D&D 3E/3.5 Worst 3.5 rule from core books?

[Iku Rex]

The correct answer to the question in the OP is polymorph . (And its relatives.)

 

[Aluvial]

The worst rule concerns sneak attack. Did you know that you may not sneak attack a creature who has any type of concealment?

This means that the shadowy rogues attacking in dark places cannot sneak attack because even shadowy illumination provides concealment.

Aluvial

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

Turn undead sucks. I use UA variant.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Grappling rules.

Especially in combination with Huge creatures.

According to the (grappling) rules, once they are grappling they no longer threaten their surrounding squares, and so can no longer attack anyone other than the one they are grappling with. Also, they don't get attacks of oppertunity, so their 10 or 15 foot reach is useless.
They loose their dex bonus to ac, so all other characters can just gang up and smash it to pieces.
And if it wants to stop grappling, it needs to make a grapple check (and thus loose a standard action) even if it is the one that initiated the grapple!

So, why would, for example, a Huge Monstrous Scorpion grapple anyone in the first place?

Because its prey is typically a lone creature rather than a party of adventurers?

 

[Runestar]

Because its prey is typically a lone creature rather than a party of adventurers?

Which then brings us to the next issue of monsters possessing abilities that while great for background flavour, were basically useless vs the PCs, and generally just served to clog up their statblocks and confuse the DM. You see this with examples of monsters possessing unwieldy abilities like desecrate and animate dead, which could never be cast during combat.

The scorpion might have stats which make it excellent in ambushing lone prey, but the only time the party would encounter one would likely be as a random encounter, and they would not likely take the form of solo prey.

 

[Jack Simth]

Which then brings us to the next issue of monsters possessing abilities that while great for background flavour, were basically useless vs the PCs, and generally just served to clog up their statblocks and confuse the DM. You see this with examples of monsters possessing unwieldy abilities like desecrate and animate dead, which could never be cast during combat.

Animate Dead is a standard-action spell. Set the situation up right, and yes, I could quite easily see a monster using it while the party looks on.

The scorpion might have stats which make it excellent in ambushing lone prey, but the only time the party would encounter one would likely be as a random encounter, and they would not likely take the form of solo prey.

There's a nifty clause in the Improved Grab ability:

Improved Grab (Ex): If a creature with this special attack hits with a melee weapon (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required. Unless otherwise noted, improved grab works only against opponents at least one size category smaller than the creature. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a –20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents. A successful hold does not deal any extra damage unless the creature also has the constrict special attack. If the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. Otherwise, it deals constriction damage as well (the amount is given in the creature’s descriptive text). When a creature gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space. This act does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent), provided it can drag the opponent’s weight.

(Emphasis added)

Mind you, that's not particularly effective unless you're targeting a Halfling Wizard, or you get into Scorpions that are bigger than Huge, but it's there.

Alternately, they might want to grapple if there are multiple scorpions - four Huge Monstrous Scorpions is an encounter level of 11, and a +21 Grapple check is tough for the level 8-12 party for whom that's a reasonable encounter - if they don't have Freedom of Movement yet.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Because its prey is typically a lone creature rather than a party of adventurers?

QFT

I'm glad the rules make grappling a bad idea when you're outnumbered. Because, well...it's a BAD idea. Look at any real life martial art that teaches how to escape/survive multiple assailants, and any one of them will be pretty adamant: avoid taking the fight to the ground! If you'd like an informative demonstration of what happens, get together with three friends. Tell them to "pretend" attack you, and immediately take one of them to the floor in a grapple. Watch in awe as the other two guys just walk up and repeatedly (fake) stomp on you, requiring no skill to do at all, and muse on how much that would hurt.

The worst rule concerns sneak attack. Did you know that you may not sneak attack a creature who has any type of concealment?

This means that the shadowy rogues attacking in dark places cannot sneak attack because even shadowy illumination provides concealment.

Aluvial

Yeah, that always annoyed me. I houseruled Ninja's Sudden Strike specifically to function fine against concealment (but not full concealment), to further differentiate between it and sneak attack (and partially balance the two -- sudden strike not benefitting from flanking is a huge loss). Maybe in the future I should just get rid of that clause entirely.

 

[Mad Hamish]

Whether prepare or forget, the fluff doesn't matter. It's the crunch of, one minute ago I could do this, but now I can't, that doesn't sit right with me.

So if you have a spear can you throw it multiple times?

The 3e refluffing so that you do most of the casting of each spell first thing in the morning... that doesn't seem to reflect any non-D&D-inspired fantasy fiction I am aware of anyway.

The 2nd Amber series

 

[Vegepygmy]

Which then brings us to the next issue of monsters possessing abilities that while great for background flavour, were basically useless vs the PCs, and generally just served to clog up their statblocks and confuse the DM.

Right. Which then brings us to the next issue of whether you like simulationism/verisimilitude in your game system (monstrous scorpions have Improved Grab because that's how they overpower their prey) or whether you prefer a more gamist approach (monstrous scorpions don't need Improved Grab because it's worse than useless against parties of adventurers, and who cares what they do when they aren't fighting PCs?).

 

[Shin Okada]

Yeah, that always annoyed me. I houseruled Ninja's Sudden Strike specifically to function fine against concealment (but not full concealment), to further differentiate between it and sneak attack (and partially balance the two -- sudden strike not benefitting from flanking is a huge loss). Maybe in the future I should just get rid of that clause entirely.

Basically, I don't like to use much house rules. But if I were to solve that matter, I'd rather make low-light vision as a generic feat available to anyone or at least to characters with levels in sneaky classes. At least, in Japanese legend Ninjas were training to see in dim-light or to fight in darkness.