[3.5] DMG - changes Q&A?

[Plane Sailing]

A lot of attention has been focused on the PHB for very good reasons

I wonder if any of the current holders of the DMG would be happy to contribute to Q&A about that rather important manual?

I've got a few intial questions that I'd be interested in hearing answers to:


1. What information does it give about different terrain types?

2. Does it provide "ready to roll" encounter tables for different terrains?

3. What planar information is contained in the DMG

4. Have they changed the mechanism for Suffocation, or for Falling damage?

5. Is the first "running the game" section aimed at new players, or is there useful information for all DM's?

6. Have you spotted any new rules in "chapter 2 - using the rules" (apart from the clarification of 1's and 20's)

7. Any new "variant rules" in sidebars that stand out as being new for this version?


(should anyone else join in this thread, continuing numbering might be handy).

Many thanks for your time

 

[Plane Sailing]

No takers yet? Hopefully Brekki, Tharizdun or someone else with a DMG might chime in...

 

[Bill Muench]

Personally, I'm hoping someone can detail the Heirophant for me. Do they get a caster level increase now? What special abilities do they have? Cleric BAB? Etc. Thanks!

 

[HeavyG]

Personally, I'm hoping someone can detail the Heirophant for me. Do they get a caster level increase now? What special abilities do they have? Cleric BAB? Etc. Thanks!

I have heard that they get a caster level increase but no spells per day increase, which is weird.

I'm not sure I understood it 100% though, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[EricNoah]

Personally, I'm hoping someone can detail the Heirophant for me. Do they get a caster level increase now? What special abilities do they have? Cleric BAB? Etc. Thanks!

Cleric BAB, Good Fort and Will saves

No spellcasting increase

Five levels, each level grants a choice of a special ability. These include Blast Infidel (when using inflict wounds, harm, etc. vs. opposite aligned foes the spell is maximized), Divine Reach, Faith Healing (maximized healing on those of the same alignment), Mastery of Energy (+4 on turning checks and turning damage), Metamagic Feat, Power of Nature (druid only, can transfer druid class features to another recipient), Spell-like ability (use a spell slot to permanently prepare a given spell as a spell-like ability twice per day).

 

[sithramir]

8) Is it true that on the 43rd page second paragraph that the ninth word is "the"?

 

[Jeremy Crawford]

A lot of attention has been focused on the PHB for very good reasons

I wonder if any of the current holders of the DMG would be happy to contribute to Q&A about that rather important manual?

Of the three revised books, I find the DMG to be the most impressive, in terms of the amount of new material and its increase in usefulness. Also, to me as a DM, there are portions of the book that are downright inspiring, particularly the "Adventures" and "Campaigns" chapters.

I'll take a stab at a few of your questions.

1. What information does it give about different terrain types?

Each of the major terrain types gets its own section in the chapter "Adventures." Rules are given for hazards, visibility, and so forth.

Good news: Aquatic and urban environments get their own sections, too.

2. Does it provide "ready to roll" encounter tables for different terrains?

Yep. Every terrain type has a sample encounter table, and guidelines are given for creating your own.

3. What planar information is contained in the DMG?

In the chapter "Campaigns," the basic planar mechanics from the Manual of the Planes are included, and there are tips for creating your own cosmology.

There's an additional treat for DMs who use the Great Wheel cosmology. Each of its planes has a half- or full-page description, including the basic rules for adventuring there.

6. Have you spotted any new rules in "chapter 2 - using the rules" (apart from the clarification of 1's and 20's)

There are new rules for weapon sizes and for the interaction of creatures of different sizes in combat. Also, XP is now given based on an individual's level, not on a party's average level. (This is the same as the mechanic in the Forgotten Realms.)

 

[EricNoah]

I'll do my best to answer a couple of these...

A lot of attention has been focused on the PHB for very good reasons

I wonder if any of the current holders of the DMG would be happy to contribute to Q&A about that rather important manual?

I've got a few intial questions that I'd be interested in hearing answers to:


1. What information does it give about different terrain types?

2. Does it provide "ready to roll" encounter tables for different terrains?

Let's look at the Forest Terrain entry as an example:

We start with a chart that shows terrain features based on different categories of forest. In a "medium forest" for example, 70% of the area will be typical trees, 10% will have massive trees, 70% of the area will have light undergrowth, and 20% of the area will have heavy undergrowth.

Then each feature is described in game terms, esp. as they pertain to combat on a grid. For example, in a square that has Typical Trees, you draw a dot in the center of that square and then you just assume there is a tree there somewhere and anyone in that square gains +2 cover bonuses to AC and +1 to reflex saves. For a massive tree, the tree takes up the entire square, and can provide cover for anyone standing behind it relative to an attack. Hardness, hp, AC, and climb DC are given for each kind. Likewise, rules are given for light undergrowth (affects movement, provides concealment, increases tumble and move silently DCs) and heavy undergrowth (as light but penalties are more severe and running and charging are impossible).

Then other forest elements are described, including forest canopy (buildings/structures above the ground built into tree branches), fallen logs, streams, and paths.

You are also given maximum Spot distances based on the category of forest (for example, 2d8x10 feet is the farthest distance you can see for spotting other creatures in a medium forest).

Finally, we wrap up with a sample temperate forest encounter table (ELs ranging from 4 to 8), and a discussion of forest fires as a kind of hazard encounter (EL 6).

--------

Other terrains covered include Marsh (includes moor and swamp, discusses terrain like bogs, quicksand and hedgerows), Hills (slopes, cliffs), Mountain (slopes, cliffs, chasms, scree, rubble, rock walls, cave entrances, and avalanches, plus a discussion of mountain travel as it pertains to high altitude and character survival), Desert (including tundra & ice sheet type deserts, rubble, dunes, and sandstorms), Plains (rubble, trenches, "berm," fences), and Aquatic (flowing water, nonflowing water, and underwater combat).

 

[coyote6]

Re: Re: [3.5] DMG - changes Q&A?

Let's look at the Forest Terrain entry as an example:
[snip]

Wow. That sounds both quite cool & useful, and quite (overly) mechanical.

From the bits we've seen, I've really gotten the feeling that a lot of the "simplification" is aimed at making the D&D Minis game and/or D&D computer games easier to make & integrate.

Can't wait to get the books; at least then maybe I'll be able to decide whether I like it, can accept it, or find it (as someone else said) "dumbing down".

The ambivalence is killin' me.

 

[Bill Muench]

Cleric BAB, Good Fort and Will saves

No spellcasting increase

Five levels, each level grants a choice of a special ability. These include Blast Infidel (when using inflict wounds, harm, etc. vs. opposite aligned foes the spell is maximized), Divine Reach, Faith Healing (maximized healing on those of the same alignment), Mastery of Energy (+4 on turning checks and turning damage), Metamagic Feat, Power of Nature (druid only, can transfer druid class features to another recipient), Spell-like ability (use a spell slot to permanently prepare a given spell as a spell-like ability twice per day).

So they didn't change it at all from FR? Ugh, what a waste of a class. Thanks for the info, though!