Level adjustments do this meen wean thay say +1 that a starting char starts at level 2 not 3? also how do the ones with bace hit dice work.
do chars still all get wild powers?
am i reading the rules right that bards get spells not poisons or am i reading the thing wrong?
am i reading the rules right ...
Which rules are you reading?
Also - Level Adjustments are specifically related to XP, and XP only. you do not get any hit dice, or any actual level benefits from them. Basically, for experience purposes, you are treated as 1 level higher.
Now, what does this mean? Let's say someone was a Mul Gladiator, level 1. Their Character Level (CL) is 1, however their Effective Character Level (ECL) is 2. They have all the abilities of a level 1 character - as per their class and race descriptions. But, rather than needing 1,000 XP to make level 2, they need 2,000 XP. They also get the amount of experience points from an encounter, as if they are level 2 characters, rather than level 1. Plus, when calculating the Encounter Level that the character can handle, you treat the character as if he's level 2.
Level Adjustments are a balancing factor used to handle races that are very powerful.
as for the hit dice thing it state that a stating half giant is treated as a level 3 now how do they get skills and feats as they start at true level 0?
also did they do away with the thing that dark sun char start at level 3?
i must be missing that part about bards
as for the hit dice thing it state that a stating half giant is treated as a level 3 now how do they get skills and feats as they start at true level 0?
also did they do away with the thing that dark sun char start at level 3?
Half-Giants have a number of skill points for their hit dice, plus the skill points for their first level class. Basically, the starting ECL (hit dice + level adjustment) for a Half Giant (I think it is 3, right?) is their minimum level. If you have Savage Species, there's a way to start them lower. Personally, I just start my Dark Sun campaigns at level 3 (which for a Half Giant means they have no class levels at all).
Also - Level Adjustments are specifically related to XP, and XP only. you do not get any hit dice, or any actual level benefits from them. Basically, for experience purposes, you are treated as 1 level higher.
One other point that you missed -- ECL (and thus LA) is also used when determining the amount starting equipment / gold available when you're creating a new character. An ECL 6 character, who only has 4 HD, still gets the same amount of starting gold as a level 6 fighter ...
[...] still gets the same amount of starting gold as a level 6 fighter ...
Ceramic, starting Ceramic Pieces. :D
Ceramic, starting Ceramic Pieces. :D
Well ... The rule is a 3.5 standard. I was using the 3.5 terminology.
Besides, you could start out with gold pieces. Keeps the purse smaller. Yeah, that's it.
How much does stripping your PCs of all their worldly possessions affect their Encounter Level?
What is the Challenge rating of a Warrior who owns only a loin cloth?
I think that a 10th level character who doesn' have the thousands of gold-ceramic pieces in equipment value would be at a disadvantage against a normally equiped character.
Would you say -1 level adjustment (FOR DETERMINING EXPERIENCE AWARDS ONLY) could do the trick?
(Of course, no such measures are necessary with someone who takes a Vow of Poverty)
How much does stripping your PCs of all their worldly possessions affect their Encounter Level?
What is the Challenge rating of a Warrior who owns only a loin cloth?
These things aren't defined by the rules, obviously, but they weaken characters considerably. It's up to a DM to find the right balance of treasure in a Dark Sun game, because Athas.org has to base CRs on a normal party.
In my game, I gave characters an extra Hidden Talent feat and 32 Point Buy. They started at 3rd level, but with the gear of 1st-level characters, and I kept treasure levels two levels behind. Using normal ELs for the party's level worked pretty well, except that it's hard for NPCs to challenge the party when they have less gear than they should.