daylight of the Giant Eagle adds +0.2 LA). Racial bonus feats add +0.2 LA per feat.
{elves would get a +1 LA using the SS method}
Special Abilities
{To be redone.}
Modifying LA by monster type
Not all HD are created equal, and many are certainly not equal to class levels. So based on the number of HD and type each race has a certain reduction in LA, or Level Adjustment Allowance (LAA). Remember that 1 HD or less races loose this HD, so count those as 0 HD.
Multiply HD with 0.5 for Constructs, Oozes, Plants and Vermin, 0.4 for Abberations, Animals, Elementals, Fey, Giants, Humanoids and Undead, 0.3 for Monstrous Humanoids, add 0.2 for Magical Beasts, add -0.2 for Dragons and Outsiders (assuming Outsiders get 8 skill points per HD, otherwise drop Outsiders to 0.2) to determine LAA.
Now subtract this number (LAA) form your LA to get the race’s definitive LA. Note that Dragons and Outsiders actually ADD their LAA to the LA, this is because their HD are actually better than normal class levels (compare to Barbarian, Fighter or Monk).
Savage Species starting ECL determination
Add the definitive LA to the number of (monster) HD to get starting ECL.
