D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 problematic rules list needed

Squire James · Feb 20, 2005

I do NOT agree that Feint trumps Uncanny Dodge. Uncanny Dodge has one specific condition that negates it, and I don't think Feint achieves that effect. The condition that Feint achieves is closer to "flat-footed" than anything else, and UD specifically blocks loss of Dex from that effect.

So, if you're a rogue and see a fast-moving warrior in medium armor, avoid getting into a fight with him!

Squire James · Feb 20, 2005

As for the Holy Word question, 3.5e DOES have a clear answer. Targets have to hear the word to be deafened/blinded/stunned/paralyzed/killed, but they don't have to hear it to suffer the "go home" effect. Thus, Silence magic will stop everything but the "go home" effect.

isoChron · Feb 20, 2005

Enlarge Spell

There is a problem with enlarge spell:

Weight x8 vs. +2 STR and one size larger (x2 load) means often heavy load/overloaded even if you were light or medium loaded before the casting.

Righteous Might is not that flawed but close.

Kae'Yoss · Feb 20, 2005

Squire James said:
I do NOT agree that Feint trumps Uncanny Dodge. Uncanny Dodge has one specific condition that negates it, and I don't think Feint achieves that effect. The condition that Feint achieves is closer to "flat-footed" than anything else, and UD specifically blocks loss of Dex from that effect.

From the SRD

If your Bluff check result exceeds this special Sense Motive check result, your target is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) for the next melee attack you make against it. This attack must be made on or before your next turn.

No word lost about being flat-footed. It may be close to being flat-footed because it has the same effect in the rules, but that doesn't mean anything. After all, a wizard 1 with 5 hp is critted with a scythe for 30 points of damage. After that, he's dead. But that doesn't make the scythe a death effect, and death ward won't help you.

And being flat-footed isn't the only thing that makes you lose your dex bonus to AC, there's also being stunned or helpless (and I think entangled). In these cases, you're unable to act or move, and uncanny dodge won't help you.

So if feint made you flat-footed it would say so. Feint doesn't prevent you from acting (flat-footed does, and uncanny dodge makes you act even when flat-footed), it makes you act in a way that leaves you open to the enemies attack. You get your sense motive check, and if you fail, you make a mistake. Uncanny dodge won't grant you an infinite bonus on sense motive in combat.

Kae'Yoss · Feb 20, 2005

isoChron said:
There is a problem with enlarge spell:

Weight x8 vs. +2 STR and one size larger (x2 load) means often heavy load/overloaded even if you were light or medium loaded before the casting.

Your own weight increases by the factor 8. Equipment for a creature of large size weighs twice as much as normal.

DungeonMaster · Feb 20, 2005

Wrathamon said:
My buddy is running a 3.5 game (coming from 3.0) and is using all the core + complete books. He is worried about any inbalances in the game that may or may not come up.

Honestly don't even try to find them. That's your best bet. 3.5 is full of holes, significantly more if you tabulated all of them than 3rd edition I'm willing to wager.
My suggestion is just to play and have fun, if something shows up, the DM should do his job and knock it back down to size.

You can do all sorts of stupid things with the rules. Take 3.5 wish for instance. In 3.5 you can wish for an item that costs more GP than 15 000, all it costs is more XP. But Spell-like abilities (Sp) specifically elliminate that cost. So if you can get access to a creature that grants Wish (planar binding, etc...) you can have it create a ring of infinite wishes with one wish. Same applies to the plain old ring of three wishes, just wish for more rings of three wishes. Infinite wishes.

3.5 Shapechange is very very poorly thought out. PCs should never have access to Supernatural (Su) abilities of creatures. The errata HD cap does little for game balance. If you want you can shapechange into a balor which gives you a vorpal sword 1 per round. Creating in essence piles of vorpal weapons. You can turn into Barghest and devour ennemies for infinite HD gain. You, your familiar and your animal companion(s) can shapechange into a different dragon type each round and breath for ridiculous damage (it's a personal range spell and so can be shared). Or you could have your familiars and animal companions turned into balors to project huge anti-magic fields around you.

The point is to use what works for you and can the rest. If you have a 3rd edition PHB I suggest switching those two spell immediately, and holy word/blasphemy too. But you could also play within reason using the rules.

Non-core there are too many options and power combos to list. The complete series are not balanced, at all. Just work with the DM if and when the issues arise.

Kae'Yoss · Feb 20, 2005

DungeonMaster said:
Honestly don't even try to find them. That's your best bet. 3.5 is full of holes, significantly more if you tabulated all of them, than 3rd edition I'm willing to wager.

Back under your bridge, before we break out the fire and acid

DungeonMaster · Feb 20, 2005

I'm actually advocating good adjudication here, not everything works for every group. 3.5 isn't immune to proper DMing. It needs it. At all times. Sorry for bursting your bubble.

isoChron · Feb 21, 2005

KaeYoss said:
Your own weight increases by the factor 8. Equipment for a creature of large size weighs twice as much as normal.

SRD said:
Enlarge Person

...
This spell causes instant growth of a humanoid creature, doubling its height and multiplying its weight by 8. This increase changes the creature’s size category to the next larger one.
...
All equipment worn or carried by a creature is similarly enlarged by the spell...

Why should a person get heavier but not the equipment even if person and equipment are enlarged similarly ???

Kae'Yoss · Feb 21, 2005

isoChron said:
Why should a person get heavier but not the equipment even if person and equipment are enlarged similarly ???

Look at armour and weapons, for example

This column gives the weight of a Medium version of the weapon. Halve this number for Small weapons and double it for Large weapons.

This column gives the weight of the armor sized for a Medium wearer. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor for Large characters weighs twice as much.

The armour and weapons won't necessarily have all their dimensions doubled. Armour, for example, doesn't necessarily need to be twice as thick for a large creature.

I think this was taken into account when they ruled that you can carry twice as much as a large creature, not 8 times as much.