Need new ECL workaround!!!!

[Impeesa]

In our campaign, the DM (at my recommendation) went with the UA rules for buying off ECL with XP. Basically, you pay xp equal to 1000 * (current ECL - 1), and then reduce your LA by one. There are limits to what levels one can do this at, but that's the gist of it. We're finding it works okay so far - I just hit level 4 (3) and bought off my +1 ECL. Of course, the drow in the party started off at +1 ECL with no SR, and intends to gain that later...

--Impeesa--

 

[Li Shenron]

Another house rule to consider in order to lessen the effect of LA is to use only HD (racial+class) instead of ECL at all for the purpose of Xp needed to the next level. This way you gradually reduce the starting offset until the effect of LA disappears completely at high level. You still use LA at character creation to balance with the other PCs of course.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I'm not a big fan of LA either.

Have used the everyone or no-one approach before - all players got (IIRC) 4 levels of LA to make weird monster PCs - couldn't use them for anything else - which kind of worked.


Like Planesdragon said: I really like the Arcana Unearthed approach of turning races into 'prestige classes'. It tones down the weakness problems - most of which, IME, stem from a lack of Hit Dice/caster levels/etc.

Here are the normal core races - they're some food for thought, although no drow!

http://www.montecook.com/arch_stuff48.html

One minor 'bug' with them for me is that some of the races have '+1 caster level' which can be annoying for non spellcasting PCs. We 'fixed' this by allowing them to stack with a caster level of 0 - i.e. you get some casting ability in the class of your choice.


Don't own it, but I think Savage Species has already done the drow with this sort of progression.

 

[ScottDM]

Another house rule to consider in order to lessen the effect of LA is to use only HD (racial+class) instead of ECL at all for the purpose of Xp needed to the next level. This way you gradually reduce the starting offset until the effect of LA disappears completely at high level. You still use LA at character creation to balance with the other PCs of course.

Thanks Li, I think thats about the best Idea I've heard so far. Making up the difference wouldn't be so hard for the PC to do. So the teifling joining my FR campaign would start a level lower then I would start someone with no ECL (which would be a level lower then party average) so, two levels lower for the teifling.