BigFreekinGoblinoid
First Post
enworldatemylogin said:
Beacuse it covers many products beyond the core books - and hopefully does a good job with the explanations?
1e/3e Epiphany
- Thread starter Henry
- Start date
Beacuse it covers many products beyond the core books - and hopefully does a good job with the explanations?
thalmin
Retired game store owner
Only 6 pages to cover the core books. 3 pages for front and back covers plus credits, 2 pages for the character sheet, 3 1/2 pages for the DDG, 6 1/2 pages for the ELHB, 4 more for ELHB monsters, 1 1/3 for the FF, 1 1/6 for MotP, 2 more for MotP monsters, 7 1/2 for the MM2. The balance of partial pages (between books) are usually blank.enworldatemylogin said:
Last edited:
EricNoah
Adventurer
Well speaking of the conversion guide, let's go into detail about what is actually in there (edit -- leave it to Curt to beat me to it! 
):
Its official title is the "free D&D v3.5 Accessory Update" and it's true to its word -- it is mostly about providing updated information on several of the non-core books. Here's what's inside...
Page 1 -- cover
Page 2 -- standard back of title page info
Page 3 -- TOC and brief essay: "The Nature of the Core Rulebooks' Changes"
Pages 4-7 -- Player's Handbook Changes: Summaries of the changes to races, classes, skills & feats; spell changes including charts showing new spells, deleted spells, spell name changes, spell school changes, spells with substantial changes, and spell level changes.
Page 7 -- DMG changes: a very brief summary.
Pages 7-8 -- MM changes: a brief summary, and then a short essay: "Behind the Curtain: Damage Reduction" with guidelines on how to assign the new method to existing creatures.
Pages 9-12 -- Deities & Demigods changes: how class changes affect god stats, how MM changes affect god stats, changes to divine abilities, domains, and spells; and changes to the monsters/creatures in that book.
Pages 12-23 -- Epic Level Handbook: provides epic info for the new DMG PrCs; Epic skills & feats (changes); changes to epic magic items; and changes to epic monsters. In cases where the feat or item changed substantially, the entire feat is printed. Monsters in this case are provided in a table listing name, type, space/reach, DR if any, feats, and other notes (including level adjustment) if necessary.
Pages 24-25 -- Fiend Folio: as this was basically 3.5 compatible there's not much to convert. There's a list of every monster with DR info; an update to the info on constructing the various Constructs in this book; and an update to the Swarm subtype.
Pages 26-29 -- Manual of the Planes: brief updates to PrCs, spells, templates, petitioners, and monsters.
Pages 30-37 -- Monster Manual II: basically a mini-stat block for each monster with name, type, space/reach, DR, skills, feats, level adjustment, and notes.
Pages 38-39 -- revised character sheet
Page 40 -- advertisement for the Miniatures Handbook
By far the biggest bulk of the conversion info is simply revised monster stats, followed by the charts listing the changes to spells in the PHB.
):Its official title is the "free D&D v3.5 Accessory Update" and it's true to its word -- it is mostly about providing updated information on several of the non-core books. Here's what's inside...
Page 1 -- cover
Page 2 -- standard back of title page info
Page 3 -- TOC and brief essay: "The Nature of the Core Rulebooks' Changes"
Pages 4-7 -- Player's Handbook Changes: Summaries of the changes to races, classes, skills & feats; spell changes including charts showing new spells, deleted spells, spell name changes, spell school changes, spells with substantial changes, and spell level changes.
Page 7 -- DMG changes: a very brief summary.
Pages 7-8 -- MM changes: a brief summary, and then a short essay: "Behind the Curtain: Damage Reduction" with guidelines on how to assign the new method to existing creatures.
Pages 9-12 -- Deities & Demigods changes: how class changes affect god stats, how MM changes affect god stats, changes to divine abilities, domains, and spells; and changes to the monsters/creatures in that book.
Pages 12-23 -- Epic Level Handbook: provides epic info for the new DMG PrCs; Epic skills & feats (changes); changes to epic magic items; and changes to epic monsters. In cases where the feat or item changed substantially, the entire feat is printed. Monsters in this case are provided in a table listing name, type, space/reach, DR if any, feats, and other notes (including level adjustment) if necessary.
Pages 24-25 -- Fiend Folio: as this was basically 3.5 compatible there's not much to convert. There's a list of every monster with DR info; an update to the info on constructing the various Constructs in this book; and an update to the Swarm subtype.
Pages 26-29 -- Manual of the Planes: brief updates to PrCs, spells, templates, petitioners, and monsters.
Pages 30-37 -- Monster Manual II: basically a mini-stat block for each monster with name, type, space/reach, DR, skills, feats, level adjustment, and notes.
Pages 38-39 -- revised character sheet
Page 40 -- advertisement for the Miniatures Handbook
By far the biggest bulk of the conversion info is simply revised monster stats, followed by the charts listing the changes to spells in the PHB.
Last edited:
Ycore Rixle
First Post
I strongly agree with rounser that the class archetypes are essential to the game. Great points in his post.
My biggest request for 4e would be that they replace the AoO mechanic. I have no idea what they could switch it to that would still address the needs that AoO's address, but AoO's struck me as clunky three years ago - and they still do.
Henry, I agree that there are some similarities in the version switches 1e-2e and 3e-3.5e. I'm much happier with 3-3.5, though, because it didn't eliminate major things like assassins and half-orcs, and it didn't do the "Ultimate TSR Weasel Maneuver" (I think they copyrighted that phrase ) of renaming demons and devils as a sop to people who didn't buy D&D products anyway. It seemed to me that TSR was trying to change the game we play from 1e to 2e. WoTC was expressly not trying to do that in 3e to 3.5e - they were "trying to make the game rules reflect more closely the way the game is played." Whether or not they succeeded, of course, is a matter for debate. But I do believe that their hearts were in the right place, and I don't believe that about the 1e-2e change.
My biggest request for 4e would be that they replace the AoO mechanic. I have no idea what they could switch it to that would still address the needs that AoO's address, but AoO's struck me as clunky three years ago - and they still do.
Henry, I agree that there are some similarities in the version switches 1e-2e and 3e-3.5e. I'm much happier with 3-3.5, though, because it didn't eliminate major things like assassins and half-orcs, and it didn't do the "Ultimate TSR Weasel Maneuver" (I think they copyrighted that phrase
) of renaming demons and devils as a sop to people who didn't buy D&D products anyway. It seemed to me that TSR was trying to change the game we play from 1e to 2e. WoTC was expressly not trying to do that in 3e to 3.5e - they were "trying to make the game rules reflect more closely the way the game is played." Whether or not they succeeded, of course, is a matter for debate. But I do believe that their hearts were in the right place, and I don't believe that about the 1e-2e change.
Breakstone
First Post
I think another similarity between 2e and 3.5 will be the wide-spread use of House Rules. I found that in Third Edition, house rules were used but changed very small rules, or were argued considerably.
I think, in 3.5, the use of House Rules will be more... accepted as a norm.
I think, in 3.5, the use of House Rules will be more... accepted as a norm.
So, 40 pages, and that still leaves all 5 class books, the Psi HB, Savage Species, and all the FR books with no conversion notes. The PsiHB and the FRCS are supposed to get revised editions next year, but they could have given some basic guidelines in the meantime, and there's more FR books than just the FRCS.EricNoah said:Well speaking of the conversion guide, let's go into detail about what is actually in there (edit -- leave it to Curt to beat me to it!
*snip*
