Padding LA [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Padding LA [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
mwbeeler
01-24-06, 08:23 AM I have added this house rule to my campaigns (ideas/suggestions/hate mail welcome), and so far it is going over pretty well with the players:

Upon receiving enough xp to raise a level, the player can instead choose a "generic monster level" to take the place of one point of LA.

Each "gml" (yeah, yeah, it's a title in progress, ok?) would grant the following:
1d4 hit points
Bonus skill points (if any) for high intel.
+1 Fort, Ref, or Will Save (player's choice) / 2 levels
Millennium
01-24-06, 08:53 AM It's an interesting thought, but I'm not sure I understand: is this a mechanism for buying back your level adjustment or something?
Ozymandias V.
01-24-06, 09:15 AM I think the idea is that you get a little more out of what is otherwise an empty level. For example, you get an extra hit die and slightly better saves.
mwbeeler
01-24-06, 10:51 AM is this a mechanism for buying back your level adjustment or something

I think the idea is that you get a little more out of what is otherwise an empty level.

Both correct :)
Millennium
01-24-06, 02:19 PM I don't understand; "empty levels" are the whole point of LA. That's the price for the monster's innate abilities. Why remove this?
mwbeeler
01-24-06, 08:47 PM Because the higher you get the more punishing those empty levels get, making your players regret their character creation choice early on. Plus you have the case of where a character acquires a template (like lycanthropy), and suddenly gets smacked with two or three points of LA. There are a few race choices (like Drow), where an ability improves with level (Spell Resistance), but for the most part, the hollow levels just push them farther and farther behind the rest of the party over time. At least this way they can bridge the hit point / skill point gap a little, and they still pay the extra xp cost.
AT-AT Assault
01-24-06, 10:15 PM Hollow Levels? I just got the UA yesterday, did the math, and figured out that unless you have a really high LA to buy off(4+) that you dont fall very far behind your party ie: 16000 behind for +2, 39000 for +3, etc. But I do see that levels below 20 this is a big impact(as you would technically still be a level or maybe 2 behind), but by around level 30 or so your non LA friends are needing a lot of XP to level, so you're no longer a few levels behind, just some XP behind. But it looks like a good idea, though a lot of 2+ templates usually have +'s to Con and Int, so this bonuses will actually make up for and surpass the level gap as the character gains levels.

How about Generic Character(or Creature) Level?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
mwbeeler 01-24-06, 08:23 AM	I have added this house rule to my campaigns (ideas/suggestions/hate mail welcome), and so far it is going over pretty well with the players: Upon receiving enough xp to raise a level, the player can instead choose a "generic monster level" to take the place of one point of LA. Each "gml" (yeah, yeah, it's a title in progress, ok?) would grant the following: 1d4 hit points Bonus skill points (if any) for high intel. +1 Fort, Ref, or Will Save (player's choice) / 2 levels
Millennium 01-24-06, 08:53 AM	It's an interesting thought, but I'm not sure I understand: is this a mechanism for buying back your level adjustment or something?
Ozymandias V. 01-24-06, 09:15 AM	I think the idea is that you get a little more out of what is otherwise an empty level. For example, you get an extra hit die and slightly better saves.
mwbeeler 01-24-06, 10:51 AM	is this a mechanism for buying back your level adjustment or something I think the idea is that you get a little more out of what is otherwise an empty level. Both correct :)
Millennium 01-24-06, 02:19 PM	I don't understand; "empty levels" are the whole point of LA. That's the price for the monster's innate abilities. Why remove this?
mwbeeler 01-24-06, 08:47 PM	Because the higher you get the more punishing those empty levels get, making your players regret their character creation choice early on. Plus you have the case of where a character acquires a template (like lycanthropy), and suddenly gets smacked with two or three points of LA. There are a few race choices (like Drow), where an ability improves with level (Spell Resistance), but for the most part, the hollow levels just push them farther and farther behind the rest of the party over time. At least this way they can bridge the hit point / skill point gap a little, and they still pay the extra xp cost.
AT-AT Assault 01-24-06, 10:15 PM	Hollow Levels? I just got the UA yesterday, did the math, and figured out that unless you have a really high LA to buy off(4+) that you dont fall very far behind your party ie: 16000 behind for +2, 39000 for +3, etc. But I do see that levels below 20 this is a big impact(as you would technically still be a level or maybe 2 behind), but by around level 30 or so your non LA friends are needing a lot of XP to level, so you're no longer a few levels behind, just some XP behind. But it looks like a good idea, though a lot of 2+ templates usually have +'s to Con and Int, so this bonuses will actually make up for and surpass the level gap as the character gains levels. How about Generic Character(or Creature) Level?