"ILT"s, Initial Level Traders [PEACH]

[Reinboom]

I haven't thought of a good name for this idea yet, suggestions please ^^
Anyways, the idea is only for character creation and only works when starting a game with characters higher than level 1. Characters can sacrifice initial levels for extra bonuses. Since this isn't a level adjustment, characters will get back up to level with their teammates, eventually only being slightly behind. This makes this difficult to try to balance while holding to the original idea.
These are a few initial ones:

Enduring Figure:
Levels Sacrificed: 1
Benefit:
You gain a +2 bonus to each hit die.


Intuitive of the Art:
Levels Sacrificed: 2
Benefit:
You gain +1 caster level to all your arcane classes. This effects spells per day and spells known.
You also gain +2 intuitive bonuses to spellcraft and knowledge (arcana), and they become class skills permanently.


Broad Talent:
Levels Sacrificed: 1
Benefit:
Choose any 2 skills. These skills permanently become class skills.
You gain 2 additional skill points with each level.


Anatomocal Precision:
Levels Sacrificed: 2
Benefit:
Your crit range is increased by 1 after all multipliers. You gain a +4 bonus to confirm crits.
While using healing spells or items that reproduce effects of healing spells, you gain a +3 bonus to each die.


Narrow Talent:
Levels Sacrificed: 1
Benefit:
Your max ranks for class skills is increased by 2. Your max ranks for cross class skills is decreased by 1.
You gain 2 additional skill points with each level.


Ability Adept:
Levels Sacrificed: 1
Benefit:
Gain an additional starting feat. At level 8 you gain another bonus feat.



Opinions?

[Fizban]

I'd just think of it as LA+1 that has been bought off. LA buyoff can be found in Unearthed Arcana or the SRD. For LA+1 you would essentially go until you've reached class level 3 (ECL 4), and then upon reaching your next level you just lose the xp and stay at level 3, but your LA is gone, allowing you to progress at normal speed.

So, an ECL 5 character with 3 levels will have no LA, if it is assumed he bought it off.

Most of these combined with normal races produce a weak LA+1, so they seem fine.

Except intuitive art. Caster level +1 is fine, but unlike ability bonuses or bonus feats, this lets you exceed your normal class abilities, the exact opposite of what LA and similar things do.

Oh, and enduring figure is worded funny, just change it to "you gain +2 hp per hit die".

[Maerok]

So this a weaker version of the DMG2 NPC traits (like Prophetic, Prodigy, and such) in that they start you at a low level instead of giving you an LA penalty (those had really big LA's like +4 and +12, though I'd still wanna be Prophetic)?