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Do You Play Characters With Level Adjustment?

   
Do You Play Characters With Level Adjustment?

I know that many people are against level adjustment because it make characters weaker or whatever the case may be. But this is a question for everybody, Do you play characters with Level Adjustment. If so, what are your experience playing characters with level adjustment?

If the character creation rules allow for it and I can think of a cool concept for it, sure. But, usually I tend to play using the core races (mostly because most games only allow for the core races and maybe lesser versions of the plane-touched races).

The one time I ever played a character with level adjustment, I didn't actually use it correctly; I didn't count hit dice into ECL, just the LA. It still wasn't that strong a character, sadly.

I do spend a lot of time thinking about how to 'fix' level adjustment, though; I mean, less levels mean less hit dice, less skill points and lower max skill rank, less feats, weaker saves and BaB, lower caster level and less spells. Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom and Charisma improve your stats linearly and so only offset the effects of lost levels, while Constitution and Intelligence have multiplied-by-levels benefits and so are greatly weakened by less levels. The only things that might be fairly certain to get a net raise are AC, melee damage, and spell save DC.

Mm...though now I think about it, having a rule against 'no LA greater than half your ECL', using ability scores to offset lost level benefits and having racial features make up for lost class features could still work.
Hey, is there a rule that you HAVE to have the monster hit dice on some of these creatures? Or can you play centaurs with no racial HD?

If the rules allow for buy-off in a game that starts at 5th level or higher, I will strongly consider using LA if I am not playing a primary caster. If I am playing a primary caster, I am significantly less likely to use something with LA.

Simply put, unlocking your class features and feats is a usually a much better gain than some stat bonuses and piddly abilities. Spellcasting will almost always be better at the highest level possible. Gishes and classes with minimal casting, like Ranger, don't care as much.

And the other problem is that many things are overpriced for what they give (Vampire) or aren't really worth it (many lesser-known splat races). There're a few shenanigans you can pull (Magic-Blooded Draconic Lesser Aasimar. +6 Charisma for +1 LA), but you just don't need them.

I have played the above-mentioned combination, as well as some Evolved Undead. They were fun to play not because of the templates, but because the characters themselves were fun. Jester/Swiftblade is pretty much "Veradux in 3.5" in a nutshell. And the Evolved undead was in a game where the DM gave everyone +2 LA for free. Man, I wish that game didn't die. We were all classic Haloween monsters. I was a Skeleton Swashbuckler, there was a Mummy, a Werewolf...

Basically, if your DM allows permissive use of LA or even outright free LA, go for it. If you can buy off your LA at the start of the game, definitely consider it.
Otherwise, it's probably not worth the time.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Avaday Daydream View Post
Hey, is there a rule that you HAVE to have the monster hit dice on some of these creatures? Or can you play centaurs with no racial HD?
Yes and yes. I know this is confusing, but bear with me.

You do have to take the racial Hit Dice if they're present. No way around this, you absolutely must.

However, what you can do is level drain them away. This is rather cheesy, and most DM's will flat-out deny it, but it works. Get hit with negative levels equal to your HD-1 and fail the saves after 24 hours so the level loss becomes real. Now you're a 1HD creature. Taking a level in a class substitutes your 1 racial HD for that class level and there you go. It is possible to play a Centaur with 18 class levels as an ECL 20 character. 20 levels if LA Buyoff is allowed.

I've never played a character with LA, much of a drow fan as I amthe one time i've seen it in action, it did not seem to disrupt things too much, the Goliath barbarian did not suffer too much from being a level behind everybody and did grow up to become a frienzied berserker and a liability to the group.

I care less about the stats for my characters and more about the flavor of the concept, so I'll play with LAs when I have a good concept for a class that has one.

Sure if the character concept fits. Just because a class and race combination is not the optimal combination. Doesn't a character can't be perfectly functional or competent in their role, even without any LA buyoff or other shenanigans to get away with no paying for the L.A.

Yep.
Played a Minotaur fighter raised by dwarves.
Don't recall just how long I played him, but it must have been a year or two.
Kind of goofy good guy character, but with a messed up background and family.

Optimized? Not really. Fun? Definitely.

I love minotaurs, but the one I played was in D&D4, where they were a normal race distinct from their monstrous cousins.
A basic awe wielding barbarianin a black sun setting.. he was great fun, because he disliked to fight, being a former gladiator.
try and see a minotaur, with dumped charisma try and play diplomat... he ended up doing a lot of what he did best




 

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