Quick question about ECL

[Trellian]

If you play a 10th lvl drow, do you begin with money as a 10th or 12th level character?

 

[LokiDR]

According to the FRCS, 12th.

 

[kreynolds]

What Loki said.

 

[dcollins]

I'll mention that according to the core rules, it's 10th (see DMG p. 24, paragraph 3). I personally believe that's the more balanced ruling.

 

[Artoomis]

I'll mention that according to the core rules, it's 10th (see DMG p. 24, paragraph 3). I personally believe that's the more balanced ruling.

The FRCS ruling of 12th is actually more balanced - at least if you assume the ECL system is balanced. The character is 12th level, after all, even if two of the levels are ECL levels.

If they had to start at 10th level money and the rest of the party was at 12th level money, they'd be less powerful for sure.

 

[LokiDR]

If you want to know what is more balanced, that is much different question.

I will say that an ECL modifier means an adjustment to the character level. Character level determines wealth. This is major reason I agree with the FRCS.

 

[Pax]

Actually, before I can weigh in with an answer ... I have to ask:

Is this a Drow with 10 character levels, in a 12th-level game?

Or is it a Drow in a 10th-level game (where he should only have EIGHT character levels) ... ?

...

The Drow should begin with exactly as many XP and GP as a nondrow built for the same level in the same game.

 

[Dreeble]

Related questions

Heya:

I've had some questions since Savage Species came out where i wanted to clarify my understanding. This seems like a good thread to quickly slip the questions in.

1) +ECL then (for example, Drow are +2 ECL) means the same thing as LA now, right?
2) Since Half-Ogres are +1 LA creatures with 1HD, then a 1st lvl Half-Ogre Barbarian is (supposedly) balanced with a 2nd lvl Human Fighter (or whatever), right? I only mean here that if a campaign started assuming 2nd lvl characters, then both of these would be legal since they both have an ECL of 2 (I think).
3) For people that think Half-Ogres should have 2 Giant HD, does this mean that a campaign might need to start at 4th lvl, so that a 4th lvl Elf Wizard is roughly balanced with a 1st lvl Half-Ogre Fighter? See next question.
4) So, is ECL calculated as "(character level) + (level adjustment) + (racial HD if more than 1, zero otherwise)"?

Thanks,
Dreeble

 

[kreynolds]

Re: Related questions

1) +ECL then (for example, Drow are +2 ECL) means the same thing as LA now, right?

Level adjustment + hit die = ECL modifier. In the case of drow, correct.

2) Since Half-Ogres are +1 LA creatures with 1HD, then a 1st lvl Half-Ogre Barbarian is (supposedly) balanced with a 2nd lvl Human Fighter (or whatever), right? I only mean here that if a campaign started assuming 2nd lvl characters, then both of these would be legal since they both have an ECL of 2 (I think).

Correct.

3) For people that think Half-Ogres should have 2 Giant HD, does this mean that a campaign might need to start at 4th lvl, so that a 4th lvl Elf Wizard is roughly balanced with a 1st lvl Half-Ogre Fighter? See next question.

Correct.

4) So, is ECL calculated as "(character level) + (level adjustment) + (racial HD if more than 1, zero otherwise)"?

Yup.

 

[dcollins]

The FRCS ruling of 12th is actually more balanced - at least if you assume the ECL system is balanced. The character is 12th level, after all, even if two of the levels are ECL levels.

I disagree. The problem with that is that determining ECL is then a recursive process. ECL attempts to measure character power; but by virtue of assigning ECL you add equipment to the character and increase their power. For which you should increase ECL, etc., etc.

Far better to base ECL on "how many class levels are these abilities worth, including their normal equipment?"