What's NOT being fixed in 3.5?

[Particle_Man]

allow me to clarify

Let's put it this way. As it stands there is very little that a half-elf can do that a human or a full elf can't do better. There are somethings that the elf is better at, and some things that the human is better at, and not much left for the half-elf to be better at (I've heard of some exceptions, like the 1st lvl barbarian/high level bard/arcane archer -- but these exceptions are few and far between). So that means that, unless one is willing to play a weaker character race for the pure love of roleplaying a weaker character race, one would have no reason, game mechanics-wise, to play a half-elf rather than one of the two races, full elf or human. One might, admittedly, have a pure role-playing reason, independant of games mechanics, to play a half-elf (one could be playing a bastard in an elven court, for example). But one could also have a pure role-playing reason, independant of games mechanics, to play a commoner. If so, good for you. But the commoner IS weaker than other classes, and the half-elf IS weaker than the elf or the human.

In 1st ed AD&D, before Unearthed Arcana came out, half-elves were cool. But over time, elves got to be able to do anything half-elves could do (because of the expanded class choice for elves, mainly). Now in 3rd ed, that process is almost complete. Half-elves, to restate the cliche, got the shaft.

They suck.

They are not worth playing.

They are weenies.

I trust that I have clarified my point. Now excuse me while I get back to my hack-and-slash D&D 3E game and prepare to kill things and take their treasure. Without wearing underwear.

Well, there are roleplayers and then there are "roleplayers." The first one usually being referred to as "rollplayers" ie. those whose character's background is pretty much on the character sheet. Usually if there's any kind of character interaction it consists of "my character tells your character to check to see if he brought any spare underwear."
Roleplayers would be the ones who actually have a pre-existing history, background and motivation for their character. They also usually roleplay in first person such as: "Hey Amphy? I forgots to wear my undies today. Can I borrow some of yours?"

That's how I see it.

~D

 

[Saeviomagy]

Well, there are roleplayers and then there are "roleplayers." The first one usually being referred to as "rollplayers" ie. those whose character's background is pretty much on the character sheet. Usually if there's any kind of character interaction it consists of "my character tells your character to check to see if he brought any spare underwear."
Roleplayers would be the ones who actually have a pre-existing history, background and motivation for their character. They also usually roleplay in first person such as: "Hey Amphy? I forgots to wear my undies today. Can I borrow some of yours?"

That's how I see it.

~D

Ahh, so there are people who play the game, and people who are pretentous who play the game, all the while thinking they're better than people who play the game in a different way. Got it.



(PS - if you think that hack-and-slash is an acceptable way to play the game, but you'd personally rather not play that way, you aren't being referred to in this statement)

(PPS - Looking at half-elves, I think they're a happy medium. They miss out on only one or two things that elves get, and avoid that nasty -2 con penalty... what's the problem?)

 

[TalonComics]

Ahh, so there are people who play the game, and people who are pretentous who play the game, all the while thinking they're better than people who play the game in a different way. Got it.



(PS - if you think that hack-and-slash is an acceptable way to play the game, but you'd personally rather not play that way, you aren't being referred to in this statement)

(PPS - Looking at half-elves, I think they're a happy medium. They miss out on only one or two things that elves get, and avoid that nasty -2 con penalty... what's the problem?)

Lol... Not to get off on a total tangent but I'm all about "to each their own" type of gaming. The main thing is to have fun and as long as that's happening, underwear or no underwear, that's the reason we *all* play.

Like I said, some are hack and slash role players and some are 1st person role players and of course there are mixes between the two.

Play RPGS and have fun!

~D

 

[Ranger REG]

Re: personal gripES

* rules for learning new spells : you need too much time (and too much money IMHO) to write a new spell in your spellbook. Since most campaign do not give you the time you need, your wizard end as a sorcerer with a spellbook, and without spontaneous casting.

If you mean the extra spells he finds during his adventure that he wants to write the "recipes" into his spellbook, in addition to researching two new spells he automatically gain when he advance a new level?

*dying, healing and stabilizing rules : these are prety ridiculous. You need only three seconds (a standard action...) to stabilize a dying PC. But you have less than one minute before dying if no one heal you. A more realistic rules will be : you need one minute to stabilize a character, and you roll for auto-stabilization every minute, rather than every rounds.

Hehehe. By time you roll to stabilize your character, he already reached -10 (since he loses 1 points per round when dying).

Trust me, I'm not going to micro-analyze the actual time spent when using a standard action. If an aiding character can use a move action to reach a dying character and get him stabilized immediately in that round, then I'll allow it.

Perhaps you could compromise and make it a full-round action to stabilize the character.

 

[Particle_Man]

(PPS - Looking at half-elves, I think they're a happy medium. They miss out on only one or two things that elves get, and avoid that nasty -2 con penalty... what's the problem?)

A fair comment, deserving a fair reply. Most character generation systems are either point-buy or random, where you roll dice 6 times, and choose how you assign the 6 results. In both cases, the con penalty can be worked around without too much trouble (if you have an 11 and a 13 to split between DEX and CON, you can juggle these to have either an elf with 13 Dex and 11 Con, or a half-elf with 13 Dex and 11 Con). While con is nice, it is rarely the absolute first choice stat (that falls to the spell-casting stat for spell casters, str for fighter types, dex for rogue types) and thus one doesn't usually need to make it absolutely as high as possible. And Dex is pretty good, unless you have a lot of high stats and wear heavy armour. But the characters that favour CON are usually the same characters that would benefit most from the extra feat the human gets, and the half-elf does not. There are special-case exceptions, but I think that they are special-case exceptions.

But, if your character generation system is more restrictive (i.e., roll dice 6 times and assign them in order to STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHR) AND you favour con more than dex for this particular character, AND you want "elf-lite" abilities more than the extra feat and skill points a human gets, then you have a point. I can even imagine a half-elf fighter-tank (which needs con) that spends some feats on Alertness, Iron Will, Skill Focus (spot), and Skill focus (listen) to capitalize on their elvish abilities. That might work, although if one doesn't spend those feats like that, then the elven abilities don't have as much synergy for the heavy armour types.

Aside from all that, it would have been nice if half-elves had been given something that was their own. A prestige class that only half-elves can get. A bonus to one's fort save for being a hardy half-breed. Something. It didn't have to be big.

[Starts to sob -- is handed some clean underwear, blows his nose in it, and hands it back]

As it stands, if nothing will be done for the hapless half-elf I would almost prefer that the half-elf be cut from the new PHB and the freed up space used for something else. A new race, perhaps.

Oh, and getting back on topic, I haven't heard that the Create Item feats are going to be adjusted, so that one does not have to spend separate feats on Wand, Staff, and Ring, as opposed to the multi-purpose Create Wondrous Item. But maybe something will be done.

And I am buying all three books regardless from my FLGS in July. The plusses will outweigh the minuses. But venting is good too.

 

[Ranger REG]

Hmm. What's not going to be fixed, or added, is a system in which we can create hybrids, or halfbreeds, like the half-elf. While template is a nice idea, I'm kinda looking for something in which we pick and choose the racial traits for hybrid races, with balanced allowances and restrictions. Wizards should have been on the case regarding this one.

Oh, well. I have yet to see what Bastards & Bloodlines have to offer, albeit as a d20 product.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Re: allow me to clarify

Let's put it this way. As it stands there is very little that a half-elf can do that a human or a full elf can't do better. There are somethings that the elf is better at, and some things that the human is better at, and not much left for the half-elf to be better at (I've heard of some exceptions, like the 1st lvl barbarian/high level bard/arcane archer -- but these exceptions are few and far between).

Arcane Archer and Bladesinger combos are the most obvious niches for the half-elf.

Ftr 4/Sor 2 Arcane Archer or Bladesinger. Better be a half-elf or you'll have xp penalties.

Ftr 4/Wiz 1/Rgr 1 (or Bbn 1) Arcane Archer or Bladesinger. You want to be a half-elf.

Ftr 2/Bbn 1/Rgr 1/Bard 4 Arcane Archer is another half-elf only class combo.

Most of the benefits to being a half-elf instead of an elf or human will probably involve heavily multi-classed prestige classes (or prestige class combos) requiring elf blood.

An argument could also be made for rangers or rogues since half-elf's favored class lets them multiclass like humans but they still get low-light vision and are able to function better at night. However, that's not something that comes up in most games.

 

[Merlion]

Sorcerers still arent going to be able to officialy use Quicken Spell. And none of the other sorcerer issues are being addressed(as far as we know).
Monks and Paladins still have the stupid multiclassing restriction and the almost as stupid alignment restrictions(although I never really hoped that they'd change those...to sacred cow).
I still dont believe that NOTHING at all is being done to the half breeds...
lets see what else...thats about all I can come up with with the limited information we have.
Overall, the hit more than they missed judging from what we know at present.

 

[Gez]

Re: Re: personal gripES

If you mean the extra spells he finds during his adventure that he wants to write the "recipes" into his spellbook, in addition to researching two new spells he automatically gain when he advance a new level?

Why, yes. Yes, he do.

Hehehe. By time you roll to stabilize your character, he already reached -10 (since he loses 1 points per round when dying).

Actually, his house rule includes losing 1 hit points every 10 rounds. It's part of the "roll for stabilize" package.

Myself, I would make the roll to stabilize be every Constitution score rounds. That would allow some people to agonize more lengthily. They'll thanks me for that.

 

[WizarDru]

Me. I won't be fixed under 3.5e. I'll be even more broken, in point of fact. And I might even be changed into a half-elf, besides.