Comments and questions on 3.5 from a Newbie

[Edena_of_Neith]

Greetings all, this is Edena_of_Neith.
I'm back in the Hobby after 7 years.
2 days ago I bought the 3.5 PHB, DMG, and Magic of Incarnum. Yesterday I bought Unearthed Arcana.

Now, I am a person mired deeply in the old thinking. I played 1st edition and 2nd edition from 1977 through 1998. That's 23 years of old style playing!
I did not read the rules of 3rd edition, and I knew virtually nothing of them until a few days ago.

Now I am intensively reading through these books, and a lot of things are jumping out at me.
I wanted to comment on them, and ask questions, if nobody minds.
Yes, the rest of you did all this 5 years ago, when 3.0 came out in 2000, but I'm afraid I'm late.

Mind if I do this here?

 

[Jdvn1]

Go ahead!

 

[wingsandsword]

Bring it on, I think we'd all be glad to answer your questions, or discuss any points.

 

[Thotas]

Ask away, it's a large part of why we're all here, after all!

 

[Darrin Drader]

Greetings all, this is Edena_of_Neith.
I'm back in the Hobby after 7 years.
2 days ago I bought the 3.5 PHB, DMG, and Magic of Incarnum. Yesterday I bought Unearthed Arcana.

Now, I am a person mired deeply in the old thinking. I played 1st edition and 2nd edition from 1977 through 1998. That's 23 years of old style playing!
I did not read the rules of 3rd edition, and I knew virtually nothing of them until a few days ago.

My good friend Edena proves that there is yet hope for Diaglo.

 

[Napftor]

My good friend Edena proves that there is yet hope for Diaglo.

I doubt that very much.

 

[Particle_Man]

Gotta admit, I am curious to see someone's opinion of Incarnum who has not previously been exposed to 3.0/3.5 for years.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Awaits serve with racquet in hand...

 

[ajanders]

Welcome back!

The pretzels are by your Comfy Gaming Chair (TM) and your dice are waiting...

Speak. Demand. We'll answer.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Comments:

It seems like 3.5 strength 40-41 is about the same as 2nd edition strength 25.
And 3.5 str 22 is about the same as 2E strength 18/00.
That by the chart on page 8. About str 26 and 38, if you go by the chart on page 162.

Wizards have an immediate advantage in 3.5. They are not limited to how many spells per level they can know. The other part: the 10 + spell level requirement for Intelligence seems similar to 2nd edition. I realize Sorcerers and Bards do it differently in 3.5: just commenting on the wizard.

I would have thought the Tarrasque would have had a constitution in the 50s, not of 34. Just a thought.

The idea of increasing ability scores once per 4 levels would have been a cherished dream in 2nd edition. It was all but impossible to increase ability scores in the older editions.
And ability scores above 18 (in a few cases 19) were impossible without very powerful magic. Now, you can just ... have it. Start with an elf with 19 dexterity, go from there (actually, start with an elf of 20 dexterity, because they get a + 2 to dexterity, and they aren't capped at 19 at the start.)