Core Rules Survivor: FINAL ROUND!

[Infiniti2000]

When equipment has its own attached rules, and draws everything down into its black hole of Suck, well, you get my vote.

That's .sig worthy right there.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The real amazing thing about how poorly counterspelling is doing is the fact that half a dozen people have already stated in their posts that they hate it, but hated something else slightly more. So, if this were set up w/ say a point value, least favorite getting 1 point and favorite getting 5, the results might have even come out MORE lopsided!

That being said, I voted counterspelling, because I really do hate it for its uselessness. With a single feat and no spell expenditure (and the feat is prestidigitation-level awesome even w/o the counterspell part), Brandish Magical Might from Arcana Evolved manages this mechanic so much better. Of course, my most hated rule, MDS, is already safe, cause it seems people still consider randomly dying for no apparant reason to be "fun."

 

[borc killer]

There are fine alternatives to the turn undead mechanic, in the WOTC books themselves. I personally prefer one of the variants where a turn check just does damage to undead within a certain radius of you.

Which books? That in UA or somethign?

 

[Li Shenron]

My vote for grappling. (I'd rather kill a rule that actually hampers the game rather than something which simply is not tactically good enough.)

 

[Kahuna Burger]

(1) Ready Action -- these tend to be painfully good or painfully bad, and are very dependent on DM fiat to make sense of the situation

Yeah, readied actions are a pain. In some situations I've been tempted to just write down my readied action on a piece of paper and turn it upsidedown on the table just saying "I ready". If my readied action is activated I can reveal the paper and take it. But this might be based on too many NPCs with the "sense readied action" special ability.

(3) The uncertainty of Dispel Magic itself -- "I have the perfect spell for this situation, so I have a 50% chance of wasting my round."

Ran into that one last night - my action and a 3rd level spell for... nothing!

(4) The general weakness of spell categories/themes in D&D -- If I want to be a superb counterspelling I can take a feat so that I can counter spellcasters just like me. I would think that a "Water Wizard" would be pretty good for this when matched against a "Fire Wizard", but that turns out not to be the case.

There are a couple of exceptions, like the darkness/light spell countering, but in general I agree.

 

[Ilium]

Yeah, readied actions are a pain. In some situations I've been tempted to just write down my readied action on a piece of paper and turn it upsidedown on the table just saying "I ready". If my readied action is activated I can reveal the paper and take it. But this might be based on too many NPCs with the "sense readied action" special ability.

I actually allow this in my game with a Sense Motive roll. So the NPC might figure out what you've readied, but at least I'm not cheating to do it.

Plus the PCs can do the same thing, of course.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I actually allow this in my game with a Sense Motive roll. So the NPC might figure out what you've readied, but at least I'm not cheating to do it.

Plus the PCs can do the same thing, of course.

Yeah, a sense motive (or spellcraft for readied spells) mechanic to determine readied actions would be nice.

 

[Darklone]

Which books? That in UA or somethign?

No, in UA is another level dependant variant IIRC.

 

[Delta]

Of course, my most hated rule, MDS, is already safe, cause it seems people still consider randomly dying for no apparant reason to be "fun."

The one thing I'll say is I don't think proponents are in it for the "fun"... this is one where the "realism" cry (god help us) is the one that called out for this rule. I have the impression that this is a 2E-era hack to respond to the specific complaint that a high-level fighter could fall any arbitrary distance, max out at 20d6 damage, and be certain in advance of surviving. "Ha! Not realistic!" folks would snicker.

It's such a bungfungled rule, most folks I run into in 3E don't even initially believe it's a core part of the combat rules... most assume it's a variant from the DMG, and don't even realize that they've accidentally house-ruled it out.

 

[Mistwell]

Which books? That in UA or somethign?

Complete Divine, page 87.

For good clerics: Standard action, deals 1d6 positive energy damage/cleric level to undead in 30 ft. of cleric, Will save (DC 10+ Cleric level + Charisma mod) for half damage. Turn resistance subtracts that number from the damage they take from a turn attempt.

For evil clerics, standard action heals undead in 30 ft. of cleric for 1d6/cleric level (turn resistance has no effect).

Pretty simple fix, and it seems to work fine.