3.5e One Year Later

[Cor Azer]

I liked almost all of the changes from 3.0 to 3.5, but even so, the only reason I bought the core rulebooks again instead of working with the SRD is because my 3.0 core rulebooks had become so beaten through use I needed new rulebooks anyways.

Only about half of my group has bought the 3.5 books, although we nominally play an all 3.5 game.

 

[eris404]

Okay, 3.5e has been out for about a year more or less. After a year of playing with the new rules, what is everyone's opinion? Have the revised rules vastly improved the game? Are you disapointed by them? One year later, what do you think?

Most of the time, I don't even notice the difference, honestly. Our group uses both sets (one game is completely 3.5, the other two aren't), and I have yet to really get confused by a rule change. In fact, I have made characters using 3.5 rules for 3.0 games and I haven't seen any real difference.

Like most people, I think I mosly disappointed in the retreading of old material. That is, books like the Complete series including a lot of material from older (3.0) books like Sword and Fist, et al. On the other hand, I got the Complete Divine for my birthday, and some of the new material I think is quite good.

So, it's a mixed bag.

 

[The_Gneech]

Vastly improved? No. But definitely improved. I think 3.5e is just about as good as it can get and still be D&D.

Mind you, I'd far prefer that HERO was the default game of the universe. And while I'm wishing, I could go for a no-whip mocha frappuccino about now.

-The Gneech

 

[MerakSpielman]

My new players have admired the clarity of the rewritten (and illustrated) AoO rules.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I like them, but if I'd not bought all three for only 67 dollars, I'd not have bought them at all. We use a compromise on the duration of the buff spells (1 minute per level, not 1 round), but overall, 3.5 was a good buy for me.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

All told, I think we would have been better served by a book of optional rules-fixes. Fix Harm, change haste if you feel the need, alter the TWF feats, add greater weapon specialization, and give us the improved bard, monk, ranger, and paladin classes, and add grappling rules.

That's virtually exactly what I think about 3.5.

But hey I'm more thinking of runing a fantasy hero game instead of either 3.0 or 3.5 anyways. Hero finally has enough supplements out where I feel I can run a fantasy game without way too much work. And quite frankly I prefer hero by far right now.

 

[shilsen]

I bought all 3 core 3.5e books as soon as they came out and I'm very happy with my decision.

 

[Banshee16]

There were major flaws in 3.0 that had to be fixed.

Haste spell
Buff spells
"sampling" one level of a class (or PrC) to get big bonuses
stealth items with huge bonuses
Some classes clearly more powerful than others
these are just a few

Having played 3.5 for a little while now, I can't imagine how the "refuseniks" who stuck with 3.0 can continue playing with these obvious flaws in the rules.

Many of the so-called "issues" that 3.5 was supposed to fix (ie. haste, buff spells, duration of spells) never came up in my games. As a result, I haven't purchased any of the 3.5 books, and now I'm reverse converting newer supplements back to 3.0.

But then, I've got good players who aren't doing everything they can to abuse the rules.

Many of the changes in 3.5 I find make characters way, stronger animal companions in particular.

I've taken the 3.5 ranger from the SRD, and am using that, along with increased uses of smite for paladins, but that's about it.

Banshee

 

[Sir Whiskers]

But hey I'm more thinking of runing a fantasy hero game instead of either 3.0 or 3.5 anyways. Hero finally has enough supplements out where I feel I can run a fantasy game without way too much work. And quite frankly I prefer hero by far right now.

Yeah, me too. I figure if I'm going to use a complex system for gaming, it might as well be Hero over d20. Of course, that still leaves me looking for a simpler, "beer & pretzels" RPG - maybe Castles & Crusades, maybe my own variant of Sigil's OGL Lite rules.

 

[Elrik_DarkFury]

I found that some of the changes in the magic system(and generally) did balance the game ,for wizards could easily get xtremely strong(and generally there are varius problems in 3rd ed to be solved).
But some of them, i just can't tolerate.

It is like they are trying to castrate wizards ang generally spellcasters.
Did u see disintergrate? It completely sucks now.(Just an example)

They lead players in min/max-ing to be able to boost the DC of their spells in order to cope with more difficult monsters in highter levels.

My group curently plays 3rd ed with some rules of 3.5 and we don't have any troubles.

Reversely, fighters are far more powerfull now.Only one feat for two-weapon-fighting,killer power attack etc. (and many other not worth mentioning now).

So,i don't not like 3,5 at all.I think of it as an easy way to take our money more than an honest attempt to change the game for the better.The attempt ought to be more serius and the changes more radical to excuse 90 euros(+) for books.

---I was so pissed when i saw the 3.5 that i stopped playing the wizard(i am the guy who always plays wizards) and changed to rogue .
The day i will play "the wizard" again will soon come and those who think that rules lessened our powers will feel sorry..REALLYYY SORRRYY>>>
MHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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The Wizard