Theodore Tibbitts's page

This 2nd level spell completely invalidates so many other spells, core and non-core, that it needs to go. It provides a safe haven that's nearly undetectable for an hour per level. Leomund's Tiny Igloo is the same level in Frostburn, but far more obvious, silly, smaller, and less defensible. Leomund's Secure Shelter is two levels higher, and again, less defensible and more obvious, albeit larger and with explicit beds. Modernkainen's Mansion is the only alternative that is in any way better, since you can explicitly prevent access to unwanted ruffians - but it's freakin' five levels higher!

Rope Trick should have a duration of one minute per level. Enough that it can be used to hide from pursuers, but little enough it cannot be used to rest in the midst of a dungeon. Because that's just ridiculous.

So, I'm trying out Pathfinder, and obviously the PhB races have been enhanced, with the conceptual reason of making them more appealing and balanced with some of the more powerful races in other books. Obviously, however, not all other races are equal, and so I feel that ideally a DM should make adjustments as necessary to non-core races to balance. It seems that the core races seem to follow the pattern of a bonus to a mental and physical score. My general rule of thumb was going to be 1) Reduce LA by one on LA races if it seems balanced to do so. and 2) Give LA 0 races that aren't significantly better than PHB races a +2 to on more score, typically a physical if they had a mental or a mental if they had a physical.

One of my player wants to be a Goliath. I feel like they are too good to be reduced to 0 LA. However, I'm not sure if they would stack up to a +2 LA equivalent, which is what they'd be if left where they are. I am contemplating giving them a +2 to Wisdom. What are your thoughts? Would this be a balanced addition? Should they be left as they are, as they are one of the races the PHB races are being balanced to? Thoughts?