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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Chain Lightning" data-source="post: 496784" data-attributes="member: 6791">Hello all, I'm starting a new campaign with D&D 3e and I'd thought I'd come in here and ask for some advice.Question #1:  I'm having my players buy their attributes with the point buy system. Y'know, the system where you start at 8 and buy up your attributes. The DMG suggests different starting values. I feel that perhaps 25 points is too low. But I'm not sure what would be too high. Is 30 too high? Or just right? I could use some suggestions here on how many points would make proper characters for my players. Of course I want them to have at least one high attribute that's associated with their chosen class and the rest filling out the average to above average stats.Question#2: This may be a little stickier of a question. From previous experience in DMing 3e, I've found that the Paladin ability to Detect Evil anytime anywhere for free was a pain in the rear to keep game balanced.So, this time....I'm going to modify it a bit. Yes, yes....in other words, I'm going to NERF it. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> It could be argued that, by watering down this ability, I take away from the constructive game balance of the Paladin.  The game designers had balanced this class already (with Detect Evil in mind). So if I were to weaken it, I would be gimping the player who plays the Paladin in my game.I've had discussions before on how to properly DM detect evil in my game without changing the ability. But frankly, it was still either a problem or the center of my DM concentration. In other words, I ended up spending most of my mental energy keeping Detect Evil balanced in every situation/story than on any other aspect of my DMing. Which I don't like. I like to concentrate on the story, the immersiveness of the enviroment, my role-playing of NPCs, the exciting action sequences, etc.So, I have decided to modify it. I believe other DMs may have done this as well. So if you don't mind parting with some of your own suggestions on how you've modified Detect Evil, I'd love to hear them.Some ideas on how to do this from off the top of my head are:---Require the Paladin to hold up his holy symbol (in the direction he wishes to detect evil) to invoke his Detect Evil ability, say some prayers aloud, concentrate for a round and then the ability activates. If he wishes to Detect Evil in another direction, he must start the process over. The ability is still free.---Require the Paladin to make a concentration check. Modified by level and Charisma? If so, what would be appropriate Difficulty number?Anyways, thanks for reading my post and helping.</blockquote>

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