Starting PCs with ECL?

[Nightchill]

Sorry if this has been answered before, I did scroll back through all 26 pages but couldn't find anything specific on it

So the quick question, if a PC wants to play a race with a + ECL, and it's a new campaign (so level 1), how can it be handled?

 

[Crothian]

Well, he'll be more powerful then the rest of the group, and he'll gain levels slower.

 

[Nightchill]

Hmm, you don't feel it'll unbalance the group for the first 2 levels? Or that it might detract from the initial experiences of the new players as they rely on the +ecl player too much?

 

[Crothian]

Hmm, you don't feel it'll unbalance the group for the first 2 levels? Or that it might detract from the initial experiences of the new players as they rely on the +ecl player too much?

He'll be more powerful. Personally, I've yet to allow a race with an ecl. Not that I've ever had someone ask to play one.

Can it be done? As long as the ecl is only +1 or +2, yes. Just make things a little mor echallenging.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

This came up in my group just the other day. We are starting a new campaign with a new DM (one of the players; and I finally get to play my first 3e character!!). It will begin at first level. One of the players wanted to play a drow ranger (I know, I know), but he could not because of the +2 ECL for drow.

My advice is either start the others at 3rd level or tell him that only races with +0 ECL are allowed at the present time. If you start the others at 3rd level, remember that he starts with 3000 XP and he is still only 1st level, with 1st level hit points, etc.

 

[Quidam]

ECL & HP

I play a nioman character who's yet to buy off his negative levels and I do have this to add re: ECL- facing CR3 monsters with lvl 1 hit points means you spend a lot of time unconscious on the floor. So, while the ECL char's have an advantage to begin with, they are (and always will be) that many HD behind. Better have a decent Con- hope you don't play a spellcaster!

In my campaigns, I'm going to make a single house rule re: ECL. You get hit dice for the levels- this way a second level drow whatever's got four hit dice- not two. If you're starting a level 1 campaign and there's an ECL PC in it, they get 1HD until they start 'buying off' their ECL. By the time they're even, they've got HP appropriate to their ECL.

 

[Illuminae]

MY EXPERIENCE

Were playing a group with two humans (I am one of´em) a gnome and a pixie

we started at first level, now were on our way to 4th and the pixie is still at first

were all happy about it
i even do more damage than the pixie (with all those racial ranged feats)

no problem for anybody

by the way what is the ECL of pixie on that dragon magazine article?

 

[Nightchill]

A nice point, I wonder if something similar was intended originally.

 

[Nightchill]

Pixies

In the Dragon article they're listed as ECL +5 without Dance, ECL +7 with Dance.

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

You could force them to be a lvl 0 charachter, with the abilities of one of a dual class, and then hit lvl one @ 2nd lvl.