Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MasterOfPsychic 07-19-05, 09:50 AM	Why do the Blues from the XPH have a level adjstment of +1? Let's look in to their abillities: - -2 Strengh, -2 Charisma, +2 Intelligence, seems like the worst trade of the year, I mean +2 int/-2 cha would be a fair trade, +2 int/-2 str would be one to... but +2 int/-2 cha/-2 str is extremely BAD! So this does not add up to level adjustment - Small size, does not add to LA as it has it's own weaknesses and strengths - Base speed 30 ft... sure this is good, beeing a small creature with 30 speed but this alone does not give LA +1, it's just one good abillity... - Darkvision - Naturaly Psionic... one more minor good abillity.... works well in level 1 and 2, and helps if you want to be a non-psionic blue taking psionic feats/PrC, but with their low STR and small size, they are not that good fighters... - Racial skills: +4 move silently and ride.... Let's compare this to a dwarf (LA 0): - The dwarfs have a better abillty excange. +2 con for -2 cha, con is about as important to a dwarf as int is to a Blue. The only difference is that dwarfs don't have -2 str... - Size does not add to LA as it has both positive and negative sides... - Blues have a great speed, dwarfs have 20 speed, depite beeing medium sized... but dwarfs allmost always wear heavy armor, and would thus have a speed of 20 even if they originaly had 30 feet. This is one of the good things about the blue - Darkvision... Both dwarf and blue has it... - Naturaly psionic is almost as good as having the feat wild talent, only wild talent gives +2 PP instead of 1. But you can still say that they get a free feat. And the dwarves get Exotic Weapon Prof. Dwarven Waraxe and dwarven urgroshes, 2 free feats for them to... 75 % of a feat or 2 feats, which one is better? DWARF! - Racial skills: +8 Skill points is sure good, but the dwarfs get stonecunning which it worth at least +2 skillpoints (+2 to search AND auto search), stbility bonus of +4 which is worth quite a few skillpoints, +2 to all apraise AND craft checks aplying to sone and metal... I'd call for a draw on this one... But what about the dwarfs +2 saves VS spells AND poison, +4 dode vs giants, and +1 to hit against orcs and goblonids? I'd say that the +0 LA dwarf is WAY better than the +1 LA blue... So why do the blue have +1 LA?
A Man In Black 07-19-05, 10:00 AM	Because they're better than goblins, and goblins are +0. Your game won't be unbalanced by allowing LA +0 Blues.
MasterOfPsychic 07-19-05, 10:04 AM	Hehe, so in theory dwarfs are LA +2, as they are stronger than Blues? Just kidding, I understand the logic, but I don't find it logical....
Feathercircle 07-19-05, 05:51 PM	Actually, Small size (ESPECIALLY if you still get a 30-foot move), is a definite benefit. You have reduced carrying capacity, but you get a bonus to both attack rolls and AC- it's certainly not worth a full level of ECL on its own, but it's not exactly worthless, either. That being said, the ECL Calculator (http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/shadows/Handbook/ECLcalc.html) that I've found tends to give the most accurate results pegs blues at about ECL .4 (vs dwarfs at about ECL .7 or .8 and humans at about .4). In general, I tend to prefer to double-check WotC-given ECLs... I seem to recall an actual staff member being quoted as saying that ECLs for non-standard races tend to skew slightly higher than they ought to be to discourage people from playing monster characters. In any case, I have yet to have a significant balance problem with any ECL from Soldarin's tool, for what that's worth. The best test, of course, is always to see how well it holds up in-game and tweak it up or down accordingly.
EvilDuck 07-19-05, 06:02 PM	Because they're better than goblins, and goblins are +0. Your game won't be unbalanced by allowing LA +0 Blues. And goblins are too weak for their LA because WotCwanted to keep the goblinoids and kobolds as expendable PC fodder who could never, ever be a PC because they're too evil. Stupid WotC...
was_fired 07-19-05, 06:03 PM	Dwarves arn't a +2, but they are stronger than any other core race at +0, and wouldn't be weak even at +1.
The Vorpal Tribble 07-19-05, 06:04 PM	This has been an argument like 5 times over on the Psionics Forum. Just go over there and look around and you'll probably find 5 pages full of answers. (However, I agree, +1 is dumb.)
runestar 07-19-05, 10:54 PM	But if you look at the sample blue entry, it has a LA of 0. So with some proper fudging.....
Manyfist 07-19-05, 10:59 PM	But if you look at the sample blue entry, it has a LA of 0. So with some proper fudging..... Look at the errta. They said that was a typo. LA:+0 Blue is what they should of been. Not some wimpy La:+1.
pawsplay 07-27-05, 08:08 AM	My errata does not say that.
LordofNightmares 07-27-05, 12:06 PM	Pawsplay, have you checked the most recent eratta? I'm not a fan og Psi, so I have not read it, but in general I trust Manyfist. And if its not in the Eratta, it probabally should be.
pawsplay 07-28-05, 03:04 PM	Yes, I've checked it. If it's there, I'm missing it.