Discoveries/Impressions

[jaults]

The new Jump rules are cool. Finally, you can do that leap across the chasm quickly and without needing to do division.

    Oh yes, I soooooo agree. I read the new Jump rules and said out loud (to my wife, who just kinda looked at me with that perplexed expression we all know and love), "That is so easy!"

Jason

 

[francisca]

Hmmmm. I'll agree that D&D "feels" different to me than it did back in the 1E days. Thinking back, it seemed better back then, somehow - but I'm fairly sure that, just like my memories of Star Wars, nostalgia is clouding my vision.

Have you played D&D continuously since you started? I took a 15 year hiatus. To me, it still feels like D&D as I used to know it.

The mechanics have changed, to be sure. But the that's not as important to me as the concept of swords and sorcery, good vs. evil, going to strange exotic locales, meeting fantastic people and creatures, then killing them and taking their stuff.

Apart from the additional book-keeping as a DM, 3E sure feels like D&D to me. (I started with the 1980 Basic set.) I'm sure 3.5 (or what portions I cherry pick and add to 3.0) will still feel the same. It's all on me to as the DM to ensure fun, fair play, no matter what rule set I'm using.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

They are huge predators with slavering claws

Well, if it's their claws that are slavering, that's more disturbing and gross than actually frightening, but other than that your point is taken. The Owlbear has always felt like one more of Gygax's "need an N-HD humanoid here to fill a gap in the monster list" creations. Doesn't make it particularly bad, just sort of flavorless.

Still, it is one of those sacred cows that would be greatly missed by some portion of the gaming public if it ever went away or changed drastically.

 

[Gellion]

Skeletons and Zombies-- NEUTRAL EVIL! Finally.

Bah

 

[Zenon]

A few things I saw on a quick glance through the new books (don't have them with me for exact quotes):

The new Grapple rules - these looked alot better than the old ones. New maneuvers, moving while grappled. stabbing the other person with their own light weapon, etc. - good stuff! Now two people can finally struggle over a single dagger. Everything looked better explained and laid out.

The new Scry rules - no more Scry skill, finally it's a Will save with a hefty table of modifiers. So much better than even Andy Collin's variant rules (which I was using because the 3.0 PHB ones left something to be desired when in use).

Bard power - on my quick glance, the Bard looked like he got a major boost (and it was needed). Glibness spell on the Bard list (+30 to Bluff)! Man, we need to talk our way in their, send the Bard! More powers spread out over the levels, it's all good.

I'm really going to go through them this weekend, but what I saw so far makes me glad I got them.

 

[jaults]

The new Grapple rules - these looked alot better than the old ones. New maneuvers, moving while grappled. stabbing the other person with their own light weapon, etc. - good stuff! Now two people can finally struggle over a single dagger. Everything looked better explained and laid out.

    Oh, yeah, the grapple rules are the other thing I exclaimed out loud about. They are so much better organized...

Jason

 

[Henry]

The Owlbear has always felt like one more of Gygax's "need an N-HD humanoid here to fill a gap in the monster list" creations. Doesn't make it particularly bad, just sort of flavorless.

Gary actually made a lot of monsters based off of those old fake prehistoric plastic toys popular in the 1970's (and still around in dollar stores today). I know the rust monster was based off of one, as well as the bulette.

And get back with your crazy owl-bear talk, heathens! The Owlbear is the fiercest, most scary creature in the game for players under 4th level or so! Bears can rend, but an owlbear can rend and liquefy. Let's hear it for the crazy mothe--- err, INSPIRED GENIUS who came up with the concept of magical recombination of owl and bear DNA!!!!!!

 

[Voadam]

Here's another thing I like.

The 3.0 edition finally solved the problem for me of introducing snakes and spiders into the game-- I mean, NORMAL snakes and spiders. Back in the old 1e days, there weren't, as far as I know, any "official" normal vipers or tarantuals. Just the giant kind. Which is sort of lame, because the real creatures are great opponents. Or at least good for a scare.

So, 3.0 put them into the game. Bravo. Finally.

But 3.5 has done them one better. 3.5 has introduced-- SWARMS!!! Yes, for the first time as far as I know, there's a consistent mechanic for dealing with swarms of hungry (normal) rats and swarms of flying (normal) bats and even swarms of normal centipedes and spiders and locusts too!

That's been something I've always wanted a mechanic for, because I just love the atmosphere of these things. Everytime Indiana Jones faced a swarm of bugs or rats, I wished the game would finally introduce a workable mechanic for handling them. Well, finally, they have.

I thought there were poisonous normal snakes in Basic, 1e, and 2e D&D.

I remember an insect swarm entry in basic D&D monster section as well.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

EDIT: Yeah, that Emirikol picture was probably the single strongest factor in getting me into gaming. Ah, the memories... Boy that was a long time ago though. I actually have a JPG of that emirikol pic as my desktop image !!

Care to post that?

 

[Emiricol]

It is pretty big, but I'll email it if you give me ur email