AU vs v3.5 - pros and cons

[Voadam]

Races mix fine.

Nonmagical classes mix fine although warmains slightly out-tank fighters.

Magical classes mix OK but add in another magic system so you have arcane, divine, psionics, and AU.

AU spell classes are more flexible but generally have a little weaker spells in direct punch.

D&D spellcasting classes are based more on exponential power increase while AU classes are designed to be a bit smoother in progression so they are more powerful at lower levels and less powerful at higher levels.

The spell template feats are usually based on gp costs so the level of campaign wealth can affect their power balance.

You have to decide between a few minor rules differences (tumble static DC? sneak or move silent and hide?).

Mixing should work fine as much as you want to incorporate.

 

[WayneLigon]

I've been running AU for 14 sessions now; 5-6 players, my own homebrew world, no Magister.

AU Pro's:
One Spell List but many ways of using those spells, so rarely do people have the same spells or use them in the same way.

Racial Levels. I love this idea. We've got two people now that have taken the max they can in their racial levels, and two that have taken one level in theirs.

Many things taken for granted in 3.5 can't be done, or done easily, by magic in AU. There is no long-distance message spell. There is no Expeditious Retreat. There is no low-level create food spell. Teleport is harder. Little things like that.

The classes. Love 'em. They seem no more powerful than any of the PH classes, to me. The party deals with threats in about the same manner I expect them to. I use monsters from the MM a great deal; the only real difference is no means of turning undead, which works just fine in my book.

AU Cons:
I haven't really found a significant con yet. I didn't care for some of the races, but I find myself warming to them over time.

I have not tried to mix and match AU and 3.5. I may try this in the future.

 

[EricNoah]

You have to decide between a few minor rules differences (tumble static DC? sneak or move silent and hide?).

Oh yeah -- stuff like that -- we use AU's tumble, but we use 3.5's move silent/hide and also 3.5's Survival.

We do like hero points, it hearkens back to something I used to do back in 2E days...

 

[EricNoah]

Many things taken for granted in 3.5 can't be done, or done easily, by magic in AU. There is no long-distance message spell. There is no Expeditious Retreat. There is no low-level create food spell. Teleport is harder. Little things like that.

Oh yes, very true. More to add to the list... Identifying magic items (there is an exotic spell, and there's a feat). Recovering from ability damage. (is there any low-level spell that deals with this? I may invent one that restores 1 point to one damaged ability or something like that -- also my house rules on the Heal skill allow increased recovery when under longterm care). Healing in general is a little less available (transfer wounds is less helpful than cure light wounds, for instance -- especially in my house rules where the target suffers the subdual damage instead of the caster).