Level Adjustment?

[Powerslave44]

So, the campaign I was playing in for the past few weeks ended abruptly last night as we all died to a big tentacle monster. So, since we all still want to play D&D, time to reroll. After having played a fighter for 6 levels, it was pretty cool but I'd like to give spellcasting a shot... and so far the most interesting class I've come across out of the books I have access to is the dread necromancer out of heroes of horror. My question is this: after looking up the racial stats on a dark elf, what the heck does the "Level Adjustment +2" do exactly? Any help would be appreciated, I've got no idea where to go from here and I'm supposed to have a char rolled for tonight.

[RMS Oceanic]

Level Adjustment is added to racial/class hit dice for a character's effective character level. If you select a race with LA +2, and become a first level anything, you are considered 3rd level, and will have to reach 6,000 XP to gain your second class level (fourth level overall)

[kamikasei]

My question is this: after looking up the racial stats on a dark elf, what the heck does the "Level Adjustment +2" do exactly? Any help would be appreciated, I've got no idea where to go from here and I'm supposed to have a char rolled for tonight.

The race grants abilities that are considered as powerful as one or more class levels. Thus, a drow with LA +2 and one level in, say, Dread Necromancer is an ECL 3 character. He's a first-level Dread Necromancer, but requires the same XP to get to second level as a third-level human fighter would need to get to fourth. The amount of XP he gets for an encounter, the level of encounter that's appropriate for him, his recommended wealth, etc. all work off of ECL (Effective Character Level) which in this case is Class Levels + Level Adjustment.

It's a bad idea for a caster to take a level-adjusted race because it sets back your casting. It can work better for melee classes, say, taking a level-adjusted race with abilities that enhance melee.

[Falconsflight]

Level Adjustment (LA) is used as a balancing technique. Compared to the base classes, if the class you are looking at is more powerful, it gets LA.

What this means in crunch terms is very simple. For money purposes and fighting purposes(Including the XP you recieve) you are as strong as a human two levels higher than you.

For character advancement you are two levels lower than everybody else. The Human fighter will have 10 levels of fighter. You would have 8 levels of fighter. LA gives you bonuses for class levels essentially. So for skill points, feats, ability points, and special class abilites. You are treated as 2 levels lower than your allies. (So you are 8 if they are 10). But, You gain Xp and gain money as if you were level 10.

[Wizzardman]

It means that to play the race, it immediately has the equivalent of 2 levels to start with. So in order to make a 6th lvl character, you'd use this race, and then add 4 levels of something else.


Edit: Ach! Massive simu-ninja'd!

[Ikkitosen]

For a full caster, LA is generally a bad idea if you're looking to be mechanically effective. Search the SRD for "level adjustment reduction" and maybe ask your DM to allow it if you really like the idea of playing a drow, or any other LA race.

[Dausuul]

It's a bad idea for a caster to take a level-adjusted race because it sets back your casting. It can work better for melee classes, say, taking a level-adjusted race with abilities that enhance melee.

Note that drow are no good for anything mechanics-wise; they suck no matter what class you are. Their abilities are nowhere near good enough to justify a +2 LA, unless you're allowed to buy off the adjustment.

If you can talk your DM into letting you use the optional "buying off level adjustment" rules, go for it. Otherwise, be forewarned that your character will suck horribly at all things game-mechanical.

[BardicDuelist]

I always use the house rule: your level adjustment automatically goes down one every three levels, because those abilities are just not as great as they were at first level or as you go on.

[EagleWiz]

Actualy if you fight casters a lot Dark Elf is realy good. SR 13+level means that a enemy caster your level will have only about a 50% chance of thier spell just failing. If you dont then I wouldnt recomend it. Although if you talk the DM into a +1 Level Ajustment then go ahead. Also i would like to say that if you use Psyonic Classes then Mind Flayer is a realy good race.

P.S. I Use the house rule that all level ajustments go down 1
Oh and orcs are quite good for a fighter type.

[brian c]

Actualy if you fight casters a lot Dark Elf is realy good. SR 13+level means that a enemy caster your level will have only about a 50% chance of thier spell just failing. If you dont then I wouldnt recomend it. Although if you talk the DM into a +1 Level Ajustment then go ahead. Also i would like to say that if you use Psyonic Classes then Mind Flayer is a realy good race.

P.S. I Use the house rule that all level ajustments go down 1
Oh and orcs are quite good for a fighter type.

13+level means that an enemy spellcaster with Arcane Mastery can't beat your SR without rolling, and that's very nice.

[Inigo_Carmine]

I always use the house rule: your level adjustment automatically goes down one every three levels, because those abilities are just not as great as they were at first level or as you go on.

This goes against the major problem with LA, namely that it's really harsh at low levels (where you'll be at a fraction of your peers HP, and half the skillpoints), but unnoticed at higher levels (where 7 HP and 4-5 skillpoints are an incredible trade for some ability bonuses, and things like spell resistance 10 higher than your level). If anything, LA should scale with your ECL.

[BardicDuelist]

This goes against the major problem with LA, namely that it's really harsh at low levels (where you'll be at a fraction of your peers HP, and half the skillpoints), but unnoticed at higher levels (where 7 HP and 4-5 skillpoints are an incredible trade for some ability bonuses, and things like spell resistance 10 higher than your level). If anything, LA should scale with your ECL.

But the bonuses that you get are much greater at low levels (spell like abilities and that) whereas at higher levels, those abilities are more common (class features, items, etc) and you are less powerful. While you have less HP at lower levels, you are more versitile or powerful, but at higher levels it makes you weaker compared to the party as far as abilities go.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Note that drow are no good for anything mechanics-wise; they suck no matter what class you are. Their abilities are nowhere near good enough to justify a +2 LA, unless you're allowed to buy off the adjustment.

No, but wouldn't it be extremely cool to play a dual wielding Drow?
I am thinking a pair of Scimitars would really look amazing! You would of course be CG instead of evil...

[Powerslave44]

Appreciate the input guys... I wound up going with a Deathtouched human since the level adjustment wasn't quite as harsh for them, and this way I don't have to be an elf.