[3.5] Penalties, clarifications and other issues

[coyote6]

One of the rules issues I often had was with two modifiers, one a penalty and one a bonus. Which did you use? Both? The better absolute value? Now, there is no confusion.

I dunno; I didn't think it was confusing, but I could've been wrong (I figured you would add the bonus to the penalty and use the sum as a modifier; in other words, a morale bonus counteracted a morale penalty).

(Incidentally, penalties stack, unless they both come from the same spell or ability, if I read the Magic chapter correctly)

IMO, penalties and bonuses ought to use the same rules, and both use types when appropriate.

What if there's a creature with a spell-like ability that "functions as if it were the spell bane"? Does it stack with an actual bane spell? The penalties are not technically from the same spell or ability; one's from a spell, one's from an ability that happens to function like the spell. So do they stack?

If they had types, you'd know. Now, maybe they do, maybe they don't.

The bonus type rules were created to reduce confusion as to what bonuses stacked; there's no reason they shouldn't apply to penalties, too.

 

[Vocenoctum]

Not really hidden, as it's listed on the synergy bonus table at the beginning of the Skills chapter, but definitely a pleasant addition!

How about "there's a synergy table"!
Or, listing feat descriptions in the table!

For me:
Whip changes, not sure a whip matters anymore...


Sling changes: strength bonus for damage, two hands to "load", one to shoot. Move equiv (which provokes AoO) to load, with no "rapid reload" feat since they're just for crossbow's.
Halflings regained their +1 with slings as well.

 

[LazarusLong42]

I just noticed this one. The inspire courage entries:

3.0: "To be affected, an ally must hear the bard sing for a full round."

3.5: "To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing."

They dropped the one-round delay in Bardic Music. Nice. I like.

 

[Ark]

Sleep is now a full round action

 

[Ark]

And Shocking Grasp now do 1d6/lvl and Shillelagh dmg varies depending on the weapon you use it in....
Also Call Lightning is way diferent now

 

[Vocenoctum]

I just noticed this one. The inspire courage entries:

3.0: "To be affected, an ally must hear the bard sing for a full round."

3.5: "To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing."

They dropped the one-round delay in Bardic Music. Nice. I like.

True, but in all of our games it was a non action that took a full round. You could swing and sing
Now it's spelled out specifically as a standard action. It's good that it's instant though, and also scales!

 

[MerricB]

Here's another rather important change I didn't realise had occurred:

When you cast lengthy spells, you make all choices about targets, etc. when you finish casting the spell, not when you initiate the casting.

This is particularly important for the revised version of sleep.

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Mounted Combat feats now require only 1 rank in Ride, not 5.

Cheers!