ECL and buying XP [Archive] - Wizards Community

ECL and buying XP [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
cheatlord
09-14-04, 10:01 AM Hi, i have figured out the method of buying XP as presented in the UA book on pages 18-19.

It's easy to figure it out with a starting character with a starting template. But what happens when during your "carreer" you gain a template?

For exemple, as a level 6 cleric, i have 15000 xp. But at this level, i add the Saint template (BoED) to my character.
How does it work from here? I'm a 6th level character with a +2 LA, but i'm short on XP (cause a ECL 8 should have 28000 xp). Do i have to rise to 28000 xp and then apply the rules for xp buyout? That is, reduce my xp to 21000 and become a 6th cleric with +1 LA. Then i continue going up regularly until i reach 45000 (9th cleric) and then pay 9000 to go back to 36000 and become a regular 9th cleric with +0 LA?
So the biggest "drawback" would be at level 6 to reach from 15000 to 28000 and gaining no level.
Do i get it right?

Thanks!
Mac Awol
09-15-04, 04:32 AM Yeah, you would have to earn from 15000 xp to 28000 xp and gain no benefits, and then you would have to pay 7000 xp and be reduced to 21000 xp, and then earn an additional 7000 xp before you can even take a class level again, and when you have earned 45000 xp and increased your class levels to 9, you can pay the last 9000 xp to remove the level level adjustment.

You would have paid 16000 xp for that template, but basically you would have to earn 20000 xp to get from 6th level to 7th level, and 18000 xp to get from 9th level to 10th level.

The 6th to 7th level xp requirement is more than a little "speed bump" for you, off cause that's the price of gaining a template that late in game, but it could have been worse you could have gotten the template after 6th level, which would mean that you wouldn't even get the chance to "pay off" the template.

I would consider given you a 45 % xp penalty from level 6th to 9th instead, you would pay about the same amout of xp for the template, but instead of being 2 bumps in the xp road, it would just be rough country for awhile.
Arcade
09-19-04, 12:52 PM That is one way to do it. Here is how I implemented a similar situation in my campaign.

You should break the template into levels to be gained separately. In other words, make a class progression table for the 2 LA. (I don't have BoED so I don't know if it exists already).

Rise to 21000 XP and gain the 1st level of Saint. You immediately buy back that level for 6000 XP. Rise to 21000 XP again and gain the next level of Saint. You can't buy back this level since you need to wait until 9 HD to buy it back. Rise to 45000 XP and buy off the other level for 9000 XP.

This is very similar to your first idea, except that you don't get all your abilities right away and stay at a lower ECL, which means you'll gain your experience that much faster.
Greyman
09-19-04, 08:15 PM Buying back template class levels will work if you don't already have a level adjustment, but what if you do? Say the cleric is a drow who has already started buying off her +2 LA, at character level 6, then becomes eligible for sainthood?
Mac Awol
09-20-04, 04:23 AM Say the cleric is a drow who has already started buying off her +2 LA, at character level 6, then becomes eligible for sainthood?
Auuw, that is just an ugly bucket of worms to open, but...

The Cleric's Total LA at that point is 3, so he would have to buy them off acording to that, and completely ignoring the fact that he has already bought of 1 LA, since the Reducing LA rule isn't retroactive, and doesn't stat anywhere that it is.

Yes, it is abuse of the fine print, but otherwich he wouldn't be able to buy them off at all. :twitch:

So he could buy of the next LA at level 9 (which I would say should be the Last Drow LA, since he already started with that), and Saint Levels at 15th & 18th level.
:)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
cheatlord 09-14-04, 10:01 AM	Hi, i have figured out the method of buying XP as presented in the UA book on pages 18-19. It's easy to figure it out with a starting character with a starting template. But what happens when during your "carreer" you gain a template? For exemple, as a level 6 cleric, i have 15000 xp. But at this level, i add the Saint template (BoED) to my character. How does it work from here? I'm a 6th level character with a +2 LA, but i'm short on XP (cause a ECL 8 should have 28000 xp). Do i have to rise to 28000 xp and then apply the rules for xp buyout? That is, reduce my xp to 21000 and become a 6th cleric with +1 LA. Then i continue going up regularly until i reach 45000 (9th cleric) and then pay 9000 to go back to 36000 and become a regular 9th cleric with +0 LA? So the biggest "drawback" would be at level 6 to reach from 15000 to 28000 and gaining no level. Do i get it right? Thanks!
Mac Awol 09-15-04, 04:32 AM	Yeah, you would have to earn from 15000 xp to 28000 xp and gain no benefits, and then you would have to pay 7000 xp and be reduced to 21000 xp, and then earn an additional 7000 xp before you can even take a class level again, and when you have earned 45000 xp and increased your class levels to 9, you can pay the last 9000 xp to remove the level level adjustment. You would have paid 16000 xp for that template, but basically you would have to earn 20000 xp to get from 6th level to 7th level, and 18000 xp to get from 9th level to 10th level. The 6th to 7th level xp requirement is more than a little "speed bump" for you, off cause that's the price of gaining a template that late in game, but it could have been worse you could have gotten the template after 6th level, which would mean that you wouldn't even get the chance to "pay off" the template. I would consider given you a 45 % xp penalty from level 6th to 9th instead, you would pay about the same amout of xp for the template, but instead of being 2 bumps in the xp road, it would just be rough country for awhile.
Arcade 09-19-04, 12:52 PM	That is one way to do it. Here is how I implemented a similar situation in my campaign. You should break the template into levels to be gained separately. In other words, make a class progression table for the 2 LA. (I don't have BoED so I don't know if it exists already). Rise to 21000 XP and gain the 1st level of Saint. You immediately buy back that level for 6000 XP. Rise to 21000 XP again and gain the next level of Saint. You can't buy back this level since you need to wait until 9 HD to buy it back. Rise to 45000 XP and buy off the other level for 9000 XP. This is very similar to your first idea, except that you don't get all your abilities right away and stay at a lower ECL, which means you'll gain your experience that much faster.
Greyman 09-19-04, 08:15 PM	Buying back template class levels will work if you don't already have a level adjustment, but what if you do? Say the cleric is a drow who has already started buying off her +2 LA, at character level 6, then becomes eligible for sainthood?
Mac Awol 09-20-04, 04:23 AM	Say the cleric is a drow who has already started buying off her +2 LA, at character level 6, then becomes eligible for sainthood? Auuw, that is just an ugly bucket of worms to open, but... The Cleric's Total LA at that point is 3, so he would have to buy them off acording to that, and completely ignoring the fact that he has already bought of 1 LA, since the Reducing LA rule isn't retroactive, and doesn't stat anywhere that it is. Yes, it is abuse of the fine print, but otherwich he wouldn't be able to buy them off at all. :twitch: So he could buy of the next LA at level 9 (which I would say should be the Last Drow LA, since he already started with that), and Saint Levels at 15th & 18th level. :)