[3.5] Got the books, noticed a couple things...

[Number47]

I haven't seen this mentioned before, but maybe it's already out. First, the Cleric got a pretty important change that I hadn't remembered being mentioned. If a cleric has 5 ranks in Knowledge: Religion, they get a +2 bonus on turning (or rebuking) undead! How cool is that!

The second thing is not as cool. In the druid animal companion sidebar, at the very top they make pains to mention that an animal companion is a magical beast, not an animal. Then, under the description of share spells they say that a shared spell can affect it even if it cannot affect a creature of the companions type (animal). WTF? Okay, it's a small error and it won't cause any problems in-game, but the reference is on the same page!

Barely looked through it, though. You know, with the books, especially the PHB, looking pretty much the same and with all the knowledge we already have of how things changed, it is really hard to simply sit and read it cover to cover.

 

[Christian Walker]

To quote a great American scholar, Butthead:

"The more things change, the more they suck."

"But GM, I'm having a real problem with this shared animal spell! I don't understand. How can the spell NOT apply to..... < this is where I go numb and start drooling > ............. It just makes no sense. What should I do?"


Believe me, 47, I'm not trying to get on you. I'm not. I'm just scratchin' my head, wonderin' how/why the rules for running around an imaginary forest, stabbing things, and taking their stuff got so durn complex.

 

[Terraism]

I'm just scratchin' my head, wonderin' how/why the rules for running around an imaginary forest, stabbing things, and taking their stuff got so durn complex.

Oh, it's not the forests that are complex. It's running around an imaginary dungeon, stabbing things, and taking their stuff that's complex, friend.

Number47 - I like the cleric change, and I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere either. As far as the druid/animal companion error - meh. We've seen WotC's editing staff in action often enough it shouldn't be too surprising...

 

[Dr. Niles Crane]

Energy Draining...even more dangerous...

I noticed that the summary of Energy Draining in the DMG (pg. 293) now includes the loss of 5 hit points in addition to the penalties in 3.0 and the bonus 5 hit points to the attacking undead critter. Not a big change, but I pointed it out to my group as we've had a few combats which that would have made a difference and killed off a few of the PCs in the group I DM for.

 

[Number47]

Actually, I don't think that is a change on energy draining.

Further error: If you look at the chart for the skill Listen, it is apparently easier to listen if you are distracted and the farther away you are...

Further coolness: Zero-level bard spell Lullaby. All living creatures in a 10' radius burst get -5 listen and spot and -2 save versus sleep if they fail their will save. Even better, the duration is concentration plus 1 round per level. This is pretty freaking cool zero level spell!

 

[Saeviomagy]

Personally I'd suggest just ignoring a druid's buddy becoming a magical beast - because otherwise all the druid's nifty animal-only spells won't work on it.

 

[Plane Sailing]

It sounds like a cut - and - paste error from familiars, doesn't it?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

The second thing is not as cool. In the druid animal companion sidebar, at the very top they make pains to mention that an animal companion is a magical beast, not an animal. Then, under the description of share spells they say that a shared spell can affect it even if it cannot affect a creature of the companions type (animal). WTF? Okay, it's a small error and it won't cause any problems in-game, but the reference is on the same page!

Makes sense to me. Every other spellcaster got a power down, so no more Animal Growth for the druid's animal companion. The companions are powerful enough without it. As far as shared-spells, it just means that any human-only spells, or personal-only spells still work on the companion through Share Spells.

Am I missing something...?

 

[Number47]

That is what it means, alright. It just has the funny glitch of calling the companion's type (animal) instead of properly (magical beast). Like I said, it won't affect any games, it's just annoying.

 

[Enceladus]

The companions are powerful enough without it.

You can say that again!