Reducing level adjusts

[darkbuu_1]

Level adjusted creatures have it pretty rough at both ends what with instant kills going on longer at low levels dues to their less hit dice, and features that don't scale putting them behind the curve at higher levels.

This is an idea I've been playing with for a while but I just can't quite figure out how balanced it is. What I thought was essentially this;

0 LA creatures get to gestalt their first level.

+1 LA creatures get a bonus feat

+2 and higher LA creatures get nothing.

Then reduce all level adjusts by 2 (minimum 0); so now level 1 Tiefling or Modron is considered to be ecl 1 with a bonus feat ([+1LA - 2] + 1 class), a level 1 elf with the dark template is ecl 1 with a bonus feat ([0 race + 1 template - 2] + 1 class), and a level 1 Pixie are now ecl 3 ([+4LA - 2] + 1 Class). Racial HD however aren't reduced by this so a level 1 Lizardfolk is ecl 3 with a bonus feat (2hd +[+ 1LA - 2] +1) if you can find a 0 LA creature with racial hit dice you could gestalt one of them at level 1.

Hopefully this makes sense and I'm eager to hear any and all critiques.

[Frog Dragon]

Hmmm.. could actually work, though I would MUCH rather be a Human Rogue/Wizard than a Hobgoblin Rogue or something. Then again, the Hobgoblin doesn't really deserve LA in the first place.

It certainly does make things less rough for those with LA.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Another option would be to make level-adjusted characters take levels in NPC classes instead of losing levels. This would let warriors keep their BAB up, and skill-oriented characters keep the ranks they need (though that is not generally necessary, since level-adjusted races tend to have great skill modifiers). You could even houserule that levels in Adept can be used to improve a character's caster level or grant more spells known.

I've actually homebrewed rules for this for Pathfinder (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235775) (which uses a point-based system for level adjustment). Every 5 race points over 10 requires the character to take a level in an NPC class.