Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Olstnormist 01-27-05, 01:01 AM	Say, through a string of unfortunate events, a player contracts lycanthropy and doesn't get the chance of curing it. Or through a separate (and equally) misfortunate turn of events, a 5th level + player becomes a vampire? Or even further down the scale of "Things that could tip the balance in a bad way" the 11th level Wizard in the party decides to go Lich? Now, aside from the alignment problems this could cause (although a player could just as easily become an afflicted wear-bear and turn Lawful Good) what is a DM to do about the fact that one person in the party just got a huge boost to their ECL through means of a template? In some cases (like the Wizard going lich) you could easily rule that you simply won't allow that because it would disrupt the campaign too much and/or be too unbalancing. But what about if the players have a random encounter with a were-tiger and one of them contracts lycanthropy and it can't be cured in time? That would be a +8 to their ECL. It would seem unfair to just say "Well sorry, you're going to have to make a new character". Might as well count lycanthropy as an instant death effect... Anyone know if there's any rulings on this in any books?
happycows 01-27-05, 01:22 AM	That just means your player won't gain class levels untill he has made up for the level adjustment.
aaron3579 01-27-05, 01:29 AM	Anyone know if there's any rulings on this in any books? DMG: Rule zero. If you don't want that stuff to happen, don't let it happen. You rule.
Greyman 01-27-05, 01:37 AM	Instead of granting the template all at once, you could always require the characters to advance using the ideas presented in ye olde Savage Progressions articals on Gaining a Template Midcampaign (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a), which was kicked off with the Vampire Template Class. Successive articals feature Half-Dragon and Wererat (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030912a), Half-Feind and Wereboar (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031010a), Feindish Creature and Werebear (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031114a), Lich and Weretiger (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031212a), and Ghost and Werewolf (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a). Unfortunately Celestial Creatures and Half-Celestial Creatures aren't covered by the articals, as Sean K. Reynolds had already published them in Malhavok Press's Anger Of Angels before being comissioned to produced Savage Progressions. However, the last two articals include some additional cool ideas for using template classes on Level adjusted races (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a) and Transitional Classes (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040319a).
Mikal 01-27-05, 01:37 AM	That just means your player won't gain class levels untill he has made up for the level adjustment. seconded. or use the savage progression for the template
Olstnormist 01-27-05, 02:12 AM	Thanks Greyman, just the kind of information I was looking for.