Unearthed Arcana Variant Rules - Previews and Questions

[Tarril Wolfeye]

If I might be so bold as to ask the fine gentlemen already in the posession of the book how the mechanic of paying XP in order to reduce the race LA works?

It's like this:
After earning three times as much level as your LA, you can pay an amount of XP equal to your current (ECL-1) x1000, losing a level, to reduce your LA by 1. You must now earn enough additional level equal to your new LA x3 to become eligible for the next reduction to your LA by 1. This goes on until you have reduced your LA to 0. You must buy your LA reductions as soon as they become available.
Example: a drow (LA +2) gets his reductions at character level 6 (ECL 8 - cost 7000 XP) then again at character level 9 (ECL 10 - cost 9000 XP)

 

[Heretic Apostate]

Huh. So, a LA drop is no bargain, is it? About the only thing it's good for is making sure that the character ends up at CL20 when they're ECL20, instead of (for instance) CL18 when they're ECL20...

 

[Perun]

It's like this:
After earning three times as much level as your LA, you can pay an amount of XP equal to your current (ECL-1) x1000, losing a level, to reduce your LA by 1. You must now earn enough additional level equal to your new LA x3 to become eligible for the next reduction to your LA by 1. This goes on until you have reduced your LA to 0. You must buy your LA reductions as soon as they become available.
Example: a drow (LA +2) gets his reductions at character level 6 (ECL 8 - cost 7000 XP) then again at character level 9 (ECL 10 - cost 9000 XP)

Lovely!

I know a couple of people that are going to appreciate this rule. Thanks, Tarril.

Regards.

 

[Nifelhein]

Well, being able to actually get the highest levels without needing to make use of epic level handbook might be something worthy indeed, even more for spellcasters who would be loosing too much by then.

It seems as a good rule that should see my gaming table, although I rarely start games above 1st leve, thus making a ECL race hard to get unless your character dies mid game...

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Well, being able to actually get the highest levels without needing to make use of epic level handbook might be something worthy indeed, even more for spellcasters who would be loosing too much by then.

It seems as a good rule that should see my gaming table, although I rarely start games above 1st leve, thus making a ECL race hard to get unless your character dies mid game...

You could use Racial Levels to solve that.

 

[Nifelhein]

Ys, I know... but I don't have Savage Species and my players don't go anywhere around rpg on the internet, as far as I know.

Anyway, that is a possibility and the latest one on WotC website has the Drow and many others possible character races.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Ys, I know... but I don't have Savage Species and my players don't go anywhere around rpg on the internet, as far as I know.

Anyway, that is a possibility and the latest one on WotC website has the Drow and many others possible character races.

Exactly. I've got a PC wanting to play a Tiefling in a 1st level game I'm starting, so that's going to see some use.

 

[Zappo]

Less Lethal Falls

Ok, this strikes me. Less lethal falls? In D&D a high level warrior could fall from a freakin' airplane and expect to walk away from it. Less lethal falls means that he can now fall from orbit? Maybe with a feat to resist being incinerated by attrition?

 

[thalmin]

Ok, this strikes me. Less lethal falls? In D&D a high level warrior could fall from a freakin' airplane and expect to walk away from it. Less lethal falls means that he can now fall from orbit? Maybe with a feat to resist being incinerated by attrition?

This one is in the 3.5 DMG, page 303.

 

[Buddha the DM]

It's there under the sub-heading, Bloodlines Levels, but it uses the most unusual mechanics and here is a possinly vain attempt to explain how it works.

You are required to take a phantom level of Bloodline Level before you reach a certain Character Level. I call this a phantom level because you don't gain thre benefits of a normal class: an extra hit die, improved BAB and saves, skill points etc....

What does change is that you can use these Bloodline Levels to boost any level-dependent effects of your existing classes so, if you're a Sor3/Clr3/Mnk3 with one "phantom" Bloodline Level your:

- Sor caster level is 4th (Sor3 + 1 Bloodline Level);
- Clr caster level is 4th (Clr3 + 1 Bloodline Level)l; and
- Stunning Fist ability save DC is calculated as if you were a Mnk4.

A character with a minor bloodline must take a phantom Bloodline Level at CL 12; intermediate strength bloodline requires two Bloodline Levels, one at CL 6 and one at CL 12; while a major bloodline requires three Bloodline Levels, at CL 3, CL 6 and CL 12.

If you don't take the Bloodline Level before (or at?) the character level required you lose the next batch of bloodline benefits and you suffer a 20% XP penalty until the Bloodline Level is taken.

If all of that doesn't make sense try pages 19-20 of UA instead.

Yes I know all of this from reading my copy of UA, but what is the XP cost paid? Is it treated like a regular level?