UA - Bloodlines

[Gilwen]

Does a 20th level character with a major bloodline have the same amount of experience as a 23rd level character with out a bloodline or is the XP spent leveling in the bloodline forgotten about; effectively giving the 20th level major bloodline character the same xp as a 20th level non bloodline character?

A new player in my group asked me this quesiton. I think it's the first option but he thinks it's the second. I have loaned my book out so I can't look up the answer so I am turning to the forums here for an answer

Thanks,


Gilwen

 

[Mouseferatu]

Bloodline levels count as regular levels in terms of advancement, XP-wise. A 20th-level fighter, and a 17th-level fighter with 3 bloodline levels, have spent the same XP. (And neither can advance any furthre unless you're using Epic rules.)

 

[Gilwen]

Bloodline levels count as regular levels in terms of advancement, XP-wise. A 20th-level fighter, and a 17th-level fighter with 3 bloodline levels, have spent the same XP. (And neither can advance any furthre unless you're using Epic rules.)

Thanks!

Gil

 

[BSF]

I don't recall if the book covers it, but for my game I would probably houserule that bloodline levels don't count against Multi-classing restrcitions. I'm not sure what impact that might have in your game though.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I don't recall if the book covers it, but for my game I would probably houserule that bloodline levels don't count against Multi-classing restrcitions. I'm not sure what impact that might have in your game though.

I'm pretty sure the book states that bloodlines do not count against multi-classing restrictions.

Wouldn't really make sense if they did, anyway. It'd be like saying a half-orc is already multiclassing into orc.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

It'd be like saying a half-orc is already multiclassing into orc.

You know, with the paragon classes, they can actually do that.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

It'd be like saying a half-orc is already multiclassing into orc.

You know, with the paragon classes, they can actually do that.

 

[Li Shenron]

Bloodline levels count as regular levels in terms of advancement, XP-wise. A 20th-level fighter, and a 17th-level fighter with 3 bloodline levels, have spent the same XP. (And neither can advance any furthre unless you're using Epic rules.)

IIRC, this is mostly how it works, but perhaps it's not that simple...

A Bloodline level is like a level in a "bloodline class" which is a class with no BAB, no ST, no skill points, no HD, no features (the features granted by the bloodline are not given at bloodline levels but they are spread over 20 character levels). You are supposed to take the bloodline levels at specific levels, although there's a quirk - see below.

Even if bloodline levels are "empty" they work like real levels when calculating the XP and the max ranks in the skills. The text explicitly mention that they never give multiclassing penalties. Character level improves (they are real levels, not a level adjustment) and with it all the features based on that, like DC for special abilities.

Furthermore bloodline levels increase CASTER LEVEL for all your spellcasting classes. This is again specifically mentioned, otherwise it would not have been necessarily granted.

IMHO there is only one open issue which the text doesn't mention at all. Can you count bloodline levels for the purposes of ability increases every 4lv and feats every 3lv??? Normally those are given every 4 or 3 HD rather then levels, and since bloodlines give no HD you probably shouldn't get them as well, however I am not sure if this was intended.

 

[Laman Stahros]

IMHO there is only one open issue which the text doesn't mention at all. Can you count bloodline levels for the purposes of ability increases every 4lv and feats every 3lv??? Normally those are given every 4 or 3 HD rather then levels, and since bloodlines give no HD you probably shouldn't get them as well, however I am not sure if this was intended.

Since they count as levels for XP, I count them for ability points every 4lv and feats every 3lv. If I didn't, my players would have a fit .

 

[Li Shenron]

Since they count as levels for XP, I count them for ability points every 4lv and feats every 3lv. If I didn't, my players would have a fit .

Well, also a Level Adjustment from race count as levels for XP but that doesn't grant you feats and ability increases, which are usually based on HD instead.

But as I said in the previous post, Bloodline levels are something in-between class levels and LA, the work like class levels for some purposes and LA for others. They SHOULD have mentioned in UA what happens to feats and ability increases, but eventually the author must have overlooked the fact.