ECL question

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I've started a heavy-ecl party (2 svirfnebins,1 drow,1 aasimar). I think in the long run this could actually be an xp advantage because their delayed level advancement is keeping my party's average level lower, which means I'm getting xp rewards longer into the game. Am I understanding the xp rules correctly? What counts when calculating a party's average xp level, ECL or class level?
Also, is there any different xp reward for quests/monsters when playing in different difficuly levels? (not Hof). Thanks

 

I think you'll get less XP. Your party starts out at level 1 but due to their ECLs they're actually level 2 so any XP you get would be less than if the ECL was 1.

 

this is still not entirely clear to me. I thought ECL was meant to be a modifier for getting the next charachter level, making a "stronger" race more balanced compared to his party comrades. but when calculating the party level, the charachter level is used. if what you say is true, then there is a double penalty for the drow,aasimar etc. : they advance slower, and they get less xp because they are considered stronger because of ECL modifiers.
I think I'm confused because all I have to rely on is the game's manual, I don't have any 3E books or tables regarding this topic.

 

Let's take a level 3 drow, for example. The character is level 3, but the game counts him as level 5 because of his ECL +2. So let's say a monster would give 100 xp to a level 3 char and 80 xp for a level 5 character. Then the drow would get 80 xp because the game counts him as level 5.