Adjusting Half-Fiend Template

[Barttjuh]

I am momentary the DM in a campaign, we got a party of 5th level characters and they just got evil. In the last session one of the players got possessed by a demon (introduction of a sort of NPC without using NPC).

I want him to slowly turn into a Half-Fiend/demon-like creature in which he must struggle for control over his body. In which I will use something like the Lycan affliction and everytime he passes his WIll save he will be able to use more of the demons powers.

But I would like the reduce the LA of the Half-fiend from +4 to +2 or even +1.
Yet I do not how the LA are determined for a template.

Can anyone help me?

[Otodetu]

Adjustment notes:
Level adjustment levels gives you a replacement level, these levels give the following:

The replacement man class include 1d4 hd, 2 skills points per level (class skills as dictated by class), all bad saves, lowest base attack bonus (as wizard).


So chop up those 4 level adjustment levels into 4 "levels" of quasi commoner.
That way you get constitution and the benefit of HD for the purpose of effects and stuff.

[Coidzor]

Hombrew monster class that turns Half-Fiend (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8535660&postcount=428)into a 3 level class.

Savage Progressions (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031010a), IIRC, don't have the requirement of all of them being taken in a row, so one can get what one wants and then leave. And then there's the Tiefling > Half-Fiend one. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040319a)

As far as how the LA of a template is determined... Bit of a tricky subject, that.

For +1 template to compare against what you'd want for a half-fiend template on that level, I'd recommend looking at the Draconic template, I believe from the Draconomicon.

[Barttjuh]

Thanks for the repleys.

I think I will do it this way;
Player drops below 50% HP take WS DC10/ Player drops below 20% WS DC15.
If he fail he transforms in a half-fiend as described in the MM, then he must attack the opponent dealt damage to him when he transformed and I as DM will determine the next foes he will fight. In the meantime his original self will have to fight a mirror image of himself in his mind. And when he wins or bashes the mirror image to a certain percentage of health the demon will withdraw granting some of its powers. The real player will transform back to the original character at zero health (health lost this way is nonlethal damage) with the newly gained demonic powers.

In mine campaign I am planning an encounter with a powerful paladin/cleric in which defeat is certainly. The cleric will seal the demon in the players mind allowing the demon not to emerge anymore, in which the player loses all powers previous gained by the demon. Then the player can ask the demon to grant him his powers again. Now that the demon is not in charge anymore and has still the will to complete the mission given by his master. He will try to stay friends with the player so that he will complete his mission, so he will teach the player a ritual (new quest) for gaining demonic powers. When the ritual is completed the player gains the first level of the half-fiend described by the Savage Progressions (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031010a) and unlock further progression for the other 3 levels.

On dndwiki I read an article about Reducing Level Adjustments (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm). How balanced is this rule, because this will be very sweet for mine demon possessed player. He won’t have to sacrifice HD when he levels up to become more fiendish like.

So what do you people think?

[DeAnno]

On dndwiki I read an article about Reducing Level Adjustments (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm). How balanced is this rule, because this will be very sweet for mine demon possessed player. He won’t have to sacrifice HD when he levels up to become more fiendish like.

So what do you people think?

As it's commonly called, "LA Buyoff" is generally seen as not game destroying, but some think it's moderately cheesy. In the case of a fairly suboptimal template taken for fluff reasons I don't see it causing any problems.

[Barttjuh]

Ok nice then I will trust your judgment and also apply this homebrew rule.
And will say that the ritual he wants to take will cost him experience.
When he does the ritual quest the party will be probably level 7-8 so I allow to sacrifice experience (gain level in half-fiend) at level 9, 12, 15.