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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 1:37PM
#1
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Date Joined:
Sep 21, 2005
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Templates are quite common in any d&d format you play, even in core. But can they really take your character to the next level? With the introduction of the level adjustment buyoff in unearthed arcana, optimization is possible. This is a general guide to templates and classes that benefit most from them. Note: This is under construction. Help me out with links, builds, strategies and anything you can think of that would prove useful.
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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 1:40PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Sep 21, 2005
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Level Adjustment:
Certain monsters can used as the basis for interesting, viable player characters. These creatures have a level
adjustment entry, which is a number that is added to the creature’s total Hit Dice to arrive at its effective character level. A creature with multiple special abilities is more powerful as a player character than its Hit Dice alone would indicate. For example, a drow elf has spell resistance, bonuses to its ability scores, and spell-like abilities. Its level adjustment of +2 indicates that a 1st-level drow wizard is the equivalent of a 3rd-level character.
Level adjustment is not the same thing as an adjustment to a creature’s Challenge Rating because of some special qualities it possesses. Challenge Rating reflects how difficult an opponent is to fight in a limited number of encounters. Level adjustment shows how powerful a creature is as a player character or cohort in campaign play. For instance, a drow receives a +1 adjustment to its Challenge Rating to account for its special abilities, indicating that it’s tougher in a fight than its Hit Dice would suggest, but its level adjustment is +2 to balance its abilities over long-term play.
Reducing Level Adjustment:
When a character with a level adjustment advances in experience, the level adjustment he started with becomes more and more of a burden. Eventually, the benefits of the creature type may come to be eclipsed by those of his class features, and the player may regret his choice of race. Under this variant system, the character can pay an XP cost at certain intervals to decrease the burden of his level adjustment.
Once the total of a character's class levels (not including any Hit Dice from his creature type or his level adjustment) reaches three times his level adjustment, his level adjustment is eligible to be decreased by 1.
For instance, a gnoll's level adjustment is +1. When a gnoll character gains his third class level (remember, the gnoll's 2 starting Hit Dice don't count), he can pay an XP cost to reduce his level adjustment to +0.
If the level adjustment is greater than +1, this process repeats until the creature's level adjustment reaches +0. Each time, use the creature's current level adjustment to determine the point at which the level adjustment can go down by 1. For example, a drow (level adjustment +2) may drop to level adjustment +1 after gaining her sixth class level, and then to +0 after gaining an additional three class levels.
Experience Point Cost:
Each time a character's level adjustment is eligible to be reduced, the character may pay an XP cost to take advantage of the reduction. The character must pay an amount of XP equal to (his current ECL -1)
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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 1:41PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Sep 21, 2005
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Experience is a river thread introduced a great way to abuse experience mechanics by nearly any character in the d&d world. The Unearthed Arcana supplement introduced the mechanics of level adjustment buyoff, the option to pay XP to reduce your level adjustment. Why is Level Adjustment Bad?
- It doesn't protect you from effects related to hit dice (like dictum, holy word).
- You don't gain hit points for having level adjustment and some templates/races even reduce your hit point total (those that reduce your constitution score).
- You don't gain any skill points, BAB, saves, feats and everything related to HD.
With level adjustment buyoff however, i would say that taking a template or race with level adjustment is mandatory. That is, as presented in the experience is a river thread above, because you are eventually going to catch up in levels (and staying behind in level is invaluable for an item crafter). At this point you should note that i am not suggesting pilling ridiculous amount of LA, just the usual one or two and rarely those with three. This is an example of a +1 level adjustment buyoff. See how quickly you recover from the lost XP:
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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 1:42PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Sep 21, 2005
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+0 Level Adjustment:+1 Level Adjustment:
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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 1:56PM
#5
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Date Joined:
Sep 21, 2005
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Shameless copy from Surreal's Handy Links for CO Work.
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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 2:32PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Apr 26, 2007
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The dread necromancer handbookhas a few to help charisma, this has some good ideas for casters with +2 LA linky, besides that the only semi helpfull thing is Polymorph any object to get templates for a small cost can be put under LA section though it is highly cheasy. I only personnaly know two DMs who would let me do it with out calling on the wrath of the gods. Oh yeah and thanks for making this Hand Book I don't think it has ever been done before and will be very usefull.
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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 2:39PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jul 27, 2006
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You definitely need a link to the crystalkeep template page ...
Draconic is very nice for LA +1. Three stat bonuses plus various other benefits. Magic-Blooded (3.0) gives +2 cha, -2 wis, various other benefits, all for +0 LA. Half-Pixie is of course strong.
Those are what I've got off the top of my head.
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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 2:52PM
#8
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Date Joined:
May 11, 2004
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 nice thread to get on board with :D
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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 2:55PM
#9
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Date Joined:
May 11, 2004
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to help out..try these: Phrenic Template +2LA
Phrenic Template from SRD:“Phrenic” is an inherited template that can be added to any nonmindless creature that does not already have the psionic subtype (referred to hereafter as the “base creature” . A phrenic creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature’s type does not change, unless it is an animal (in which case it becomes a magical beast [augmented animal]). It gains the psionic subtype.
Psi-Like Abilities (Sp): A phrenic creature possesses the psi-like abilities indicated below, depending on its Hit Dice. The abilities are cumulative. Unless otherwise noted, an ability is usable once per day. Manifester level is equal to the creature’s HD. The save DCs for a phrenic creature’s psi-like abilities are Charisma-based.
HD Abilities
[indent]1–2 3/day—defensive precognition; 1/day—force screen
3–4 3/day—empty mind, mind thrust
5–6 1/day—body adjustment, brain lock
7–8 1/day—aversion, blast
9–10 3/day—intellect fortress; 1/day—psychic crush
11–12 1/day—psionic dominate
13–14 1/day—energy current, tower of iron will
15–16 3/day—psionic teleport
17–18 1/day—fission
19–20 1/day—ultrablast[/indent]
Special Qualities: A phrenic creature has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities.
Naturally Psionic: A phrenic creature gains 1 bonus power point.
Power Resistance (Ex): A phrenic creature has power resistance equal to its Hit Dice +10.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Int +2 (if Int is 3 or greater), Wis +2, Cha +4.
Feats: A phrenic creature can take psionic feats, if it meets the prerequisites for such feats.
Challenge Rating: Up to 5 HD, same as base creature +1; 6–10 HD, same as base creature +2; 11+ HD, same as base creature +3.
Level Adjustment: Same as base creature +2.
The 1/2 Fey Template,+2LA
The Half-FeyHalf-fey are the spawn of powerful fey creatures and the mortals they find so intriguing. Often confused by the ignorant with half-fiends, some half-fey grow up tormented by their peers, but a few use their gifts to win over others and become quite popular. "Half-fey" is usually an inherited template, but it could be acquired through other means as well. Certain mortals who are obsessed with the fey study fey magic and dwell in sylvan places in hopes of gaining power, and a few actually do manage to acquire the half-fey template. Attribute bonuses Dex +2, Con -2, Wis +2, Cha +4Fey Type: She becomes vulnerable to spells and effects that work on creatures of the fey type but is immune to effects that target her original type. For example, a half-fey/half-human would be subject to the extra damage from a fey bane sword, but she is immune to hold person because that spell affects only humanoids. Low-Light Vision (Ex): the half-fey gains low-light vision. Saving Throw Bonuses (Ex): a half-fey gains a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the Enchantment school. Spell-Like Abilities: Starting at 1st level, a half-fey with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 8 or better gains spell-like abilities. The exact abilities gained depend on the half-fey's character level and level in the template class, according to the following table. In each case, the caster level equals the half-fey's character level. Save DCs, where applicable, are Charisma-based (10 + spell level + half-fey's Cha modifier). [indent]Level Spell-Like Abilities Gained 1st Charm person at will, hypnotism 1/day 1st Faerie fire or glitterdust 1/day 3rd Detect law 3/day 3rd Enthrall or sleep 1/day 5th Protection from law 3/day 7th Confusion or emotion 1/day 9th Eyebite or lesser geas 1/day 11th Dominate person or hold monster 1/day 13th Mass invisibility 1/day 15th Geas/quest or mass suggestion 1/day 17th Insanity or mass charm 1/day 19th Otto's irresistible dance 1/day[/indent] The character gains each spell-like ability as soon as she meets both qualifications for it. Spell-like abilities are cumulative, so a half-fey whose character level is 3rd has charm person at will, detect law 3/day, enthrall or sleep 1/day, faerie fire or glitterdust 1/day, hypnotism 1/day. Immunity to Enchantments (Ex): a half-fey becomes immune to all spells and effects from the Enchantment school. This ability replaces the saving throw bonus against these effects included in the half-fey's base racial features. Wings (Ex): a half-fey grows insectlike wings (usually similar to those of a butterfly) and may use them to fly at up to twice her base land speed with good maneuverability.
:D
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6 years ago ::
Oct 16, 2007 - 3:12PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Sep 18, 2005
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Here's a good list of a lot of templates by ECL.
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