Comments and questions on 3.5 from a Newbie

[Storm Raven]

I'm guessing that you cannot use ANY (I repeat, ANY) bonuses other than Base Attack Bonus for Combat Expertise.

This is correct. If you have a BAB of +10, you can reduce your attacks by up to -5 and gain up to +5 to your Armor Class (because of the limitation built into the Combat Expertise feat limiting you to a -5 adjustment). But you can never exceed your BAB.

If, for example, you were a 3rd level fighter with a 16 strength, Combat Expertise and the Weapon Focus (Greatsword) feat wielding a masterwork greatsword, your total attack bonus would be +8 with the greatsword (+3 BAB, +3 Str, +1 MW, +1 WF). However, you could only reduce your attacks by -3 (to +5) and gain a maximum of +3 to your AC with Combat Expertise, because your BAB is only +3.

 

[Staffan]

A Druid worships primordial nature. Does this mean a Druid can't worship a Deity?

They can, but they don't get much out of it (sort of like a fighter can worship a deity). Note that in FR, which I recall is your setting of choice, all divine casters (including druids) get their powers from deities.

Druids can dump their magic spells (ala clerics) but only to cast Summoning spells?

Specifically, the summon nature's ally series of spells but not other Summoning spells (like summon swarm or creeping doom.

I can see huge roleplaying opportunities in the Animal Companion. Certainly, I've seen this depicted in many films and books. But isn't this likely to end tragically with the animal killed? What chance does an animal have in the gritty, rough and tumble mess of adventuring?

At least at low-mid levels, the animal can make a pretty fierce combatant. Also, unlike the other class-based "pets" (familiars, paladin mounts) there aren't really any consequences for losing your animal companion - you just take a 24-hour timeout and get a new one. You may have to spend a couple of weeks of downtime to train it though.

How does Multiattack work?

Monsters with multiple different natural attacks have one "primary" attack, and a number of "secondary" attacks which take a -5 penalty. For example, a barghest (first suitable monster in the MM) has a bite at +9 and 2 claws at +4. Multiattack reduces this penalty to -2 (a dretch has 2 claws at +4 and a bite at +2).

Timeless Body is a weakening of the class. The old Hierophant gained physical youth, and life extension.

Generally, there's very little around that can stop death by old age anymore. The DMG doesn't have any potions of longevity/elixirs of youth any longer, and all class abilities along the lines of Timeless Body I've seen also include the "when your time's up, you're dead" clause.

Kenobi, the rest of you ... if Divine Grace allows you to use your Charisma bonus for all your Saves, does that stack with your other attribute bonuses to Saves (Dexterity, Wisdom, possibly other stats.) ?

Yes.

If you are allowed your Charisma bonus to Attack, does that stack with Strength and/or Dexterity bonuses?

From Smite Evil and similar X/day abilities, yes. If there was a permanent ability that let you use Charisma to attack, I would have it replace Strength (much like the feat Weapon Finesse lets you replace Strength to attack rolls with Dex for certain weapons).

And one of you says: That Attack of Opportunity can be another Trip attempt.
And one of you says: No, that's not right.

The thing is, the attack of opportunity takes place before the action that prompted it is completed. So, when you get your AoO, your target is still prone. Tripping a prone opponent doesn't do you much good.

Cleave: My blow is so powerful it goes clear through you and into the next guy ...

Right.

Combat Casting: A + 4 bonus to Concentration checks when Casting on the Defensive. Doesn't seem like much, but then in 3.5 + 4 is typically a big thing, so ...

Combat Casting is a pretty weak feat, but useful at low levels. After a while, your Concentration check will be so good that you will automatically succeed at casting defensively anyway, since you can increase it at a rate of 1/level, and the DC of casting your highest-level spells only increase at a rate of 1/2 levels.
Also, Combat Casting got devalued, relatively speaking, in 3.5e. In 3.0, Skill Focus only gave a +2 bonus, so Combat Casting gave twice that but to a narrow application of the skill. In 3.5, Skill Focus gives +3, so you're trading +1 in the skill for a limited applicability.

Combat Expertise: Great Feat for defense. Great Feat if you are a high level fighter surrounded by weak opponents. But isn't the best defense a good offense?

Combat Expertise isn't the greatest of feats on its own, but it is a prerequisite for a whole lot of feats that are great, like Improved Trip. It's also good against things you really don't want to hit you, like various undead and stuff.

Combat Reflexes: So, you are caught Flat-Footed, but when the goblin runs by, you can still strike at him. You can't make more than one AOO on any one opponent per round, can you? If you can, how?

You can make multiple AoOs on the same opponent in one round if they provoke them with separate actions. Let's say you're armed with a spiked chain, and someone moves up to you and attack - BAM you get an AoO. He then tries to trip you (without having Improved Trip) - BAM that's another AoO.

Craft Magical Arms and Armor: Standard from older editions. Sounds useful if you're wearing magical armor and/or arms in the wild.

Craft Rod: Standard from older editions.

Craft Staff: Standard from older editions.

Craft Wand: Standard from older editions.

Craft Wondrous Item: Not so standard. YOU can make anything in the DMG now?

All the Craft feats (which also include Brew Potion, Forge Ring and Scribe Scroll) are used for making different types of items. Note that you can start making items at a much lower level than in 2e: 1st for scrolls, 3rd for potions and wondrous items, 5th for arms/armor and wands, 9th for rods, 12th for staves and rings. In addition to the feats, you will need to know the right spells and/or fulfill the other prerequisites (e.g. being an elf for making a cloak of elvenkind. So while you might have the Craft Wondrous Item feat necessary for making an amulet of the planes as early as 3rd level, you have to wait until 9th level at the earliest to get the plane shift spell needed (13th if you're a wizard).

Deceitful: Feats aren't so common you can afford to waste them. Why waste a Feat here?

The +2 to two skills feats aren't very powerful. They're mostly there for two things: NPC specialists, and for characters who absolutely have to max out a skill. I can definitely see an Artificer (class from the Eberron setting which is extremely reliant on his Use Magic Device skill) take both Skill Focus and Magical Aptitude, for a total of +5.

Deflect Arrows: This one screams MONK.

And monks can take it as one of their bonus feats.

Empower Spell: Useless for a low level spellcaster. Great for a high level spellcaster, but how often do you play high level spellcasters?

Mid/high-level campaigns seem to be more common in 3e than in previous editions. This probably has to do with the faster pace of levelling - 3e is designed so that you will gain a level approximately every 13-14 encounters, so probably after 3-4 sessions. In my experience, the pace is even faster than this, but that could be because I like throwing tough things at my PCs.

Wondrous Items is the catch-all category for all items that aren't another type, basically a renamed Miscellaneous magic category.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Enlarge spell: Useless in a dungeon. Outdoors, absolute murder on the enemy if your mage is careful in her preparations (They can't hit our army with a Fire Storm. We're out of range. (BOOM, ROAR, FRY, CHAR))

Eschew materials: If your DM is a stickler for material components, this is a big one, especially with 6 second rounds, IMO (some DMs are into realism here ...) If your DM let's material components slide (most do, in my experience) this Feat is less useful. In my games, I would consider this Feat a very big thing, especially concerning the roleplaying consequences (what, Raistlin walks around, and he DOESN'T smell of material components?)

Exotic Weapon Proficiency: You need this to wield a bastard sword one-handed (so you can wield another bastard sword with the off-hand, LOL. ) You need this for all those dwarven waraxes, spiked chains, double-bladed orc axes, and so on. It's a truism, this Feat, that you gotta take it, for certain classes.
Considering what I'm hearing about Spiked Chains and their uses, I think EVERYONE is taking this one!

Extend Spell: Unknown. Depends on the campaign. Give me a Fire Shield that lasts twice as long any day. But you can't double the duration of a Fireball. If you bring forward the really powerful spells of 2nd edition and translate them directly (no nerfing) the sky is the limit on this one (but then, you're in a Magic Powerful Campaign, and that's a whole other ball of wax.)

Extra Turning: Clerics got nerfed I see. But they got maxed out in so many ways otherwise I can handle it. The Ogre's Choice, whether to take this one if you are a cleric: will your basic turning abilities be enough, or should you have taken that Feat, so you can turn those 5 spectres that are now about to kill the party?

Far Shot: God protect us all from the bowmen and bowwomen. Now they have this Feat. But it does not double the range like Enlarge Spell does.
I knew a barbarian once whose SOP was Axe (thrown) / Sword (attack) He would have loved this Feat. Of course, this Feat can do other things, like change world history (consider what it would have done at the Battle of Hastings, had one entire side had it, and the other did not.)

Forge Ring: Taken forward from earlier editions.

Great Cleave: I can see it now. Jedi Knight with drawn lightsabre. Jedi surrounded by foes. Jedi does a 360. Halves of all foes tumble to the ground. Translation: stay away from the person with the two-handed sword and Great Cleave.
Interesting, but you could use this feat with a weapon in either hand. Jedi whirls with both lightsabres, quartered pieces of foes drop to the ground (well, ok, they aren't quartered. But the ones that weren't halved by the first lightsabre, WERE halved by the SECOND lightsabre.) Translation, stay away from the person with two long swords (or, horrors, two bastard swords.)

Great Fortitude: Again, Feats are precious. + 2 to Fortitude saves is nice. But will you burn a whole Feat on it?

Greater Spell Focus: Yeah, I remember. World War III went off over this one. It was + 2, right? Now it's + 1, but a great number of DMs Rule Zeroed that, and keep it at + 2. Hmmm ... I myself lean towards the spellcasting classes, so I'd keep it at + 2 ... (After all, again, will you burn a Feat for a + 1? This is a + 1 to ALL your spell DCs, but still ...)

Greater Spell Penetration: This one blasts into what we used to call magic resistance, right? (Now called Spell Resistance.) Doesn't a + 1 translate to 5% here? In other words, wouldn't a being from 2E with 50% magic resistance have a SR of 10?
Thus, this spell effectively reduces your opponent's magic resistance (ala 2E) by 10%, on top of the earlier feat that reduced it by 10%, for a total reduction of 20%. Not bad ...

 

[kenobi65]

You have a BAB of + 10 / + 5 / 0 with your good hand, and a BAB of + 10 / + 5 with your off-hand.
You have a Strength Bonus of + 4. (It's + 2 with your off-hand.)

Two slight, but important, clarifications:

1) When you fight with two weapons, you only apply 1/2 your Strength bonus to the damage on the off-hand weapon. You still get your full Strength bonus applied to the attack roll of the off-hand weapon.

2) Actually, you need a BAB of +11, not +10, to get a third iterative attack. So, in your example, you could have a BAB of +10 / +5 (and, the same with the off-hand, if you have Improved Two-Weapon Fighting), but you wouldn't get the third (+0) attack with the primary hand.

 

[kenobi65]

Eschew materials: If your DM is a stickler for material components, this is a big one, especially with 6 second rounds, IMO (some DMs are into realism here ...) If your DM let's material components slide (most do, in my experience) this Feat is less useful. In my games, I would consider this Feat a very big thing, especially concerning the roleplaying consequences (what, Raistlin walks around, and he DOESN'T smell of material components?)

Generally speaking, unless it's a pricey item, it's assumed that the spellcaster's spell component pouch contains plenty of whatever components he needs. Yeah, this really only comes up if you've got a DM who's a stickler, or if (for whatever reason) you lose your spell component pouch (or don't get a chance to replenish it). Generally, a weak feat.

Considering what I'm hearing about Spiked Chains and their uses, I think EVERYONE is taking this one!

Honestly, I see a few spiked chain users, but not that many.

Extra Turning: Clerics got nerfed I see. But they got maxed out in so many ways otherwise I can handle it. The Ogre's Choice, whether to take this one if you are a cleric: will your basic turning abilities be enough, or should you have taken that Feat, so you can turn those 5 spectres that are now about to kill the party?

Extra Turning is more useful if you take some of the feats in books like Complete Divine, that let you spend turning attempts for other uses.

Great Cleave: I can see it now. Jedi Knight with drawn lightsabre. Jedi surrounded by foes. Jedi does a 360. Halves of all foes tumble to the ground. Translation: stay away from the person with the two-handed sword and Great Cleave.

Cleave / Great Cleave are nice, because they fundamentally give fighter-types extra attacks (drop a guy, get an extra attack). I see Cleave used fairly often, but relatively few occasions (save for fighting large numbers of low-hp mooks) where Great Cleave comes into play.

Great Fortitude: Again, Feats are precious. + 2 to Fortitude saves is nice. But will you burn a whole Feat on it?

Probably only if your Fort save stinks (it's a weak save for your class, and you don't have a good Con bonus), and you've been hosed one too many times by failing a Fort save. Ditto for Iron Will and Lightning Reflexes.

Greater Spell Focus: {snip} This is a + 1 to ALL your spell DCs, but still ...)

Actually, it's only a +1 to your spell DCs in a particular school...

Greater Spell Penetration: This one blasts into what we used to call magic resistance, right? (Now called Spell Resistance.) Doesn't a + 1 translate to 5% here? In other words, wouldn't a being from 2E with 50% magic resistance have a SR of 10?

Not necessarily, since to overcome SR, the attacker needs to make a caster level check (d20 + level). SR10 is pretty wimpy.

Thus, this spell effectively reduces your opponent's magic resistance (ala 2E) by 10%, on top of the earlier feat that reduced it by 10%, for a total reduction of 20%. Not bad ...

Correct.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Yeah, I understand Combat Expertise now. Thank you all very much for the feedback.
Two-weapon fighting and multi-attack are now clear to me.

They have nothing to combat aging, eh? I hear Monte Cook compensated for that with Arcana Unearthed. Considering how elven age categories got shortened, I can't blame him.

Down with death from old age! (And up with premature death by assorted weapons, claws, bites, energy drains, poisonings, spells, dragon's breath, and other nice things like that.)

And just remember, if everything else fails lichdom can be yours, for a price (and I hear they now have rules for your PC being an undead or a ghost. Ghosttouch, or something like that?)

About that Spiked Chain: it has a reach of 10 feet, and it works at 10 feet and at 5 feet.
So that means you get an AOO when your opponent enters the 10 foot hex AND an AOO when your opponent enters the 5 foot hex, right? ...

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Ah, thanks Kenobi. My goof. Full bonus on strength to attack, half bonus on strength damage, with the off-hand. And yes, it takes a + 11 for 3 attacks ...

EDIT: Only one school? Ok, that Feat (Spell Focus) is useless ... (or, at least, not worth putting a Feat slot into.)

Ever fish through your pockets for change? Trying to find that particular quarter amongst a lot of nickels, dimes, and pennies?
That's the poor mage fishing for the right spell component.
As I said, if the DM's a stickler, gotta have this one. If not, one can let it pass.

 

[Staffan]

Exotic Weapon Proficiency: You need this to wield a bastard sword one-handed (so you can wield another bastard sword with the off-hand, LOL. ) You need this for all those dwarven waraxes, spiked chains, double-bladed orc axes, and so on. It's a truism, this Feat, that you gotta take it, for certain classes.
Considering what I'm hearing about Spiked Chains and their uses, I think EVERYONE is taking this one!

It's not that common, really. In the two campaigns I'm in (one as a DM, the other as a player), I think only one character has taken Exotic weapon proficiency (Spiked chain, of course).

Far Shot: God protect us all from the bowmen and bowwomen. Now they have this Feat. But it does not double the range like Enlarge Spell does.

Yeah, there are a bunch of neat archery feats, like this, Point-blank shot (+1 hit/damage within 30 ft), Precise Shot (shoot into melee without penalty), and Rapid shot (one extra attack, all attacks at -2 - sort of like two-weapon fighting with a bow).

Great Fortitude: Again, Feats are precious. + 2 to Fortitude saves is nice. But will you burn a whole Feat on it?

The save-booster feats, I mostly see on fighter-types (who want Iron Will). Since their Will save is so low, it's not uncommon for a foe with the right magic to either take them out of the battle with a single spell, or worse - turn them against their own party. Getting a small save boost helps with that.

Greater Spell Focus: Yeah, I remember. World War III went off over this one. It was + 2, right? Now it's + 1, but a great number of DMs Rule Zeroed that, and keep it at + 2. Hmmm ... I myself lean towards the spellcasting classes, so I'd keep it at + 2 ... (After all, again, will you burn a Feat for a + 1? This is a + 1 to ALL your spell DCs, but still ...)

It's only for one school, not all spells.

My house rule here is that Spell Focus gives +2 to the save DCs for one school, and Greater Spell Focus doesn't exist. GSF could be used to push DCs into the stratosphere, but SF on its own is OK.

Greater Spell Penetration: This one blasts into what we used to call magic resistance, right? (Now called Spell Resistance.) Doesn't a + 1 translate to 5% here? In other words, wouldn't a being from 2E with 50% magic resistance have a SR of 10?

MR 50% more properly translates to SR 21, since 1e MR was based on an 11th level caster (with +/-5% per level above/below that). However, it's not that simple. Most monsters got converted to having a SR equal to CR (Challenge Rating, a number that indicates at what level you're supposed to be facing these monsters) +10 or so, somewhat more or less depending on how resistant the monsters were in AD&D (Mind flayers have CR 8 and SR 25, so you need to roll 17+ to affect them = 80%, a slight decrease from the 90% they had in AD&D; Githyanki have SR = class levels +5 which translates to CR +4, so effectively 15%).

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

(Is going over to the Combat Section next, because the Improved Feats won't make sense otherwise. Cart before the horse situation.)

 

[Staffan]

And just remember, if everything else fails lichdom can be yours, for a price (and I hear they now have rules for your PC being an undead or a ghost. Ghosttouch, or something like that?)

Ghostwalk, which is sort of like a mini-setting with lots of undead (not necessarily evil ones). Sort of like the 2e mini-settings Council of Wyrms and Jakandor - make one (or a few) books, and then leave it.

About that Spiked Chain: it has a reach of 10 feet, and it works at 10 feet and at 5 feet.
So that means you get an AOO when your opponent enters the 10 foot hex AND an AOO when your opponent enters the 5 foot hex, right? ...

You don't get an AoO for an opponent entering a square (or hex, if you prefer). You get one for them leaving. So you only get one for the movement from 10 to 5 ft away.

Also, movement is considered a single action for the purpose of provoking AoOs. A fast enough opponent could literally run circles around you, and you'd still only get one AOO.