Level Adjustment Calculations

[Ruethgar]

So, Savage Species didn't do a great job of this, and Solarian's calculator is awful. The Immortal's Handbook appendix is good for CR, it goes through an adjustment for most every ability and bonus, but how well would that translate to LA?

Does anyone have a good system for determining LA apart from play testing?

[Urpriest]

If you're determining LA, then the creature has no listed LA. If it has no listed LA, it's either a published monster with no listed LA, or it's homebrew. If it has no listed LA and it's a published monster, you shouldn't be playing it. If it's homebrew, you've got a chance to build it right from the ground up, so you can build it as a Monster Class that's balanced with actual classes and not worry about a ****ty system like LA.

[Ruethgar]

So one should never play an awakened construct because the LA cannot be determined except in the case of warforged?

I prefer LA, it doesn't actually eat levels like racial classes, just experience. But even in making a racial class, what would you balance it against? A wizard, cleric? Low op, high op?

[Karnith]

So one should never play an awakened construct because the LA cannot be determined except in the case of warforged?
And also for Clay, Flesh, and Stone Golems (SS, p. 207).

[Urpriest]

So one should never play an awakened construct because the LA cannot be determined except in the case of warforged?

In general, all of the Awaken line are a big barrel of worms that really ought not to be poked. They have nonstandard ability score rolling, screwing with hit dice and type in odd ways, being template-ish without actually being templates...I get that there is some appeal in making characters with them, but I feel like even in those cases it's better to have a "This is a balanced Awakened Iron Golem Class" or the like.



I prefer LA, it doesn't actually eat levels like racial classes, just experience. But even in making a racial class, what would you balance it against? A wizard, cleric? Low op, high op?

LA buyoff is another way to balance things, I suppose. It still takes levels at the beginning, which still makes things a bit clumsy. And most cases that will be buyoffable are ones where the Savage Species guidelines at least make some sense, since they'll be low LA and essentially no RHD.

As for what you balance it against, the same thing you balance homebrew classes against, your campaign's balance point.