Level adjustment and e6

[heavyfuel]

Hey guys!

For the first time on my table, a player decided to play with a race that has level adjustment. Specifically, she wants to play a ranger centaur (LA +2 . http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Centaurs_(Race))

Whatever knowledge I have is basic at best, so I could easily use some help. First, a few of questions regarding game mechanics:


* How is exp distributed? If I'm using the "every 13th encounter you gain a level" rule? Should the centaur level up with the party, or every X encounters? What would X be?

* Will she start play (everyone else is lv1) being centaur 4/ranger 1, or just centaur 4? begins with four levels ofmonstrous humanoid, which provide 4d8*Hit Dice, a*base attack bonus*of +4, and base*saving throw*bonuses ofFort*+1,*Ref*+4, and*Will*+4.

So, would that mean 5d8 hp, bab+5 and so on so forth?

* Since it's an e6 game, she only gets a smaller point buy, does that mean she can reach a +10 BAB? 4 from centaur and +6 from ranger?

* what about her skill points? The SRD says she'll begin play with 7*(2+int) skill points. Does she get an extra 6+ int from her ranger level?

* what about her wbl? Is it the one for level 1? if so, should she get the starting gold as a ranger (125 GP of I'm not mistaken) or as a centaur (whatever would that amount be)

In regards to actual play, how am I even supposed to make encounters balanced?! Any enemy I throw at her she'll either vaporize, or it'll absolutely destroy her two level one party members. Any tips are appreciated!

Anyway, thanks for the help!

[Urpriest]

You really need to read my Monster Handbook. Aside from the special E6 rules for level adjustment, it should answer all of your questions.

[Harbinger]

That's not how it works. You can't play as a character with level adjustment or RHD until you've actually reached such a level. You can't play a level 1 centaur ranger in a level 1 game any more than you could play a level 7 human ranger. Remember, each racial hit dice or LA counts as an actual level.

[HunterOfJello]

Tell your player that she can't start at level 1 with a Monster Manual I Centaur.

Let her play a homebrew centaur that is set up like the Bariaur from the Manual of the Planes. Make it something like this:

+2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
Medium Size
Monstrous Humanoid
Base land speed: 40ft
Darkvision 60ft
+2 bonus on Spot and Listen due to keen senses.
Quadruped: Because they have 4 legs, they are harder to bull rish and trip (+4 on that stuff, yadda yadda). They must purchase barding instead of armor and cannot wear boots like normal humanoids.
Automatic Languages: Sylvan, Elven. Bonus Languages: Common, Gnome, Halfling.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Important note: Centaur is ECL 6 by.itself, so she could never take a level of ranger in E6. Either way there either needs to be a homebrewed race or a homebrewed monster class.

[Urpriest]

Important note: Centaur is ECL 6 by.itself, so she could never take a level of ranger in E6. Either way there either needs to be a homebrewed race or a homebrewed monster class.

This isn't quite true. E6 has special rules for LA, it impacts point buy rather than being taken out of levels. An E6 Centaur would have 4 RHD and could take two more levels, but would have less point-buy for ability scores.

Still, it's not really plausible for a player to ask to play one in a game starting at level one, unless they were planning on using the Savage Species Monster Class, at which point they probably would have mentioned it. This is just another case of a player and a DM assuming they know the rules for something rather than reading them to find out like most people would.

[heavyfuel]

Hmm... It seems I was confusing LA and racial hit die.

Thanks for the answer everyone!

[heavyfuel]

This is just another case of a player and a DM assuming they know the rules for something rather than reading them to find out like most people would.

There was no assuming, at least not from my part. I clearly didn't know the rules, hence my question.

[HunterOfJello]

This is just another case of a player and a DM assuming they know the rules for something rather than reading them to find out like most people would.

I've always gotten the impression that most people don't actually read all the way through the rules featured in the DMG and MMI. I personally need to reread through both as a refresher. I caught myself misinterpreting a section of the aerial combat rules a few weeks ago.



There was no assuming, at least not from my part. I clearly didn't know the rules, hence my question.

Thank you for coming here and asking instead of making an assumption, running with it, and leaving your players dissatisfied with the power imbalance as a result. Racial Hit Dice and Level Adjustments are two topics that people often trip up on or simply skip over and then have issues with later.