Dairuga
2012-05-25, 04:55 AM
When you take a bloodline level, does that count as a real level when Determining ECL?
For example. If you have a Level 3 Factotum, and you get up to level 4. You realize now that you have a bloodline due to story purposes, and you find someone to help you -unlock- that potential, and teaches you a ritual to harness said power, etc, etc.
Voila, you are now a level 3 Factotum with one Bloodline level.
Now the question is. Are you a level 4 character, or are you still a level 3 character, albeit with one bloodline level? And if he takes yet another bloodline level.. Is he still a level 3 Factotum wtih two bloodline levels, or is he a level 5 character; Level 3 Factotum / 2 Bloodline? The example given on the Bloodlines seem to indicate otherwise. And ontop of that, Does a level 3 Factotum with 1 bloodline level have to pay exp as if he was a level 4 character? Same with a Factotum with 2 bloodline levels. Would he have to earn enough experience as a level 5 character, before being able to take the third level?
The point is that, under the bloodline information, this information is given: "Class levels of "bloodline" do not increase a character's character level the way a normal class level does". This could be interpreted in a way that says that "No, the PC does not gain a level. He just spends one level's worth of XP to gain benefits, and sets that aside. He does not level up". Or it could mean "Yes, the PC gains a level. A mostly hollow level, much like level Adjustment or Racial HIt Dice, except without much benefit other than Caster level and So on and so forth".
This is a very important issue, because if the prior is true, a character can remain at a low level and pay off relatively low amounts of Experience several times, and then have fully unlocked his bloodline, as opposed to someone who say, chose to unlock it once at level two, once at level five and the last time at level eleven.
And on the other hand, if it is the latter, then a Major Bloodline is effectively an unbuy-off-able LA+3.
So I am interested, in which way should this be interpreted? Anyone that knows?
For example. If you have a Level 3 Factotum, and you get up to level 4. You realize now that you have a bloodline due to story purposes, and you find someone to help you -unlock- that potential, and teaches you a ritual to harness said power, etc, etc.
Voila, you are now a level 3 Factotum with one Bloodline level.
Now the question is. Are you a level 4 character, or are you still a level 3 character, albeit with one bloodline level? And if he takes yet another bloodline level.. Is he still a level 3 Factotum wtih two bloodline levels, or is he a level 5 character; Level 3 Factotum / 2 Bloodline? The example given on the Bloodlines seem to indicate otherwise. And ontop of that, Does a level 3 Factotum with 1 bloodline level have to pay exp as if he was a level 4 character? Same with a Factotum with 2 bloodline levels. Would he have to earn enough experience as a level 5 character, before being able to take the third level?
The point is that, under the bloodline information, this information is given: "Class levels of "bloodline" do not increase a character's character level the way a normal class level does". This could be interpreted in a way that says that "No, the PC does not gain a level. He just spends one level's worth of XP to gain benefits, and sets that aside. He does not level up". Or it could mean "Yes, the PC gains a level. A mostly hollow level, much like level Adjustment or Racial HIt Dice, except without much benefit other than Caster level and So on and so forth".
This is a very important issue, because if the prior is true, a character can remain at a low level and pay off relatively low amounts of Experience several times, and then have fully unlocked his bloodline, as opposed to someone who say, chose to unlock it once at level two, once at level five and the last time at level eleven.
And on the other hand, if it is the latter, then a Major Bloodline is effectively an unbuy-off-able LA+3.
So I am interested, in which way should this be interpreted? Anyone that knows?