Mitigating Level Adjustments with Bonus Feats?

[unseenmage]

So could a system by which a character's LA gets them bonus feats help to mitigate the fact that LA levels are completely dead levels?

The idea came to when I realized that feats are one of the primary benefits of gaining HD. Especially considering that feats are not one of the things that gets doubled when one builds a Gestalt character.

Thoughts, discussion, etc more than welcome.
I'm just spitballing here.

[Jeff the Green]

I'd rather do it the other way around. Up to a point (dependent on campaign), LA doesn't reduce your RHD, but lower LA gets higher point buy and bonus feats.

[atemu1234]

The problem is, LA isn't a needless punishment; it's supposed to introduce a modicum of balance. Whether or not it does so is up for debate, similarly to the CR system.

[Jeraa]

So could a system by which a character's LA gets them bonus feats help to mitigate the fact that LA levels are completely dead levels?

The idea came to when I realized that feats are one of the primary benefits of gaining HD. Especially considering that feats are not one of the things that gets doubled when one builds a Gestalt character.

Thoughts, discussion, etc more than welcome.
I'm just spitballing here.

LA aren't dead levels. They are supposed to balance out the fact your race gives extra advantages over the normal races.

[unseenmage]

LA aren't dead levels. They are supposed to balance out the fact your race gives extra advantages over the normal races.

The problem is, LA isn't a needless punishment; it's supposed to introduce a modicum of balance. Whether or not it does so is up for debate, similarly to the CR system.

Thing is you've both used the language, "...supposed to...", which implies to me that you too realize that the LA system as is doesn't work.

My question is, if it doesn't work and they are dead levels, what level dependent benefit(s) could be added back in to make it work?

[Jeraa]

Thing is you've both used the language, "...supposed to...", which implies to me that you too realize that the LA system as is doesn't work.

My question is, if it doesn't work and they are dead levels, what level dependent benefit(s) could be added back in to make it work?

Benefits shouldn't be added. The level adjustments should be reduced or in some cases removed entirely.

[atemu1234]

Thing is you've both used the language, "...supposed to...", which implies to me that you too realize that the LA system as is doesn't work.

My question is, if it doesn't work and they are dead levels, what level dependent benefit(s) could be added back in to make it work?

No, it probably wouldn't. In truth, racial hit dice in general are a better mitigators than LA. And they suck too. There's not a real solution to this.

[Jeff the Green]

No, it probably wouldn't. In truth, racial hit dice in general are a better mitigators than LA. And they suck too. There's not a real solution to this.

Yeah, there is. There are a bunch of homebrew monster classes out there that are a) only RHD and racial traits without LA, b) more-or-less balanced with normal classes, and c) allow you to play a fledgling succubus or require all succubi to have a minimum of n levels to be such.