D&D 3E/3.5 PF core class ability vs 3.5 core class ability

[Oryan77]

In Pathfinder, the Rogue Trapfinding ability allows the Rogue to add half his level to (Perception) checks to locate traps & Disable Device.

In Pathfinder, the Ranger Track ability allows the Ranger to add half his level to Survival checks made to follow tracks.

What are the implications of using that rule in 3.5 for a Rogue and Ranger? Are DCs for traps higher in PF than in 3.5? Would a character in 3.5 never fail the check if he put points in those skills and got to add half his level as a bonus?

I'm just wondering why PF added that rule to those abilities.

 

[Dozen]

In Pathfinder, the Rogue Trapfinding ability allows the Rogue to add half his level to (Perception) checks to locate traps & Disable Device.

In Pathfinder, the Ranger Track ability allows the Ranger to add half his level to Survival checks made to follow tracks.

What are the implications of using that rule in 3.5 for a Rogue and Ranger? Are DCs for traps higher in PF than in 3.5? Would a character in 3.5 never fail the check if he put points in those skills and got to add half his level as a bonus?

I'm just wondering why PF added that rule to those abilities.

They didn't so much add it to the abilities as they retconned them as a whole. In PF, Trapfinding is not required to find high-DC traps, so rogues are not required in every high level dungeoneering party(they still get a bonus to it, to defend their status as the best of their art), and the Track feat doesn't exist so you don't have to waste a level in ranger or a feat to do tasks as trivial and basic as following footprints left in the snow(and, like rogues, rangers get a bonus to make them better at it, but they aren't the only ones along with a few other classes that can, by basis, track). Quite the sensible changes.

 

[Jimlock]

...and the Track feat doesn't exist so you don't have to waste a level in ranger or a feat to do tasks as trivial and basic as following footprints left in the snow

In 3.5 everyone can track a DC of 10 (which includes footprints left in the snow)

 

[Dozen]

Oh. Okay. *Been outsmarted, walks away in shame*

 

[Greenfield]

Dozen has it right, at least in principle. PF eliminated some requirements for specific tasks, requirements that were largely class specific. When they did that they decided to give those classes a little bump in that area.

I don't play Pathfinder much. The system seems to have upped the power levels in an attempt to balance the classes, and from what I've seen and heard, all they did was create some new broken ones.

 

[Dandu]

They also left some of the old broken things in.

 

[Jimlock]

Oh. Okay. *Been outsmarted, walks away in shame*

Don't worry. It's not like the put it out in the open. Something so important for the adventuring life of EVERY character should not have been simply mentioned as a side note under the survival skill.

 

[Greenfield]

They also left some of the old broken things in.

Ah, but if there are more broken classes there's at least the potential for striking a new balance: Equally Broken!

I've played in Glass Cannon games before. The battle is decided on the Initiative dice. The rest is just window dressing.