Question about Template Classes

[Holydarkness]

I was looking at the DnD 3.5 website archives recently and came across the Template Class articles.

The idea behind these was that they allowed you to take templates as class levels equal to their LA.
However, you are allowed to take a level and then come back later to them, as in you don't have to take all the levels at once.

There is also a specific line says that, "Each level in a template class increases the character's level adjustment by +1, just as would a level of any other character class."

My question is could a character take the first Vampire template class level for character level 4 and then immediately buy it off as part of that same level up?
If so, you could then take the second level of the template class and buy that off as well. Rinse and repeat until all 8 levels are taken

Without starting an argument about XP as a river, (going to assume that this is true for this thread). It could mean that you could take an LA +8 template for much less that that and gain the LA Levels and immediately buy them off at an expedited rate.

Taking the Vampire Lord Template at level 10 (it being an LA +0 as far as I can tell)

After level 10 this could make for a total LA +0 Vampire Lord with total attribute bonuses of: +12 Str, - Con, +8 Dex, +4 Int, +4 Wis, and +8 Cha. Negating the +8 LA that would normally be required for this. As well as allowing the Vampire Template to be taken without an LA, RAW.

Does this read correct to anyone else?

[ZamielVanWeber]

Once you acquire the LA you need to wait 3 levels to burn it. So if you took it and became ECL 4 you would need to wait until ECL 7 to burn it. Repeat with each +1 you gain afterwarxz.

[OldTrees1]

Depends on your DM so ask your DM. Unless the DM is also allowing infinite free bloodline levels I doubt they will parse template classes like you are asking about.


ZamielVanWeber's reading is how I would rule it regardless of whether I can read it both ways or not.

[Jowgen]

Had a similar thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?521406-Please-check-my-convoluted-LA-vs-Exp-river-math) a short time back, which goes into quite a bit of detail.

Long story short, template classes, transition classes and savage progressions in general were not designed with LA buy-off in mind, or vice versa (despite being released in close succession). How they interact in detail is really a DM question (especially since both are variants to being with).

If both are in play and taken as written, then the answer to your question is no. You would have to acquire the +1 LA from the savage progression before reaching the point where you'd be eligible to buy it off, meaning you have to gain at least 1 HD worth of EXP while carrying that LA (and thus the higher ECL). No way around that.

[TheBrassDuke]

I had assumed it worked like this:

Say I'm a level one sorcerer, and I wanted to take Dragon #326's Half-Air Elemental Template class lv. 1...I thought I'd take that at the beginning of when I'm about to be level two. I'd remain sorcerer Lv 1 with an ECL of 2, until I gained the same amount of XP to become lv 2 again...where I could then take my second level of sorcerer. Rinse and repeat. Is that not right?