UA bloodlines, expensive - what am I missing?

[Driddle]

Maybe I'm reading the description of bloodline progression incorrectly (in recently released UA), but it looks like it's a pretty expensive proposition, experience-wise. Especially at upper levels.

What's the benefit balance?

 

[Piratecat]

It's designed to be the same thing as ECL races, but spreading your xp and hit point penalty out over a number of levels. That way you can play the equivalent of a high ECL race and not have 10 hp when everyone else is 5th lvl. The tradeoff is that your abilities arrive more gradually.

Personally I don't think I'd use it myself, but I'd allow it if a player was interested.

 

[Driddle]

It's designed to be the same thing as ECL races, but spreading your xp and hit point penalty out over a number of levels. That way you can play the equivalent of a high ECL race and not have 10 hp when everyone else is 5th lvl. The tradeoff is that your abilities arrive more gradually.

Personally I don't think I'd use it myself, but I'd allow it if a player was interested.

I s'pose. But each special ability doesn't seem to be worth the expense at its level. "I've got to spend tens of thousands of experience points for a bleepin' +2 interaction bonus for the race?!"

Yeah, I see the logic behind the progression. But most smart players are going to see anything over +3 ECL as cost-INeffecient. ... Unless, of course, the rest of the party is doing the same thing.

 

[Kemrain]

You can throw in the rules for reducing your ECL, too... So if you have a minor bloodline, you need to hit 3rd level twice, and then you just rack up the abilities. Not such a bad idea.

- Kemrain the Blooded.

 

[Storminator]

You're not spending the level to get the ticky-tacky benefits that one level gives you. You're paying off all the benefits you've ever gotten from the bloodline.

One of the interesting things about it is that you may get benefits you never pay for. If you take a minor bloodline, you need to take a level in bloodline by 12th level. If your PC dies at 8th level and you decide to make a new PC, you've gotten a couple of minor benefits for free.

PS