Changes: Effective character level

Revision as of 07:57, 6 July 2006

Effective character level (ECL) is a way to compensate for the traits of the more powerful races. The average drow, for example, has several powerful abilities that make them more powerful than humans. To compensate for this, PnP use the concept of an ECL.

ECL â€œlagsâ€ your character behind by a certain number of levels, to compensate for your more powerful racial capabilities. If drow have an ECL of +2, that means that they are treated as level 3 characters at level 1. For example, a human with 11000 XP would normally be level 5 and is treated as such; a drow with 11000 XP is only level 3, but is treated as a level 5.

Notes

BioWare did not implement ECL in the same sense as PnP because Neverwinter Nights does not (by default) support subraces and monster races which are the main sources of ECL and thus it was not needed.

BioWare did, however, implement a class-based ECL system where some classes get bonuses such that the game treats them as if they were lower than their actual level.

Many modules have scripted various systems to handle subraces. One such system involves giving such characters Racial Hit Die; however this solution has its own differences from PnP as GUI limitations prevent characters from taking more than 3 classes and Racial HD take up one slot limiting special races to only 2 classes.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Effective character levels (ECLs)''' are a way to compensate for the traits of the more powerful [[race]]s. The average [[drow]], for example, has several powerful abilities that make them more powerful than [[human]]s. To compensate for this, [[PnP]] use the concept of an ECL.
+'''Effective character level (ECL)''' is a way to compensate for the traits of the more powerful [[race]]s. The average [[drow]], for example, has several powerful abilities that make them more powerful than [[human]]s. To compensate for this, [[PnP]] use the concept of an ECL.
-ECL's â€œlagâ€ your character behind by a certain number of levels, to compensate for your more powerful racial capabilities.  If drow have an ECL of +2, that means that they are treated as  level 3 characters at level 1.  For example, a human with 11000 XP would normally be level 5 and is treated as such; a drow with 11000 XP is only level 3, but it's treated as a level 5.
+ECL â€œlagsâ€ your character behind by a certain number of levels, to compensate for your more powerful racial capabilities.  If drow have an ECL of +2, that means that they are treated as level 3 characters at level 1.  For example, a human with 11000 XP would normally be level 5 and is treated as such; a drow with 11000 XP is only level 3, but is treated as a level 5.
 == Notes ==
-*[[BioWare]] did not implement ECL in the conventional sense because Neverwinter Nights does not (by default) support [[subrace]]s and monster races which are the main sources of ECL and thus it was not needed.
+*[[BioWare]] did not implement ECL in the same sense as [[PnP]] because Neverwinter Nights does not (by default) support [[subrace]]s and monster races which are the main sources of ECL and thus it was not needed.
 *BioWare did, however, implement a class-based ECL system where some classes get bonuses such that the game treats them as if they were lower than their actual level.
-*Many [[module]]s have [[script]]ed various systems to handle subraces.  One such system involves giving such characters Racial [[Hit Die]] however this solution is at best flawed as GUI limitations prevent characters from taking more than 3 classes and Racial HD take up one slot limiting special races to only 2 classes.
+*Many [[module]]s have [[script]]ed various systems to handle subraces.  One such system involves giving such characters Racial [[Hit Die]]; however this solution has its own differences from [[PnP]] as GUI limitations prevent characters from taking more than 3 classes and Racial HD take up one slot limiting special races to only 2 classes.
 [[Category:Game rules]]