Templates...how do you feel

[Axiomatic Unicorn]

I gave a bit of thought to just converting the races directly to templates as is, and then making them be +2 ECL.

But it just has not been enough of a priority for me to sit and figure if that works or not.

 

[arwink]

I play a half-dragon, and while the advantages are great, the drawbacks are many. Template creatures probably aren't worth playing if you intend to multi-class: you end up being way below the power level of other party members. (not that I'm complaining mind you, I still love the character, he's just never going to be a powerhouse).

As a Dm I use every template I can get my hands on, and I'm always impressed when I see template creatures creatively used.

At present i'm working out the stats for my party's new nemisis: half-black dragon, half beholder. One of those combinations I just couldn't resist

Arwink

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I play a half-dragon, and while the advantages are great, the drawbacks are many. Template creatures probably aren't worth playing if you intend to multi-class: you end up being way below the power level of other party members. (not that I'm complaining mind you, I still love the character, he's just never going to be a powerhouse).

Sir Osis sips from flagon, "not poisoned my lord"
"but, anyway, as we were discussing I would say a Half-dragon is a most fearsome beast. And would be very disrupting to the people livin' around it. In fact the thought of encountering one makes me want to vomit and wet myself."
"what with their fearsome breath weapon, incredible strength and fortitude, I say many a knight of the realm would fear them as well."

 

[Victim]

It's hard to fear a 1/2 dragon paladin with the aura of courage power. You would be afraid, except for the +4 bonus they grant.

Once upon a time, there was a 3rd level 1/2 celestial monk in a level 6 group. He didn't have enough HP, and was less effective than the fighter. Of course, he stopped showing up, so I couldn't see how well the template scaled with levels.

If a 1/2 celestial or dragon joins a level 4 game, they'd be almost unplayably fragile. 1st level HP against 4th level threat. :shiver

 

[Vymair]

Templates

In the campaign, I play in, the DM has made all elves have either the Celestial template (for Gray, Wood, Wild) or Fiendish (the Drow).

So we have had several templated elves. One died, one dropped his character and one is going strong.

The way he handles the Celestial template is that it ends up ECL +2.

The first ECL is applied at 4th and the 2nd one at 7th.

It works quite well and it definitely gives a mystical quality to the elves in his world...

 

[Ravellion]

Half Dragon Breath Weapon... YUCK!

No templates for my PC's, but I'll use them on my monsters gladly

Rav

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Bump!

 

[Desdichado]

Sorry for the delay: they're in here somewhere, in either the setting info or the rules info -- can't remember. I also created a rather bland half-dwarf (but since the half-elf is somewhat bland too, maybe that's appropriate.)

Faerytale setting

 

[Desdichado]

OK, here's the specific page. Because of the setting they were developed for, they have different names than what you would expect them to have in a standard campaign setting, but they should be easy enough to figure out (if you read the stuff up at the top of the page, that is.) All should also be, I believe, ECL +1, but I haven't done the math to figure that out definitively.

 

[Numion]

IMC templates are reserved for NPCs and mosnters. Tieflings and aasimars are already open for players, why not use those?

I'd be tempted to kick out a player from my group for just asking to play a vampire