[3.5] Significant Improvements?

[Cedric]

I've searched through the many 3.5 threads and not really found one that addresses my question, believe it or not.

You see, I remarked to a friend that I preferred 3.0, but thought there were some good changes in 3.5...

My friend then offered his opinion that he'd found no changes of value in 3.5, and completely disliked it.

So I said well there's...umm...uh...Bard's can wear armor...and umm...uh...Rangers get more skill points...

Basically I drew a blank.

So, please post anything you consider to be a significant improvement in 3.5...something you would use to "sell" the change to a reluctant friend.

Cedric

 

[HellHound]

Better balanced spells (haste, buffs, heal, harm, shield)

Classes are more attractive, such as the Barbarian and Ranger, without being front-loaded like the old ranger.

Magic items with skill boosters are better priced and designed.

More prestige classes (this can be bad if you don't like prestige classes).

Higher-level fighter feats so the fighter isn't out of 'oomph' around level 10.

Tower Shield.

The new and improved uber-dwarf.

Planar geography and levels 21+

VERY pumped up outsiders.

 

[Gothmog]

New DR is wonderful and adds flavor back into the game.

Standardized monster feats and skill point acquisition.

Better variety of spells for all arcane casters.

New Druid animal companion (no more travelling attack zoo).

Magic items now list type of magic and power level for Detect Magic.

Pumped-up outsiders (this one is so important it needs to be said again!).

TWF & Ambidexterity are now one feat.

Skeleton and Zombie are now templates (why didn't they do this will all undead I wonder?)

Clearer examples of AoO and movement.

Syngery bonus table in skills section!!!

 

[TheAuldGrump]

More clearly written, more streamlined rules.

Better page layout, especially in the Monster Manual.

More rules for different environments.

More information on designing and balancing adventures. (Mostly grom the 'How to Write Adventures' article from Dungeon magazine.

The Auld Grump

 

[arwink]

Knowledge skills give synergy bonuses (woohoo!)

Detect magic stats listed for all magic items (there's about an hour of calculation gone from every session)

 

[Terry Edwards]

Some might not consider it a significant improvenent but...monster types have been refined. It is now easy to label a monster by type even after applying several templates and they got rid of the superflous beast type. Also monster related, monster advancement is clearer and level adjustments are given for playable monsters. Overall I am just impressed with the clarity and ease of monster tinkering in 3.5.

 

[Cedric]

Better balanced spells (haste, buffs, heal, harm, shield)

This is one of the things we both hate about 3.5 for the most part.

Classes are more attractive, such as the Barbarian and Ranger, without being front-loaded like the old ranger.

I agree and he agrees, but he claims that these are only minor changes, mostly flavor (his words not mine).

As far as layout and stuff like that are concerned..if you already know 3.0 well, then the layout of 3.5 is really irrelevant.

I'm not trying to be argumentative...just saying, he's asking me for any significant improvements and I can't find any.

Since both of us share the opinon that the spell changes are not improvements (neither of us felt that spell casters were overpowered before)...what other changes are there to attract someone to 3.5?

Cedric

 

[El_Gringo]

This is one of the things we both hate about 3.5 for the most part.

Tell him to take a look at the new spell Scorching Ray. It's a 2nd level spell that allows a 3rd level wizard to do 4d6 points of fire damage with no save. 8d6 on a critical hit. It's the new Haste.

 

[Garmorn]

While I don't have a single major change that would make buying the new books worth it, I think that the over all effect of the changes are. It is the over effect that a major improvement.

This is one of few times where the interaction and number of small but excellent changes means a lot more then just one or two major changes. 3.5 smooth out lot of rough edges, corrects errors in implementation of several 3.0 concepts, rewords and clarifies many small but annoying rules problems, and integrates lots of lessons learned.

The changes to the core and prestige classes are a couple of examples of rough edges that have been fixed. The whole combat chapter in the PH is a very good example of rewriting rules for clarification without any thing beyond a few minor changes. As for lessons learned; just look at the monster manual's monster building rules.

Don't get me wrong I don't think that 3.0 was bad, it just that like most first implementation that there are flaws that only years of playing could have uncovered. For the most part that is just what 3.5 is about.

 

[Mercule]

I know there is a very vocal crowd that would disagree with me, but IMHO, the new DR rules are reason enough to switch.

Also, the first official Ranger class since 1E that I'm not banning flat out.

TWF/Ambidexterity are actually worth taking now (because they are one feat).

The consolidation of skills is a really good idea.

Monster CRs are more accurate.

Those are the ones that come to mind without too much thought.