LA Buyback Rules

[skywalker]

Are the rules for level advancement buyback in the SRD?

If no, what are they, generally? I don't want the specific rules(since they're not in the SRD), just a general gist because my DM's never heard of them.

[Dhavaer]

LA Buyback.

[Jack Mann]

Ain't the SRD just amazing sometimes?

[Jasdoif]

Ain't the SRD just amazing sometimes?

Yes...but LA buyback isn't actually in the SRD. It's "just" OGC that happens to have appeared in a WotC publication

[Fax Celestis]

Yes...but LA buyback isn't actually in the SRD. It's "just" OGC that happens to have appeared in a WotC publication

I hate how frequently SRD and OGC are confused. There's a difference.

[Ramza00]

I hate how frequently SRD and OGC are confused. There's a difference.

Yes there is a difference, and yes people should know the difference. Yet at the same time there are some people (not necessary people in this thread, and still a minority of people) get really righteously indignant and morally superior in this matter of the srd vs ogc, calling people idiots or similar comments (often less offensive things on this board for we have good mods and community). This irks me, and i see it repeated time and again.

Anyway for most people the distinction really doesn't matter in the end, for most people aren't homebrewing/third parties. They don't need to know all the ends and outs of the legal stuff, just can they talk about it or share it or is it copyrighted. Similar to how a normal person doesn't need to know how a refrigerator works to use one.

I sympathize Jasdoif and Fax_Celestis, yet at the same time don't make too big of detail over whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable.

[Fax Celestis]

I sympathize Jasdoif and Fax_Celestis, yet at the same time don't make too big of detail over whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable.

It's a fruit.

Sorry, my obsessive need for organization stems from my librarian mother and mathematician father.

[Droodle]

It's a fruit.

Well, actually it's a botanical fruit. Botanical fruits are categorized as such because they have common elements with both fruits and vegetables but are not a perfect fit for either category. Here is a Venn Diagram which illustrates the relationship.

[Jasdoif]

I realize the SRD and the OGC are effectively the same to the end user. Hey, that's generally OK; there's no need to understand the difference to realize that they're both easily available for gaming purposes, and if they feel they can improve upon it they're allowed to do so.

However, credit should go where credit is due. Praise the SRD for what's in it, and not misattribute other stuff into it.

[Ramza00]

It's a fruit.

Sorry, my obsessive need for organization stems from my librarian mother and mathematician father.

I understand, I am the same way with categorization and arguing details which seem small to other people but are very precise and important. I just dont' want this thread to turn into some other threads I seen before on other boards and to a lesser extent this board, it ruins the community aspect. Something I admire, in awe at, yet don't understand often being a very rational introverted person who understand logic more than small talk and social interaction *blush*

[Quirinus_Obsidian]

Anyway, back to the LA Buyback rules...

I have only experienced it in a epic level campaign; I do not know how it is going to affect a normal campaign; if you wanted to play a Drow for example; that is effectively 2 levels of progression you are giving up. Based on the encounter XP rules, it can take a quite a long time to get that back; I don't know if your DM does a per player XP figuring.

Also, the other players in the group may not have a powerful race like a Drow or Thri-kreen (multiattacking dervish... oh gods the cheesiness), so you may want to take that into account also.

[skywalker]

Meaning no dis-respect to fax(see the quote in your sig) or jasdoif, I meant on the website, d20srd.org, which is most easily referred to as "the SRD." Please don't call me an idiot, even in veiled terms.

@quirinus: It was just theoretical, I wasn't actually thinking of playing anything with LA, we were just talking about the LA buyback rules. It's also not that big a deal for an LA+1 race, of which there are many, many available. Because you're talking about playing as a lvl 3 in a lvl 4 party, which can easily be caught up. Generally, also, LA+1's aren't so unbalancing that the rest of the party is saying "Why can't I play too?"

[atatassault]

Anyway, back to the LA Buyback rules...

I have only experienced it in a epic level campaign; I do not know how it is going to affect a normal campaign; if you wanted to play a Drow for example; that is effectively 2 levels of progression you are giving up. Based on the encounter XP rules, it can take a quite a long time to get that back; I don't know if your DM does a per player XP figuring.

Also, the other players in the group may not have a powerful race like a Drow or Thri-kreen (multiattacking dervish... oh gods the cheesiness), so you may want to take that into account also.

Indeed. LA buyback is only really useful for +1 or +2 LAs subepic (its cheaper to buy off the LA than have to get to ECL 21 for Level 19). However, if you go to level 30 or 40, LA buyback is far cheaper than having to get XP for ECL 40 for your 36th Level (Im not going to do the math, but for a +4 LA, you'll probably be level 39 [you'll at least be level 38] when everybody else is Level 40).

[Jasdoif]

Meaning no dis-respect to fax(see the quote in your sig) or jasdoif, I meant on the website, d20srd.org, which is most easily referred to as "the SRD." Please don't call me an idiot, even in veiled terms.

Wait. Who's calling you an idiot? There was an error. Errors are bad. The error was pointed out to help avoid it in the future.

That's all. No one's calling you an idiot, or implying you're an idiot, or anything else. No one here's expected to be perfect (which is a very good thing for me, if the Simple Q&A threads are any indication).


And as for LA buyback...well, it certainly beats keeping the LA. It can get complicated as far as balance concerns go though, what with certain abilities scaling and others not, varying amounts of racial hit dice, etc. Then again, none of that is really specific to LA buyback; they're general issues with LA itself, so I guess there's little sense in faulting the variant for problems with its core.

[skywalker]

Wait. Who's calling you an idiot? There was an error. Errors are bad. The error was pointed out to help avoid it in the future.

That's all. No one's calling you an idiot, or implying you're an idiot, or anything else. No one here's expected to be perfect (which is a very good thing for me, if the Simple Q&A threads are any indication).

Forgive me, it seemed as though that was what was being implied.

That's what I get for posting while combative(PWC?).

What do you think specifically for LA+1 races?

[Jasdoif]

What do you think specifically for LA+1 races?

Well...of the ones I can think of, it works out pretty fairly. Most of them have a type other then humanoid, or some resistances/immunities, or nice stat adjustments; and in general are just more survivable in early level play. By the time class abilities and magic items overlap or overcome their advantages, you should be able to buy off the LA.

[Starsinger]

Meh.. LA +1 Races I treat as LA 0, and give races who are originally LA 0 loot slightly faster.. So Bob the Human gets a +1 Longsword before Billy the Aasimar.. And then around the point that Tieflingness stops being a big deal, they catch up in loot.