I've seen threads addressing aspects of this, but I have some concerns. With the updates and slight up-powering given to PC races, shouldn't monsters receive a similar bump? My concern here is primarily for the lower levels, as the relevant powers generally aren't as much of a factor once you get past level 8 or so.
I'm also curious if there are going to be any fixes applied to level adjustments.
Also, does Paizo intend to put out a Pathfinder DMG and MM in addition to their PH?
So that's why humans rule the world.
|
The book is going to be the PHB and DMG rolled into one. The Beta is 400+ pages and the final book is supposed to be 560 pages :O
They have already said that there will be a MM but they haven't even started on it. My assumption is that they are waiting to see how successful PfRPG is.
I don't think the power increase will be that great but there is some debate on that. Seems to me the biggest power bump is in levels 1-10. No need to change the monsters, just increase the CR of encounters slightly.
No word on LA changes yet. Since +LA creatures are so popular I'm hoping there will be a chapter in their MM on using +LA creatures as PCs.
-- Dennis
The book is going to be the PHB and DMG rolled into one. The Beta is 400+ pages and the final book is supposed to be 560 pages :O
They have already said that there will be a MM but they haven't even started on it. My assumption is that they are waiting to see how successful PfRPG is.
I don't think the power increase will be that great but there is some debate on that. Seems to me the biggest power bump is in levels 1-10. No need to change the monsters, just increase the CR of encounters slightly.
No word on LA changes yet. Since +LA creatures are so popular I'm hoping there will be a chapter in their MM on using +LA creatures as PCs.
-- Dennis
My personal preference is to have a method for characters to "buy back" their LA's. So if you've got a +3 LA character, either it just gets -1 LA every four levels, or you sacrifice an Ability Point gain to do it instead.
Another option might be feats that allow you to count your LA or monster HD toward class effects such as caster levels etc.
Maybe I'll make a seperate post about it.
-Steve
My favorite was to make 1 HD = 1 level. Then a critter with lots of powers, meriting a large LA, would also need a lot of racial HD to make up for it. For example, a vampire has a +8 LA. It's suicide to play a 10th level vampire character in an 18th level adventure, though; you'd be toast within seconds. So the vampire would also have 8 HD of "undead" (but still be ECL 18th), providing 8d12 hp and +4 to BAB and +2/+2/+6 to saves, making adventuring in an 18th level adventure at least somewhat feasible.
My favorite was to make 1 HD = 1 level. Then a critter with lots of powers, meriting a large LA, would also need a lot of racial HD to make up for it. For example, a vampire has a +8 LA. It's suicide to play a 10th level vampire character in an 18th level adventure, though; you'd be toast within seconds. So the vampire would also have 8 HD of "undead" (but still be ECL 18th), providing 8d12 hp and +4 to BAB and +2/+2/+6 to saves, making adventuring in an 18th level adventure at least somewhat feasible.
That's essentially what they did with Libris Mortis and (tried to do, from what I hear) in Savage Species.
-Steve
[That's essentially what they did with Libris Mortis and (tried to do, from what I hear) in Savage Species.
Dunno about LM.
SS added LA's, but you had to add them to the racial HD and the class levels to get the ECL. So, a Savage Species 10th level fighter with a +5 LA and 5 racial HD would be a 20th level character, which is faintly ridiculous when you try to actually play one.|
|
Racial Levels were awful. Just as bad as the standard +LA only spread out over time so you could take them at 1st level. The buyback method in UA was about the best solution but it was too complicated. Also, it was based on WotCs exp table which is no longer relevant.
The best method I can think of would be having a XP penalty for LA creatures until they reach a set level. So for example a lizardman would only get 2/3 of his normal xp until he reached 3rd level.
Racial hit dice would have to be multi classed in, maybe every other level until you bought off all of the HD.
The best method I can think of would be having a XP penalty for LA creatures until they reach a set level. So for example a lizardman would only get 2/3 of his normal xp until he reached 3rd level.
That's sort of what I was talking about, with one LA dropping about every 4 levels. You end up with a slight Attribute advantage at the higher levels, but the loss of XP through your advancement doescompensate somewhat.
-Steve
My feeling is that with the upgunning of the standard races others could have their LAs reduced/eliminated-hobgoblins, planetouched, duergar, lizardfolk, gnolls and bugbears would all have their current +1s reduced to +0, and even ogres, centaurs and minotaurs, because their abilities would be spread over several monster HD could also have their current +2s reduced to +1s or even eliminated. Other monsters would probably have reduced, but definitely not eliminated LAs (outsiders, dragons, trolls, and giants all spring to mind here). It would also allow for improvement to currently subpar races to make them comparable to their standard race opponents in power-orcs, goblins and the lowest of the low, kobolds.
|
I've seen threads addressing aspects of this, but I have some concerns. With the updates and slight up-powering given to PC races, shouldn't monsters receive a similar bump? My concern here is primarily for the lower levels, as the relevant powers generally aren't as much of a factor once you get past level 8 or so.
This was a problem in 3.X, as well. Gnomes and Dwarves had a half-page list of features, while Orcs and Half-Orcs had 'darkvision' and 'counts as an Orc for weapons that do extra damage to Orcs.'
On the one hand, I'm not entirely sure that elves, dwarves and gnomes *need* a half-page of fluffy stuff like 'really good at snooping around and finding stuff that was supposed to be hidden' or 'all of race X are trained in the hoopla boogerflinger and treat it as a martial weapon.'
On the other hand, if every 'PC race' is going to have a bunch of extraneous crap tossed at it that will only be relevant in some settings anyway, why don't Hobgoblins and Gnolls have a bunch of silly extra powers as well?
