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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 2794988" data-attributes="member: 2020">(comes back from a long-distance shopping trip with the Monster Manual 3.5, the Complete Warrior, the Book of Exalted Deeds, and the Expanded Psionics Handbook.  Is back in the Hobby, indeed.)  I think I got the core books I need now ...  -  In 1st and 2nd edition, Girdles of Giant Strength were fairly common and quite popular.  They granted Strengths that allowed for attack bonuses of +3 to +7, and damage bonuses of +7 to +15.  Back at that time, bonuses of the same type stacked (winces, thinking of the statement in the 3.5 DMG:  We, by this new system of disallowing stacking bonuses of the same type, encourage creative gaming, not pile-it-on gaming.)  Thus, you had things like fighters with Girdles of Giant Strength and a +5 sword, and a +3 sword, and 2 attacks per round, and the fighter attacked with the off-hand (gaining 2 more attacks at only a -1 to -2, typically.)  In 3rd Edition, you cannot have more than a +5 enhancement.  Thus, a Girdle of Giant Strength is a major artifact (artifacts were defined as items that broke the rules in 2nd edition, and I think it reasonable to assume they are the items that break the rules in 3rd edition also.  But just think:  If you have this item, and only a few exist, everyone wants to share your good luck ... which means you are out of luck.)  -  I find the new rules on touch attacks hilarious.    In 1st and 2nd edition, we all worried about the dreaded level draining undead.  We worried about them even with the cleric at hand to turn them.  But it was only worry.  When we faced wraiths, spectres, and the like, we shot magical arrows at them, fired spells at them, and turned them if possible.  Back then, a fighter in +3 chain mail, with a +3 shield, and a 17 dexterity, would have had an AC of - 5 (in 2nd edition terms) or 25 (in 3.5 terms.)  Pretty good.  A good chance that wraith or spectre won't hit, if it somehow manages to close to melee range.  Yes, something to be worried about.  But nothing to get overly dramatic about.  Now, have those players time travel to the present.  Said fighter with the +3 chain mail and +3 shield, and 17 dexterity, has an AC of 7 (in 2nd edition terms) or 13 (in 3rd edition terms) against the level draining attack.  And although there is a save to not permanently lose levels, it must be made for each negative level bestowed, and your chance of making it isn't good.  These time travelled players would have one of three reactions:  1.  They did WHAT?!  You gotta be joking.  And not a funny joke!  (And you, the DM, smile gently and shake your head.)  2.  We quit!  (And you, the DM, kindly inform them you won't send them back in time to their proper time, if they don't play!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />  )  3.  RUN FOR YOUR LIVES.  (The party sets the new Olympic World Records (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place) for the fastest 50 yard dash in known history.)  That is what would happen.  Oh, if they only knew, those time travelled 2E players.  If only they knew, that the incorporeal touch attacks were only the tip of the iceberg.  They are now in a new world ... of touch spells, ranged touch spells, sneak attacks, ranged sneak attacks, ranged sneak touch attacks (that one scares ME ... ) assassins with Death Strikes and Feats that allow such strikes at range, Arcane Archers that shoot through 3 foot thick stone walls without batting an eyelash, Bladesingers that drop Quicken Spells AND carve you up in the same round (at low levels ...), and other sweet things like that.  That's just the beginning.  Then, there are all those monsters out there, and they can have character levels and Feats and Skills and supernatural abilities, and ...  2E Party:  You are saying our 20th level fighter with the +5 sword, +5 defender, +5 plate armor, +5 shield, and 20 strength has no chance against a wraith?  A wraith?!  Just what kind of world are you trying to push on us?!  (You the DM)  The 3rd edition world.  Get used to it.  Or die of it.  By the way, that wraith is THROUGHLY enjoying the fact that a 20th level fighter with +5 everything is running away from it like a scared rabbit.  And ... you DO realize you won't be able to outrun it, right?  Because you will tire out and it won't.  You didn't realize that?  Oh well ... perhaps you should have honored and respected your party cleric a little bit more than you did, so he didn't abandon you long ago.  Oh well ...</blockquote>

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