D&D 3E/3.5 Curious about Pathfinder vs. 3.5E

[GreyLord]

I think I spend more time out of combat than in combat, so anything that changed combat has had less of an impact.

That said, and should be obvious from the above statement, my out and out favorite thing hands down that was changed in pathfinder...skills.

I love what they did with the skill system in pathfinder.

 

[Chronologist]

Outside of combat, you will love the fact that the races have been balanced so that they are all useful for any kind of player. Half Elves and Half Orcs got the biggest boost, and the Half Elf is actually one of the best races in Pathfinder now. The +2 to any attribute lends them to any class, the resistances are a nice perk, the skill bumps are great, and free skill focus makes them as good or better than a human for many characters.


They can also select two favored classes, so they are the best multi-classing as well.

On that note, you'll like how they changed favored classes. Now, you select one at 1st level, and every time to take a level in it, you can gain either an extra hit point or skill point. This reinforces the benefits of taking 20 levels in a class, as well as giving fighters the option of more skill points and mages the option of more hit points.

 

[Angrydad]

Hmmmm. My favorite changes so far are probably the simplification of skills, the balancing of power amongst the core races, the fact that staying in a single class is totally worth it for ALL classes, and lastly, the introduction of archetypes to largely replace prestige classes. That's quite a lot of stuff that has changed, but I feel like it has simplified the mechanics of the game without sacrificing the uniqueness of each class or limiting player options (something I feel 4th edition failed at to a degree).

 

[billd91]

There are a lot of changes I like. One I particularly like is the paladin's smite.

 

[Ramaster]

Outside of combat, you will love the fact that the races have been balanced so that they are all useful for any kind of player. Half Elves and Half Orcs got the biggest boost, and the Half Elf is actually one of the best races in Pathfinder now. The +2 to any attribute lends them to any class, the resistances are a nice perk, the skill bumps are great, and free skill focus makes them as good or better than a human for many characters.


They can also select two favored classes, so they are the best multi-classing as well.

On that note, you'll like how they changed favored classes. Now, you select one at 1st level, and every time to take a level in it, you can gain either an extra hit point or skill point. This reinforces the benefits of taking 20 levels in a class, as well as giving fighters the option of more skill points and mages the option of more hit points.

This is so true!

I also love the fact that most classes get new support on almost every new book. New archetypes, spells, feats, etc...

With APG we also got alternate racial features, so that even two elven wizard conjurers can be different in some respect.

This may sound silly (and is highly subjective) but I consider the art on the books far superior to the D&D art. The illustration of the sorceress on the core rulebook is beautiful.

All in all, I like the idea of "Adding" instead of "Replacing". It is a familiar game with many improvements

 

[twonkenn]

In addition to the fine examples above...

I have always felt the bottom line difference is that characters are playable at all levels...something 3.5e does poorly. Melee characters have comparable damage to Spellcasters post 12.

It also strip mines 3.5e of the umpteen layers of PrC and feat choices that were never playtested properly to see if they were broken or not (or even legal), or conversely, whether they were even necessary. Pathfinder kept the most used feats and introduced updated versions of old fav's or new one's altogether. This lends to the Pathfinder Wizards scaled back damage (no more twinned admixed fireballs to clear a room) and the bump in melee damage (updated Power Attack, Vital Strike).

While I will always treasure my Psion slipping out of time and reappearing with two rending constructs, I now understand my fellow table mates appreciated it much less. Pathfinder is the way to go Bob.

 

[N'raac]

In addition to the fine examples above...

I have always felt the bottom line difference is that characters are playable at all levels...something 3.5e does poorly. Melee characters have comparable damage to Spellcasters post 12.

It also strip mines 3.5e of the umpteen layers of PrC and feat choices that were never playtested properly to see if they were broken or not (or even legal), or conversely, whether they were even necessary. Pathfinder kept the most used feats and introduced updated versions of old fav's or new one's altogether.

I wonder whether this will still be the case when Pathfinder has the same years as 3.5 took to build up those choices, or when it has accumulated the same volume of options. Hopefully!

This lends to the Pathfinder Wizards scaled back damage (no more twinned admixed fireballs to clear a room) and the bump in melee damage (updated Power Attack, Vital Strike).

Is Power Attack an enhancement? A 4th level Fighter who could previously subtract 4 to hit and add 4 damage, and can now subtract 1 to hit and add 2 damage, may not think so. A 5th level who can subtract 2 and add 4, rather than subtract 5 and add 5, may find that a generous tradeoff, but may feel different at 13th level. I prefer the PF approach, especially with a Ranged option having been added, but other opinions must exist.

 

[gamerprinter]

Favorite things...

Class Skills and no real cross class penalties for skills
Feats every other round
capstone powers
no dead levels
Rangers are d10 and not d8
Sorcerer bloodlines
Paladin mercies
Antipaladin is back!
Witch Hexes
Teamwork feats
Magus - I really love the magus
Guns work as touch attack at 1st range increment
Haunts - this is my favorite GM thing.

 

[Voadam]

Skill calculations. Each skill rank costs one skill point (no cross-class for half a rank), max rank is level (no cross-class is half level cap+2), and first level is one skill rank instead of four but class skills get a +3 competence bonus.

Easier to calculate and check, easier to go against your class archetype with skills, a bonus for going with class archetypes, same max check level for class skills as in 3.5, and all with easier math.

 

[gourdcaptain]

I wonder whether this will still be the case when Pathfinder has the same years as 3.5 took to build up those choices, or when it has accumulated the same volume of options. Hopefully!



Is Power Attack an enhancement? A 4th level Fighter who could previously subtract 4 to hit and add 4 damage, and can now subtract 1 to hit and add 2 damage, may not think so. A 5th level who can subtract 2 and add 4, rather than subtract 5 and add 5, may find that a generous tradeoff, but may feel different at 13th level. I prefer the PF approach, especially with a Ranged option having been added, but other opinions must exist.

Well, considering the actual math is one increase for every 4 BAB, and two-handed weapons are now 1 for 3...

I think the 4th level Fighter won't mind -2 for +4 or -2 for +6. There's cases where it's a nerf (much higher accuracy above what I usually see, but I tend to run with low-op people), but from personal experience with most groups they don't come up. Not saying you don't have a point, but it's a peeve of mine all the people I see misquoting PF rules when talking against it.