How to treat LAs in Gestalt [Archive] - Wizards Community

How to treat LAs in Gestalt [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Aelstrom
04-27-07, 10:21 AM I'm going to be joining a new campaign when my DM gets back from school. He's going to be running Savage Tides and has decided to let us PCs be Gestalt, since there's only 3 of us. We continue to pester him about how he's going to handle level adjustments, whether they count on one side or if they apply to both sides, but he's not sure how he wants to handle them, since he's never run gestalt before.

What's the general consensus on how LAs should be handled? I think they should only count on one side, but I'm more lenient on these types of rulings.
ppirilla
04-27-07, 04:07 PM in the past, I've also seen cut LA in half then count it on both sides.
Luis_Dragunov
04-27-07, 04:54 PM I don't see why it should be altered. If everyone in the party is gestalt, then the Level Adjustments are as normal: that way, everyone is balanced.
SD
04-28-07, 01:26 AM I feel that level adjustments should count for both sides; doing otherwise defeats every single point behind level adjustment at all ever. However, if all your level adjustments are going to be behind you at the start of the campaign, I can understand and would probably be fine with the divide-in-half method.
JaronK
05-02-07, 10:41 PM If LA applies to both sides, LAs get even weaker than they already are. That hurts. On the other hand, if applied to only one side, they get overpowered very quickly.

I'd recommend applying them to both sides, but then allowing LA paydown.

JaronK
Galain_Anorien
05-02-07, 11:53 PM I made a post in Char Ops about this.

would Astra Deva ECL20 / Class 20 be unbalanced compared to Class 20/20 in anyones opinion here?

If so how does LA being applied to both sides work?

I assume LA paydown is the same as LA buyoff?
Ozzymandias
05-02-07, 11:55 PM The problem with LAs and gestalt characters is when you're attempting to apply a template or race with an odd LA. Half-dragon for example: +3 LA. Let's say we're making 5th level characters. Does this mean I get to be a 5th-lvl//2nd-lvl? Or a 3rd-lvl//4th-lvl? With something that low, it might not be a big deal. If you use LA payback, then it becomes even more moot.

The way I'm running my game is to restructure all races that have LA such that it's always an even number, then I require that that number is divided evenly between the classes. The players are starting at 4th level, so the one character with a +4 LA is a 2nd-lvl//2nd-lvl. To me, this seems easiest, most fair, and generally the best way to go.
Ozzymandias
05-02-07, 11:58 PM I made a post in Char Ops about this.

would Astra Deva ECL20 / Class 20 be unbalanced compared to Class 20/20 in anyones opinion here?

That's assuming that the Astral Deva is actually ECL 20 to begin with. I know that it says so in the creature's stat block, but there are people who disagree with LA and ECL as it currently stands. If I were in a game where we assumed those rules to be the standard, then yes, I think that a monster20//class20 would be acceptable next to a class20//class20.
Galain_Anorien
05-03-07, 12:11 AM When talking about Astral Deva i am referring to the savage species progression and advancing in it as a "racial class"? It has been as an ECL 20 creature with 12HD and a +8 LA due to increased HP and Abilities.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aelstrom 04-27-07, 10:21 AM	I'm going to be joining a new campaign when my DM gets back from school. He's going to be running Savage Tides and has decided to let us PCs be Gestalt, since there's only 3 of us. We continue to pester him about how he's going to handle level adjustments, whether they count on one side or if they apply to both sides, but he's not sure how he wants to handle them, since he's never run gestalt before. What's the general consensus on how LAs should be handled? I think they should only count on one side, but I'm more lenient on these types of rulings.
ppirilla 04-27-07, 04:07 PM	in the past, I've also seen cut LA in half then count it on both sides.
Luis_Dragunov 04-27-07, 04:54 PM	I don't see why it should be altered. If everyone in the party is gestalt, then the Level Adjustments are as normal: that way, everyone is balanced.
SD 04-28-07, 01:26 AM	I feel that level adjustments should count for both sides; doing otherwise defeats every single point behind level adjustment at all ever. However, if all your level adjustments are going to be behind you at the start of the campaign, I can understand and would probably be fine with the divide-in-half method.
JaronK 05-02-07, 10:41 PM	If LA applies to both sides, LAs get even weaker than they already are. That hurts. On the other hand, if applied to only one side, they get overpowered very quickly. I'd recommend applying them to both sides, but then allowing LA paydown. JaronK
Galain_Anorien 05-02-07, 11:53 PM	I made a post in Char Ops about this. would Astra Deva ECL20 / Class 20 be unbalanced compared to Class 20/20 in anyones opinion here? If so how does LA being applied to both sides work? I assume LA paydown is the same as LA buyoff?
Ozzymandias 05-02-07, 11:55 PM	The problem with LAs and gestalt characters is when you're attempting to apply a template or race with an odd LA. Half-dragon for example: +3 LA. Let's say we're making 5th level characters. Does this mean I get to be a 5th-lvl//2nd-lvl? Or a 3rd-lvl//4th-lvl? With something that low, it might not be a big deal. If you use LA payback, then it becomes even more moot. The way I'm running my game is to restructure all races that have LA such that it's always an even number, then I require that that number is divided evenly between the classes. The players are starting at 4th level, so the one character with a +4 LA is a 2nd-lvl//2nd-lvl. To me, this seems easiest, most fair, and generally the best way to go.
Ozzymandias 05-02-07, 11:58 PM	I made a post in Char Ops about this. would Astra Deva ECL20 / Class 20 be unbalanced compared to Class 20/20 in anyones opinion here? That's assuming that the Astral Deva is actually ECL 20 to begin with. I know that it says so in the creature's stat block, but there are people who disagree with LA and ECL as it currently stands. If I were in a game where we assumed those rules to be the standard, then yes, I think that a monster20//class20 would be acceptable next to a class20//class20.
Galain_Anorien 05-03-07, 12:11 AM	When talking about Astral Deva i am referring to the savage species progression and advancing in it as a "racial class"? It has been as an ECL 20 creature with 12HD and a +8 LA due to increased HP and Abilities.