Good Templates?

[EastbySoutheast]

So in a high Level Campaign my DM is suggesting that using the LA buy off you can basically just pay XP and Gain a template, Im not sure if thats exactly how its meant t be RAW but its what hes going for so why not use it if its beneficial right?

Basically what templates are worth taking for various classes? Im most interested for spellcasters/Psionic Characters (Mainly Int/Wis Based) but id like to see what you guys have to say.

As always thanks playground

[Chester]

Dragonborn of Bahamut, I believe that can be found in Races of the Dragon.

[Necroticplague]

Feral lowers your int, but it gives a bonus to WIS and excellent physical bonuses, along with some other good benefits (Scaling darkvision and fast healing, good pile of natural armor, 2 claw attacks,m some special attacks if you have RHD).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Tier System For Templates (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7044) gives you most of the templates in the game, arranged according to how powerful they are. It doesn't really say what each template would be good for, but it's a good starting point.

[Dread_Head]

For spellcasters/psionics it is generally better to spend your xp levelling up and gaining new spell levels rather than on applying templates. But if you want a template then Phrenic or Half Fey are pretty good as they net you a slew of PLA's/SLA's along with boosts to mental ability scores. Dark is also good for a stealthier vibe. Anything which changes your type to giant combined with Primordial Giant is good for boosts to mental stats.

Edit: Saint is also amazing for a Wis based character is you can pull off the prereqs.

[Red Fel]

A shockingly good template for casters, if you're willing to swallow the LA, is the Phrenic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm) template. As long as you don't have the Psionic subtype to begin with, you can take it. In addition to gaining a slew of per-day PLAs, the Psionic subtype, a bonus power point, and PR (which, due to transparency, translates to SR), you also gain bonuses to all three mental abilities.

Another option for casters is the Primordial Giant template from Secrets of Xen'drik. It requires the Giant type, which usually carries an LA (but see Menta Cyclopeans, LA +0), but the Primordial Giant template itself has no LA increase. And look at what it gives you. Your choice of one of three at-will SLAs, extra skill points plus one Knowledge skill as a class skill and bonuses to Spellcraft and UMD, and a massive boost to Int and Cha (but penalties to Str and Con).

A particularly nasty bit of template-stacking involves using Half-Minotaur, Half-Ogre, and Primordial Giant. Half-Minotaur sizes the base creature up, and gives +4 Str, +4 Con, -2 Int, in addition to other features, for LA +1. Half-Ogre gives an additional +4 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha, plus bonus abilities, but because your size has already increased, it's LA +0. Moreover, it allows you to qualify as a Giant, which in turn lets you take Primordial Giant, with its +4 Int, +4 Cha, -4 Str, and -2 Con. The end result is a towering hulk with a host of abilities, and a net +4 Str, +2 Con, +2 Cha, before size modifiers, all for only LA +1. If the Int penalty hurts too much, just take Half-Ogre and leave Half-Mino; it's still only +1 LA, and you get a net +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Con.

[Grooke]

If you want the rules for LA buyoff, you can find them here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm).

Beware that you will fall behind the others in terms of class levels (though in the long term, you should catch up).

[thethird]

A shockingly good template for casters, if you're willing to swallow the LA, is the Phrenic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm) template. As long as you don't have the Psionic subtype to begin with, you can take it. In addition to gaining a slew of per-day PLAs, the Psionic subtype, a bonus power point, and PR (which, due to transparency, translates to SR), you also gain bonuses to all three mental abilities.

Another option for casters is the Primordial Giant template from Secrets of Xen'drik. It requires the Giant type, which usually carries an LA (but see Menta Cyclopeans, LA +0), but the Primordial Giant template itself has no LA increase. And look at what it gives you. Your choice of one of three at-will SLAs, extra skill points plus one Knowledge skill as a class skill and bonuses to Spellcraft and UMD, and a massive boost to Int and Cha (but penalties to Str and Con).

A particularly nasty bit of template-stacking involves using Half-Minotaur, Half-Ogre, and Primordial Giant. Half-Minotaur sizes the base creature up, and gives +4 Str, +4 Con, -2 Int, in addition to other features, for LA +1. Half-Ogre gives an additional +4 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha, plus bonus abilities, but because your size has already increased, it's LA +0. Moreover, it allows you to qualify as a Giant, which in turn lets you take Primordial Giant, with its +4 Int, +4 Cha, -4 Str, and -2 Con. The end result is a towering hulk with a host of abilities, and a net +4 Str, +2 Con, +2 Cha, before size modifiers, all for only LA +1. If the Int penalty hurts too much, just take Half-Ogre and leave Half-Mino; it's still only +1 LA, and you get a net +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Con.

You can also find LA +0 Half giants in complete psionics.

[Red Fel]

You can also find LA +0 Half giants in complete psionics.

Ehh... That's complicated. The one in Complete Psionic is a racial class based on the one in the XPH (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/halfGiant.htm), which has an LA of +1. The CP version suggests taking what amounts to a class level in Half-Giant; basically, you get a base bundle of abilities at level 1, plus a normal class level; at level 2, you get your other Half-Giant abilities, but no class level; and the remaining levels progress normally. In effect, it's a delayed LA +1. It's questionable whether you can take the first racial class level and then ignore the second, which is what is proposed when someone mentions the LA +0 CP Half-Giant.

Ordinarily, it's just LA +1. Also note that Half-Giant, unlike Half-Ogre, Half-Minotaur, or Primordial Giant, is a race, not a template.

[Forrestfire]

There are very few templates that are worth taking compared to class levels, sadly. Many (like most things with LA) are overcosted, or just aren't good enough even though their cost fits the stuff they get.

Off the top of my head, I would say...


Dragonborn of Bahamut (LA +0) - gets you +Con, -Dex, and a draconic ability in exchange for your racial traits.
Primordial Giant (LA +0) - +Int, requires Giant type
Unseelie Fey (LA +0) - flight, debuff aura, useful things. Debatably LA +0.
Magic-Blooded (LA +0) - +2 Cha and -2 Wis, and I think a minor SLA.
Necropolitan (LA +0) - undead. Eats some exp, but is LA +0.
Vecna-Blooded (LA +1) - wipe all memory of existence from reality.
Symbiotic* (LA +1) - pair with something ridiculous and get its stuff for 1 LA. Kinda ridiculously cheesy if used well.
Divine Minion (LA +1 or +2) - wild shape as an 11th-level druid; go into Master of Many Forms and laugh your way through encounters.
Mineral Warrior (LA +1) - tanky stuff and DR/adamantine, makes you dumber.
Half-Ogre and Half-Minotaur (LA +1) - size increase to large and massive strength bonuses, makes you dumber.
Dark Creature (LA +1) - Hide in Plain Sight. Gettable without LA through a relatively cheap magic item or a magical location.
Lolth-Touched (LA +1) - +6 Str and +6 Con, but see my sig.
White Dragonspawn (LA +1) - flight, +7 natural armor, some natural attacks, and casting as a 1st-level sorcerer.
Saint (LA +2) - utterly massive pile of immunities and defenses.
Shadow Creature (LA +2) - some useful +numbers, and more importantly, Shadow Blend, which is basically all-day invisibility that can't be seen through by the majority of things, even ones that can see in the dark.
Half-Fey (LA +2) - flight, decent stats, mind-control at-will, and a slew of other useful abilities. Immunity to the entire Enchantment school.
Ghost Savage progression 2 (LA +2) - noted separately here because a 2-level dip gets you the strongest abilities (telekinesis, flight, incorporeality, undeadness). Make the base race Human and take the Human Heritage feat to become Humanoid (Augmented Undead) and get immunity to Turn/Rebuke Undead.
Tauric* (LA +3) - only mentioned because of the sheer cheese potential with templates applied to the bottom half.
Ghost (LA +5) - one of the only templates with a large LA that's actually workable. Ghost 5 gets you the ability to possess things and make up for the HP deficit, telekinesis for ridiculous volleys of weapons, and another ability (which includes AoE save or loses, ability drain, and some other neat ones). Etherealness and Incorporeality are amazing for stealth and scouting, and Undead is a pile of immunities.
Paragon (LA +11) - only useful in some niche cases, but oh is it ever. If you stick Paragon on someone with the Ghost savage progression (or just normal Ghost), you get a high-level character that still works at high levels due to the sheer numbers you're throwing around.

[EastbySoutheast]

If you take the phrenic template do you gain bonus PowerPoint's in the same way you do in the table I'm the link.http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Ability_Scores

Only to augment your powers otherwise some of them become really weak by later levels?

[Ellowryn]

If you take the phrenic template do you gain bonus PowerPoint's in the same way you do in the table I'm the link.http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Ability_Scores

Only to augment your powers otherwise some of them become really weak by later levels?

Yeah, Dandwiki is a really bad site, most people on this site are going to recomend avoiding it.

On the Phrenic template, you Psi-Like abilities are always manifested as if augmented up to your character level (or as close to without going over) so like all psionics in general they tend to scale very well at all levels.

[Clistenes]

Inheritor Template from Template Troves III:

-Spell Like Abilities (Sp) 3/day, Caster level 5th: Comprehend languages, Divine favour.
-Channeled Skills (Su): +4 racial bonus to any class skill, or a +2 racial bonus to any cross-class skill, 3/day
-Channeled Feat (Su), 1/day: you can access any feat you already qualify for.
+2 to Wisdom
-LA +1

Half-Fey Template from Fiend Folio:

Becomes a ‘Fey’.
Damage Reduction 5 / cold iron
Dex +2, Con –2, Wis +2, Cha +4
Gains Butterfly Wings if the base creature did not already have wings. Flying speed is 2x fastest normal movement with Good maneuverability.
Gains Low-Light Vision.
Immune to Enchantment spells & effects.
Charm Person, at will.
If Cha or Wis is 8+, can use the following abilities at least 1/day:
1-2 HD - Hypnotism, 1/day; Faerie Fire –or– Glitterdust,1/day
3-4 HD - Detect Law, 3/day, Sleep –or– Enthrall, 1/day
5-6 HD - Protection from Law, 3/day; Tasha’s Hideous Laughter or Suggestion, 1/day
7-8 HD - Confusion –or– Emotion, 1/day
9-10 HD - Eyebite –or– Lesser Geas, 1/day
11-12 HD - Dominate Person –or– Hold Monster, 1/day
13-14 HD - Mass Invisibility, 1/day
15-16 HD - Geas/Quest –or– Mass Suggestion, 1/day
17-18 HD - Insanity –or– Mass Charm, 1/day
19+ HD - Otto’s Irresistible Dance, 1/day
Lvl +2
CR +1

Saint Template from Book of Exalted Deeds.

Becomes a ‘Outsider (native)’
Immune to Acid, Cold, Electricity, & Petrifaction
Fire Resistance 10
+4 Racial bonus vs. Poison
Low-Light Vision
Darkvision 60’
+2 DC to all special attacks, spells, supernatural, spelllike & extraordinary abilities.
Con +2, Wis +2, Cha +4
Tongues, always on.
Gain an Insight bonus to AC equal to the Saint’s Wisdom modifier
Holy Touch – the Saint’s melee attacks do +1d6 Holy damage vs.Evil creatures (or +1d8 vs. Evil Undead or Evil Outsiders). Any Evil creature that attacks the Saint with a Natural Attack takes the same amount of damage.
Able to cast Guidance, Resistance, Virtue, and Bless at will at Character level.
Gain Fast Healing (HD/2).
Protective Aura – 20’ radius nimbus of light that can be activated as a Free Action. Acts as a double strength Magic Circle against Evil and a Less Globe of Invulnerability.
Gains Damage Reduction 5/magic at 4 HD, DR 5/evil at 8 HD, DR 10/evil at 12 HD,
Lvl +2
CR +2

[Flickerdart]

7 It's questionable whether you can take the first racial class level and then ignore the second, which is what is proposed when someone mentions the LA +0 CP Half-Giant.
It isn't. Only the SS racial classes explicitly call out that they must be taken to completion. The default class behaviour (which is restated specifically for racial classes in the Savage Progressions web articles) is that you are never required to take any particular level in a class if you don't want to.

[atemu1234]

yeah, dandwiki is a really bad site, most people on this site are going to recomend avoiding it.

like the plague.