visigani
2011-05-31, 07:32 AM
So it goes a little something like this....
What this Homebrew does is treat LA like a Gestalt Class. In other words every character is 20/20. They have their "Primary Class" and then a secondary Gestalt. However, players that wish to advance as a monster character would advance via their gestalt pool instead.
i.e. You'd be a Sorcerer 1/Pixie 1.
Once you cease gaining levels in Pixie you can instead advance in a second class via your gestalt levels.
i.e. You'd be a Sorcerer 5/Pixie 4 (Fighter 1)
In all other ways this acts just like Gestalt levels. This includes "Dead levels" for monster classes where you don't advance in Hitdice either. The normal benefits you'd reap in from that monster class (such as the any hitpoints above your normal class, a d8 instead of a d4 for example) would no longer apply.
Finally, skills feats and abilities gleaned from the secondary class, including monster classes cannot be used to obtain a prestige class.
If you would later want a Prestige Class that would have "overlap" with your secondary class (such as Eldritch's Knight needing access to martial weapons) you may "disavow" he feat or class feature gained from the secondary class at the time of acquisition and instead gain it normally through your primary class through multiclassing or normal feat acquisition.
This applies to feats, skills, and class abilities. Not skill points, base attack bonus, or saves.
Templates work a little bit different. Like Monster Class levels Templates are counted against your total Gestalt Classes. However, they must be purchased from levels before they may be applied.
In other words if you want to add a template with a +2 level adjustment you must first acquire two 'blank' levels and then purchase it.
In other words, If you were a level 3 Cleric/evel 3 Paladin who wanted to adopt the Saint Template you must become a level 5 Cleric/Level 3 Paladin and then you may adopt the Saint Template, balancing your levels at 5/5 after the LA.
Templates that must be purchased at character creation work in reverse. For characters without monster class levels this would delay the acquisition of your gestalt levels.
For example, a level 1 Cleric that began play as a saint could become a Level 3 Cleric, Level 1 Paladin upon level three (due to the two level delay on gestalt levels from Saint Template).
Characters with Monster Class levels that also began with a template at level 1 would gain their first Monster Class Level as well as the benefits of the Template, but their Monster Class would be delayed as above, until the Template LA was paid off.
i.e. You would begin Play as a Cleric 1/Pixie 1 (Saint Template -2). Once you achieved Cleric 4 you could become Cleric 4/Pixie 2 (Saint Template -2).
It's not wholely necessary to go the full monty.
If you know the LA of the players chosen monster races/templates will be significantly less than 20 you could easily adjudicate that you would b granted +5 Gestalt levels to tinker with. This would allow a character to play a Pixie Character while not leaving his compatriots in the dust.
Finally, skills feats and abilities gleaned from the secondary class, including monster classes cannot be used to obtain a prestige class.
If you would later want a Prestige Class that would have "overlap" with your secondary class (such as Eldritch's Knight needing access to martial weapons) you may "disavow" he feat or class feature gained from the secondary class at the time of acquisition and instead gain it normally through your primary class through multiclassing or normal feat acquisition.
Further, you cannot use these Gestalt levels to Multiclass.
If your choose your gestalt class as "Ranger" then you cannot become a Fighter via those levels at level 7. The only exception to this being characters with Monster Class levels, who may "multiclass" for purposes of those Monster Class levels alone.
You could be a Fighter 4/Wizard 4/Pixie 4 (Ranger 4), but not a Fighter 8/Pixie 4 (Ranger 2/Wizard 2). You would have to continue advancing as a Ranger for your gestalt levels, though you may multiclass as normal for your primary levels.
What this Homebrew does is treat LA like a Gestalt Class. In other words every character is 20/20. They have their "Primary Class" and then a secondary Gestalt. However, players that wish to advance as a monster character would advance via their gestalt pool instead.
i.e. You'd be a Sorcerer 1/Pixie 1.
Once you cease gaining levels in Pixie you can instead advance in a second class via your gestalt levels.
i.e. You'd be a Sorcerer 5/Pixie 4 (Fighter 1)
In all other ways this acts just like Gestalt levels. This includes "Dead levels" for monster classes where you don't advance in Hitdice either. The normal benefits you'd reap in from that monster class (such as the any hitpoints above your normal class, a d8 instead of a d4 for example) would no longer apply.
Finally, skills feats and abilities gleaned from the secondary class, including monster classes cannot be used to obtain a prestige class.
If you would later want a Prestige Class that would have "overlap" with your secondary class (such as Eldritch's Knight needing access to martial weapons) you may "disavow" he feat or class feature gained from the secondary class at the time of acquisition and instead gain it normally through your primary class through multiclassing or normal feat acquisition.
This applies to feats, skills, and class abilities. Not skill points, base attack bonus, or saves.
Templates work a little bit different. Like Monster Class levels Templates are counted against your total Gestalt Classes. However, they must be purchased from levels before they may be applied.
In other words if you want to add a template with a +2 level adjustment you must first acquire two 'blank' levels and then purchase it.
In other words, If you were a level 3 Cleric/evel 3 Paladin who wanted to adopt the Saint Template you must become a level 5 Cleric/Level 3 Paladin and then you may adopt the Saint Template, balancing your levels at 5/5 after the LA.
Templates that must be purchased at character creation work in reverse. For characters without monster class levels this would delay the acquisition of your gestalt levels.
For example, a level 1 Cleric that began play as a saint could become a Level 3 Cleric, Level 1 Paladin upon level three (due to the two level delay on gestalt levels from Saint Template).
Characters with Monster Class levels that also began with a template at level 1 would gain their first Monster Class Level as well as the benefits of the Template, but their Monster Class would be delayed as above, until the Template LA was paid off.
i.e. You would begin Play as a Cleric 1/Pixie 1 (Saint Template -2). Once you achieved Cleric 4 you could become Cleric 4/Pixie 2 (Saint Template -2).
It's not wholely necessary to go the full monty.
If you know the LA of the players chosen monster races/templates will be significantly less than 20 you could easily adjudicate that you would b granted +5 Gestalt levels to tinker with. This would allow a character to play a Pixie Character while not leaving his compatriots in the dust.
Finally, skills feats and abilities gleaned from the secondary class, including monster classes cannot be used to obtain a prestige class.
If you would later want a Prestige Class that would have "overlap" with your secondary class (such as Eldritch's Knight needing access to martial weapons) you may "disavow" he feat or class feature gained from the secondary class at the time of acquisition and instead gain it normally through your primary class through multiclassing or normal feat acquisition.
Further, you cannot use these Gestalt levels to Multiclass.
If your choose your gestalt class as "Ranger" then you cannot become a Fighter via those levels at level 7. The only exception to this being characters with Monster Class levels, who may "multiclass" for purposes of those Monster Class levels alone.
You could be a Fighter 4/Wizard 4/Pixie 4 (Ranger 4), but not a Fighter 8/Pixie 4 (Ranger 2/Wizard 2). You would have to continue advancing as a Ranger for your gestalt levels, though you may multiclass as normal for your primary levels.