Calculating Level Adjustment [Archive] - Wizards Community

Calculating Level Adjustment [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DemonDragonJ
09-23-05, 01:47 PM This may seem like a question that a newbie would ask, but how do you calculate a creature's level adjustment? For example, a drow has a LA of +2, meaning that a 1st-level drow character has an effective character level (ECL) of 3. But how did the people who wrote the Monster Manual arrive at that decision? The reason I am asking this is because I am creating several new playable races for my campaigns, and they all are races that will have LA's high than +0, but I am uncertain as to how to calculate their LA's exactly.
weasel fierce
09-23-05, 02:42 PM Most RPG rules are done simply by assigning whatever seems right, then playing with it. For a lot of the monster types, I think it was just assigned "as seems right".

There's too many variables for any mathematical system to make sense
Archangel_James
09-23-05, 05:08 PM Level adjustment is calculated by playtesting. If you want help on figuring out the level adjustment for your own races, you can post them in the Races board. The folks there will help you out. Just remember rule number 1: If the race has a bonus to INT, WIS, or CHA, it's at least a LA +1.
Lina_Inverse
09-23-05, 06:24 PM Figure out whats approriete.by compareing to the most minmaxed single class build and how many levels you would realisticly give up.
Add 1-3 LAs ontop of that.
ieattrollsforbreakfast
09-23-05, 07:02 PM There are pretty good guidelines on how to calculate an estimate LA in Savage Species. Of course, the keywords are 'guidelines' and 'estimate'. An acid test (comparing stats with a normal character) and play test (try it out in a game) are really needed to confirm (and often, lower) that LA to its correct value.
amethal
09-23-05, 07:23 PM If the race has a bonus to INT, WIS, or CHA, it's at least a LA +1.Unless its an elf.
amethal
09-23-05, 07:28 PM Sometimes, they change their minds.

For example, the half-ogre was LA +1 in Savage Species but became LA +2 in Races of Destiny.

My impression is that they normally err on the side of caution (to discourage playing weird races) and they treat all hit dice as being equal. Thus, an outsider is as likely to have a level adjustment as a humanoid even though the benefits of the two types of racial hit dice are very different.
Archangel_James
09-23-05, 07:40 PM Unless its an elf.
Shhhh--We're trying to keep that one a secret.
ieattrollsforbreakfast
09-23-05, 07:50 PM ...they treat all hit dice as being equal. Thus, an outsider is as likely to have a level adjustment as a humanoid even though the benefits of the two types of racial hit dice are very different.

That's not exactly true. If you conduct a proper acid and/or play test having worse HD will lower the level adjustment, so if two races had exactly the same abilities but one had several outsider or dragon HD and the other humanoid HD, the humanoid would have the lower LA. Not by much, but there will be a difference. However, if you neglect the play/acid test, you will calculate the races to have the same LA.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DemonDragonJ 09-23-05, 01:47 PM	This may seem like a question that a newbie would ask, but how do you calculate a creature's level adjustment? For example, a drow has a LA of +2, meaning that a 1st-level drow character has an effective character level (ECL) of 3. But how did the people who wrote the Monster Manual arrive at that decision? The reason I am asking this is because I am creating several new playable races for my campaigns, and they all are races that will have LA's high than +0, but I am uncertain as to how to calculate their LA's exactly.
weasel fierce 09-23-05, 02:42 PM	Most RPG rules are done simply by assigning whatever seems right, then playing with it. For a lot of the monster types, I think it was just assigned "as seems right". There's too many variables for any mathematical system to make sense
Archangel_James 09-23-05, 05:08 PM	Level adjustment is calculated by playtesting. If you want help on figuring out the level adjustment for your own races, you can post them in the Races board. The folks there will help you out. Just remember rule number 1: If the race has a bonus to INT, WIS, or CHA, it's at least a LA +1.
Lina_Inverse 09-23-05, 06:24 PM	Figure out whats approriete.by compareing to the most minmaxed single class build and how many levels you would realisticly give up. Add 1-3 LAs ontop of that.
ieattrollsforbreakfast 09-23-05, 07:02 PM	There are pretty good guidelines on how to calculate an estimate LA in Savage Species. Of course, the keywords are 'guidelines' and 'estimate'. An acid test (comparing stats with a normal character) and play test (try it out in a game) are really needed to confirm (and often, lower) that LA to its correct value.
amethal 09-23-05, 07:23 PM	If the race has a bonus to INT, WIS, or CHA, it's at least a LA +1.Unless its an elf.
amethal 09-23-05, 07:28 PM	Sometimes, they change their minds. For example, the half-ogre was LA +1 in Savage Species but became LA +2 in Races of Destiny. My impression is that they normally err on the side of caution (to discourage playing weird races) and they treat all hit dice as being equal. Thus, an outsider is as likely to have a level adjustment as a humanoid even though the benefits of the two types of racial hit dice are very different.
Archangel_James 09-23-05, 07:40 PM	Unless its an elf. Shhhh--We're trying to keep that one a secret.
ieattrollsforbreakfast 09-23-05, 07:50 PM	...they treat all hit dice as being equal. Thus, an outsider is as likely to have a level adjustment as a humanoid even though the benefits of the two types of racial hit dice are very different. That's not exactly true. If you conduct a proper acid and/or play test having worse HD will lower the level adjustment, so if two races had exactly the same abilities but one had several outsider or dragon HD and the other humanoid HD, the humanoid would have the lower LA. Not by much, but there will be a difference. However, if you neglect the play/acid test, you will calculate the races to have the same LA.