Adding templates to player characters


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion

The Exchange

Pathfinder basically did away with Level Adjustments, so how would adding a template (for instance, adding the half-celestial template) affect the party's ECL? Would the party be considered one or more levels higher for the purposes of determining xp from encounters when using the quick xp method? Templates suggest CR adjustments to base characters, but that does not translate precisely into ECL adjustments when templates are added to player characters.

Liberty's Edge

Usually it's easiest just to treat the CR adjustment + 1 as the level adjustment. This is because a player's net CR is supposed to be their level - 1 (or CR 1/2 at level 1).

That said, if the abilities provided by the template do absolutely nothing for the player, then you should probably follow the "buy-off" rules (as I call them). Basically, for every 3 levels you have in the non-synergizing class, you lose one level of adjust from race/template (keeping a minimum of half the adjustment). If you don't have enough for buy-off yet, you usually lose that point of adjust half-way to the qualifying level (so half-way from 2 to 3, for example).

So a character that starts with a CR+2 template would start as a level 4 equivalent, with one class level. If they were in a class that synergized with the template (like a barbarian with half-dragon), then this adjustment stays as is. However, if it didn't (like a cloistered cleric with half-dragon), then when they are at level 2.5 in their class (5.5 on the exp track) they gain an extra class level, effectively buying off the CR point right there.

Now, if the template is actively AGAINST the class they play, you might throw them a bone and ignore the adjustment, or even let them start retraining. Some templates apply penalties to ability scores, and this is just no fun. An example of this would be any barbarian gaining an undead template, since it negates the con-score boosting effect of their rage and changes their HP to cha-based (which is likely a penalty).

Of course, all of this assumes single-classing.

PS: Note that the wealth-by-level chart is for how much wealth you have relative to your *class* levels. A character with an adjust of 2 should probably get slightly less gear than the other players. This is because gear is part of the CR of class levels, but NOT part of the CR of monsters and/or templates.

EDIT: Took into account the fact that CR1 is equivalent to Level 2 already by adding the +1 to the first sentence.

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