NPC Classes and Level Adjustments

[Raven Crowking]

I am considering allowing PCs to take NPC class levels with a one-time -1 LA. This would mean that a character with a +1 LA race start the game as a warrior to cancel her LA.

My thinking is to divide the core (not prestige) classes into Secular, Divine, and Occult classes. Because I have a fairly low-magic setting with lots of deities, I was thinking of adding a +1 LA to any character who takes one or more levels in an Occult class. Divine magic is "cheaper" but you require the goodwill of your patron(s).

(Unlike core d20, you need a deity willing and capable to grant your spells of any given level...they do not just come from a nebulous "somewhere"!)

I am also thinking of requiring certain classes to have a prerequisite feat...particularly Barbarian and Sorcerer. Barbarians would require a cultural feat, and sorcerers would require a bloodline to fuel their powers. You get these for free if you belong to certain races, or if you choose the class at 1st level.

What do you guys think? Any ideas? Comments? Refinements?

Daniel

 

[Jon Potter]

I like these concepts.

I am considering allowing PCs to take NPC class levels with a one-time -1 LA. This would mean that a character with a +1 LA race start the game as a warrior to cancel her LA.

Green Ronin present just such an option in their "Aasimar & Teifling" book. Just a sidebar, really; not much more than you've said here. But I liked it there, too and plan to offer such an option next time a new character enters the campaign.

I am also thinking of requiring certain classes to have a prerequisite feat...particularly Barbarian and Sorcerer. Barbarians would require a cultural feat, and sorcerers would require a bloodline to fuel their powers. You get these for free if you belong to certain races, or if you choose the class at 1st level.

Another concept that I plan to implement (although it'll have to wait until my next campaign). I'll be using the Tribal/Totem Focus feats from "Heroes of High Favor: Half-Orcs" and the Bloodlines from Unearthed Arcana. I may use the variant barbarians from UA, too; there is some overlap between them and the HoHF book.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Does it seem odd to anyone else that some classes (ie, Sorcerer) claim that their powers are usually indicated around puberty, yet they multiclass like any other class?

 

[Jon Potter]

Does it seem odd to anyone else that some classes (ie, Sorcerer) claim that their powers are usually indicated around puberty, yet they multiclass like any other class?

Well, I don't think that the sorcerer HAS to get his power at puberty any more than he HAS to have dragon blood. That's just a generalization offered in the class write-up. I see no reason to limit the possibility of latent magical talent manifesting later in a character's career, especially if you can tie it to some in-game event (taking a jaunt to another plane, being exposed to some nasty artifact, being bitten by a radioactive spider - that kind of thing).

I think that Mongoose's "Quintessential Sorcerer" contained rules for starting sorcerers who manifest their powers as children. Now THAT's an interesting concept, IMO.

Sadly, I don't own Quint Sorcerer.