Fine Tuning the Leveling Rules

[Everyman]

SPOILER NOTE: If you are going to be starting up a new game in Kenosha, WI in the next week in a custom campaign world, and your game was scheduled via facebook, don't read this. You're going to spoil the surprise on Sept. 6th.

I'll wait for you to leave now.
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Are they gone?
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Good.

Next weekend, I'm going to be starting a new campaign with a bunch of friends. I decided long ago that I was going to use what promises to be an interesting rule out of Unearthed Arcana, namely...

Spoiler

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gestalt.

I've already decided how level adjustment and racial hit will be handled, taken steps to balance encounters, and overall familiarized myself with the gameplay through some trial-and-error playtesting. However, without a lot more time, I can't really decide on a few last minute questions. Ergo, I'm reaching out to those of you who have played with this rule, and asking you a few questions.

1) Did level adjustment impact feats in your campaign? That is, would a character who is barbarian 6//Template 5/ Rogue 1 have two feats (first and sixth level only, losing the third level feat to LA) or three feats (first, third, and sixth levels)?

2) Did level adjustment impact ability score bonuses in your campaign? In the above example, would that gestalt character have receieved his bonus at 4th level?

My first instinct was that LA should actually keep the above gestalt character from receiving both the third level feat and ability score adjustment. However, I don't know if that's really in the spirit of the rules (which aren't actually well defined). What do you all think?

[Tsotha-lanti]

I don't see why the rules would interact differently with the gestalt option - feats and attributes are based on HD (which, for PCs with no racial HD, is the same as their character level, rather than ECL, which is CL + LA).

Edit: Also, does anyone actually think the warnings at the start of threads for your players not to read the thread work?

[Everyman]

That's exactly what has been bugging me. I've been wondering if perhaps I'm just being a bit hasty in my decision to have feats and ability score bonuses be "covered up" by level adjustment.

Anyone else with some thoughts?

PS. Yep, the spoiler warning does work...at least with my group. I trust them fully. Besides, only one person in the group even visits this site, and I doubt he's had the time to be on.

[RandomLunatic]

Both feats and ability score adjustments are keyed to Hit Dice. So, as long as at least one side of the Gestalt is all HD (either racial or class levels), they will gain feats and stat boosts as normal.

[Everyman]

Wow...I forgot feats and ability score bonuses are keyed off of HD, not ECL. That's dumb of me.

Thank you for your responses, guys. I appreciate the help.