Upping humans to LA+1

[BooNL]

So, I have been brainstorming about a potential campaign setting and I'd like to restrict the number of races somewhat. For the story, I was thinking of allowing only humans, draconic humans and goliaths.

Now, the last two are both LA+1 and IMO pretty balanced against each other. The goliaths get a nice STR boost and powerful build while draconic humans gain natural weapons, a bit of NA and some nice stat boosts as well as the bonus feat from being human.

Maybe the goliaths could use a little boost to compensate, but I think they're fairly equal.

However, I now have two LA+1 and a single LA+0 race. I was thinking of upping humans to the same level and just doing away with LA alltogether.
What would humans need to be on the same level as the other races?

I've come up with a couple of things:
- and extra feat (since I won't be using flaws, these could come in very handy)
- a free +2 to a single stat of the player's choosing
- free weapon/armour proficiencies (to explain their ability to adapt fairly quickly compared to the other races)

Does anyone else have some ideas how to make this a balanced change?

Cheers!

[Xefas]

A +2 to a stat is pretty good at low levels, but loses a bit of its luster at higher levels. Not to mention it lessens their status as the measure by which all other races' stats are measured by.

Another bonus feat might work, but it almost seems too good. I'd probably end up picking them every time over a Goliath or Draconic Human.

Free proficiencies aren't nearly good enough.

How about something like this to represent the "Young adaptable race steals the practices of much longer-lived races that have applied thousands of years of tradition to their knowledge, bastardizes them, and uses them without asking" bit that I like to associate with humans:

Thinking Outside the Box: Humans ignore all restrictions to base classes, prestige classes, and feats based on alignment, race, or gender. In addition, they may ignore the code of conduct or multiclassing restrictions of any class they take a level in.

[Kylarra]

Free Able Learner perhaps. That's not quite as good as full feat, yet still nice for nearly all builds.

[Schylerwalker]

Additional skill point per level, they get to raise any one stat by 2 every four levels instead of just 1?

[Draz74]

Maybe the Inspiration and Cunning Knowledge features (based on total level) of a Level 1 Factotum?

[Deathslayer7]

I would give them a +2 to any stat. Powerful build while useful still has it limitations to grappling/bull rushing, etc.

While the draconic get a +2 NA is good overall, as well as the natural attacks they get. and the bonus feat

humans get the bonus feat, the skills at every level, and then combined with the +2 stat boost, probably outweigh goliaths in my opinion.

so overall i think the goliaths might be lacking a bit. but then again i dont remember the exact stat bonuses each get.

[BooNL]

Free Able Learner perhaps. That's not quite as good as full feat, yet still nice for nearly all builds.

That's actually a pretty cool idea. Do you think, this combined with a +2 to a stat is enough to balance the classes out?

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

A few notes: draconic creatures only get +1 NA, so while still good it's not really gamebreaking. Goliaths are also Monstrous Humanoids, which would make them immune to charm spells. I'm thinking of changing Monstrous Humanoid to Giant though, would this have any consequences gamewise?

[Fitz10019]

Take Bardic Knack from PHB2 and make it Human Knack.

[Tyndmyr]

Free proficiencies aren't nearly good enough.

They are for a gish build. That's pretty much it.

Extra skill points are handy for classes that get screwed on them.

I'd probably just give them a few extra skill points or hp(players choice), and make all three races level 0. Less math for the players, same basic result.

[Eldan]

Perhaps an action-point like mechanic, representing some inborn human "luck"-effect?

[Evard]

Thinking Outside the Box: Humans ignore all restrictions to base classes, prestige classes, and feats based on alignment, race, or gender. In addition, they may ignore the code of conduct or multiclassing restrictions of any class they take a level in.

Now this is what a normal human should have, it really shows versatility and would give humans a boost that doesn't really break much:D

[hamishspence]

It could also lead to Evil human paladins, if they can ignore alignment restrictions and code of conduct restrictions, but the DM still enforces alignment and has it change when the character does a lot of aligned acts.

[Bharg]

Are there races that getting anything that would make a +1 LA worthwhile?

[Prime32]

It could also lead to Evil human paladins, if they can ignore alignment restrictions and code of conduct restrictions, but the DM still enforces alignment and has it change when the character does a lot of aligned acts.

The idea being that only a human could become such a deluded figure?

If you were to include elves, I'd give them casting as a 1st-level wizard and a +2 bonus on Knowledge (history) checks.

[hamishspence]

It would make humans a bit different, in that, while being deluded is not unique (the Eldreth Veluthraa (elf supremacists) are equally deluded) being deluded and yet still able to gain power from Good sources, becomes a human-only thing.

[Kylarra]

It would make humans a bit different, in that, while being deluded is not unique (the Eldreth Veluthraa (elf supremacists) are equally deluded) being deluded and yet still able to gain power from Good sources, becomes a human-only thing.

Paladins of ZARUS.

ALL HAIL LORD ZARUS

[9mm]

I'm all for killing the LA... seriously; there is no reason for it to exist if there are just 2 other races to choose from.

please note that I am known for starting players off at reletively strong scores if I start at level 1.

[BooNL]

I'm all for killing the LA... seriously; there is no reason for it to exist if there are just 2 other races to choose from.

please note that I am known for starting players off at reletively strong scores if I start at level 1.

This is exactly the reason why I want to up humans a bit. If they're on par with the other two races, I can nix LA altogether, since they are all equally powerful.

I like the adaptability idea of being able to ignore all kinds of restrictions, but in my world the other two races (draconic humans and goliaths) are basically humans as well, only with a different bloodline.

Draconics stem from dragons, obviously. Goliaths (I'll change the names eventually) from giants. Regular humans would be more pureblooded, or their ancestors blood is so diluted it doesn't grant them any additional benefits.

[Zovc]

Free Able Learner perhaps. That's not quite as good as full feat, yet still nice for nearly all builds.

I like this idea, although it depends on how multiclassing works. If multiclassing penalties are removed then Humans (and any other race with Favored Class (Any)) should probably get Able Learner to make them better multiclassers. As if throwing Half-Elves a bone is a bad idea.

If you're going to give them weapon proficiencies, I recommend using the UA variant for weapon groups, as it makes a bit more sense than all humans 'just being proficient' with all martial weapons.

LA could be a good way to represent that humans are a shorter-lived race than other races. A human would learn things (gain experience) slower than an Elf. This would help address the 'issue' of 200-year-old elves being 'as smart as' 20-year-old humans.

[MattintheHat]

Well, you've got three races of really quite different power levels. Draconic humans top the list, then goliaths, then regular humans. Because certain builds can break goliaths for damage dealing, you'll be okay with the slight problem there.

For regular humans, I'd do two things:
Bardic Knack (from PHB 2) for all humans, based on character level not bard level. Humans can adapt quickly to a variety of situations.
+2 to any ability score, -2 to any score. Humans have a wider array of body types than most species.

Balance justification: With only one or the other, humans become a limited option. In all situations where draconic humanoids' ability scores wouldn't be a hindrance, they are the better option. Now, humans remain a viable option for all classes. The -2 balances out a mechanical advantage, as a free +2 would be too good with Bardic Knack as well, but not good enough without it.

[Holocron Coder]

If you're really only dealing with 3 races, there's two ways to go about it:

1) Bump up the humans and drop the LA, as you've described. I'm in favor of Able Learner and +2 to any one stat, for this.

2) Homebrew all 3 yourself, so they're balanced more equally.

#2 is a bit more time-consuming, but not overly so.