Core concept or rule that just bugs you beyond your ability to put up with it?

[Balord]

Does anyone find it annoying that a character with a constitution score of 17 has no advantages over a character with a con of 16? Or that an intelligence of 15 is for all intents and purposes the same as int 14? Odd numbered stats got the shaft in d20.

I suppose I shouldn't complain though. 3rd edition stats are much more appealing to me than in previous editions.

 

[Rel]

Does anyone find it annoying that a character with a constitution score of 17 has no advantages over a character with a con of 16? Or that an intelligence of 15 is for all intents and purposes the same as int 14? Odd numbered stats got the shaft in d20.

I'm not trying to rebut your annoyance at this. But I DO think that a PC with a higher score has a few advantages over a PC with a lower score. A few examples:

If they make an opposed check and come out tied, the person with the higher score wins the check (now that I think about it, is this a House Rule for us?). Same with initiative (pretty sure this ISN'T a House Rule).

The PC with the 17 gets to bump it to an 18 when he hits 4th (or 8th and so on) level.

When the Fighter with a 15 Str has a Bull's Strength cast on him by the Cleric, he's got a better chance for a higher bonus than the one with the 14 Str.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

When the Fighter with a 15 Str has a Bull's Strength cast on him by the Cleric, he's got a better chance for a higher bonus than the one with the 14 Str.

This is no longer true in 3.5.

 

[Rel]

This is no longer true in 3.5.

Fair enough. My 3.0 Ludditeism is showing, huh?

 

[woodelf]

If they make an opposed check and come out tied, the person with the higher score wins the check (now that I think about it, is this a House Rule for us?). Same with initiative (pretty sure this ISN'T a House Rule)..

I'm pretty sure that the rule officially says that, in the case of a tie, the person with the higher bonus to the roll wins, and if those also tie, teh person with the higher ability modifier wins, and if that's also a tie, flip a coin--i'm pretty sure it never mentions the ability score itself.

 

[Tiberius]

Does anyone find it annoying that a character with a constitution score of 17 has no advantages over a character with a con of 16? Or that an intelligence of 15 is for all intents and purposes the same as int 14? Odd numbered stats got the shaft in d20.

I suppose I shouldn't complain though. 3rd edition stats are much more appealing to me than in previous editions.

I wouldn't say they got the shaft. True, you get the modifier at the even numbered ability score, but the odd scores are what count for feat prereqs, at least according to the design philosopy I seem to recall reading at one point. Thus, Power Attack requires 13+, Combat Expertise requires 13+, Multishot requires 17+, etc.

 

[Storm Raven]

Does a spellbook radiate magic?

Yes, at least in my campaigns.

Does it get suppressed in an anti-magic field?

The reading becomes incomprehensible, at least in my campaigns.

Can it be dispelled or disjoined?

Erase works just fine.

So what sort of strange magic IS it exactly??

The most fundamental kind.

 

[Storm Raven]

I'd also like to say that while you can't get an "in" with a knife measurably more often than with a greatsword, you can often make several quick slashes when you do. I've seen knife fighting books describing in detail how a trained individual can make a half dozen non-superficial cuts with a knife in under 2 seconds. You just can't do that with a sword.

You have no idea how a greatsword is properly used, do you? Multiple quick cuts are easy to do with a greatsword or longsword, or polearm, since you can use the weapon itself as leverage (which you have to provide with your arm and body when uising a knife). Much easier than with a knife. The "increased recovery time" you think to include is a fabrication of poorly choreographed Hollywood fight scenes and your own inexperience with the weaponry.

So the number of attacks with a knife should definitely be higher on average than a longsword.

Only in a fairy tale version of fighting. Many armies in history have equipped their armies with spears, pole-arms, swords, and other similar weapons. None have used knives as their primary weapon. Why do you think that is?

 

[Storm Raven]

So are you suggesting that magic should be kept out of the hands of the PC's?

If you are aiming for a campaign in which magic is treated as "mysterious and powerful", then it is necessary to do so. I don't aim for that in my current campaigns, so I don't go that route.

 

[barsoomcore]

With respect to odd-numbered ability scores, I believe one benefit is that most feat pre-requisites are odd-numbered. I think that's how you're SUPPOSED to define feats that have ability score pre-requisites.