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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ruleslawyer" data-source="post: 1253530" data-attributes="member: 1757">Basing it on ECL makes plenty of sense. First off, I fail to understand how your example has anything to do with game balance. What you're stating is that some character concepts are more viable than others; that has nothing to do with the fact that individual game concepts need to be balanced. A half-orc is a worse sorcerer than an aasimar, but a better barbarian. That's the balance. As far as "mak[ing] sense" goes: Well, from a conceptual viewpoint, VoP is probably better based on what you sacrifice than on what your character level is. From the sacrifice perspective, an ECL 12 character sacrifices a constant amoung of wealth in a campaign run according to the DMG wealth-by-level guidelines, regardless of his LA; thus, there's no reason why he shouldn't receive the same benefits regardless of its LA. Conversely, from a balance perspective, an ECL 12 character faces precisely the same kinds of challenges regardless of his LA; thus, the power he needs is the same. Basing VoP benefits on character level irrespective of ECL thus doesn't "make sense" either from a balance perspective or a thematic perspective. Instead, you're trying to base the benefits on character level, which is just as arbitrary a concept in-game as is ECL, without providing either an in-game OR game balance justification. Doesn't really work.</blockquote>