Bloodlines (Unearthed Arcana) and ECL

[bigbaddragon]

Does taking bloodline levels from Unearthed Arcana raise your ECL or not?

It's kinda logical to me that it does (it would be just too great to get all that stuff for free) but I'm unsure because its not clearly written that way... or my poor tired eyes missed it.

[Khantalas]

Well, you could say that. You have to take "bloodline levels" at certain points, which is slightly different than having an ECL. I think.

[Damionte]

You know... I was so confused tryign to decipher what the hell they were tryin gto do with bloodlines that we just tossed them out. I mean yes I understand they're optional but we just couldn't make any sense out of it. Group is a pretty rational bunch but the bloodlines were just poorly explained. To much fluf text and not enough actual rules about how it works.

[Douglas]

What's the confusion about? Everything seems perfectly clear to me. For an example:

Bob the Paladin is created with a major celestial bloodline.
At level 1, he gets a +2 bonus to Sense Motive as per the chart for a major celestial bloodline. In every other respect, he is treated as a normal paladin of his race and level.
At level 2, he gains Alertness as a bonus feat.
Before becoming level 3, he must take a bloodline level (technically he can continue without it, but that comes with major penalties).
At ECL 3, he is a level 2 Paladin/1 Bloodline, with the bloodline bonuses for levels 1 and 2. His character level is still 2, however, so he does not gain the bloodline benefit for level 3 yet. In addition to the benefits from the chart, his Lay on Hands ability improves as if he were a Paladin 3. He does not gain the Aura of Courage or Divine Health abilities, however - only abilities he already has that depend directly on class level improve. The bonus damage from Smite Evil qualifies, so that goes up to 3 as well.
At ECL 4, he is character level 3 with +1 LA from the bloodline and gains +1 wisdom as per the level 3 entry on the chart.
He levels up normally as for a character with +1 LA, gaining more bloodline benefits on the side, until character level 5.
Before becoming character level 6, he must take another bloodline level, increasing his level adjustment again.
At ECL 7 he is a Paladin 5/Bloodline 2, with Lay on Hands, Smite Evil, level for Turn Undead, and Caster Level (but not spells) as for a 7th level paladin, and has all the bloodline bonuses through Celestial affinity +2 for level 5.
At character level 11 (ECL 13), he must take the final bloodline level before becoming character level 12. Once he has that 3rd bloodline level, he will be ECL 14 as a level 11 Paladin with a LA of +3, all the bloodline benefits through level 11 (Celestial affinity +4), and any calculation for abilities dependent on his paladin level (eg Lay on Hands) treat his level as 3 higher than it actually is.
From then on, he just keeps going down the chart piling up bonuses as he levels up with his +3 level adjustment.

[Ramza00]

Yes they count.

Bloodlines are confusing at first glance, but once you read them they are easy. Think of them as LAs but not with all the negatives of LAs, the abilities you get are supposed to make up for the Bloodline LAs

[CASTLEMIKE]

Yes for leveling up until they are bought down but there is a lot of flexibility with the Blood lines you can use them as written buying down early as desired or with standard LA buydown.

[bigbaddragon]

Ok, this confirms my opinion at first place. Thanks everyone.