D&D 3.1E: What to change?

[hong]

Second, I understand the rationale behind starting off all Cs at level one, but I have two major problems with it.
...

This comes up again and again. There's NO reason in D&D that you HAVE to start your characters at 1st level. If you think that your campaign will do better by having higher level PCs, by all means start them at whatever level you deem fit.

The starting gp by level table in the DMG is there for a reason, after all.

The campaign I'm starting up soon will have the PCs at 3rd level, because I don't particularly like the 1st level survival-scrabble either. The last one I DMed started at 4th. And in fact, I haven't created a 1st level PC at all in the last two years.

 

[Droogie]

What would this mythical action do that the Total Defense action doesn't already simulate? Unless you're looking for a 'get-out-of-jail-free' action, which sounds like an untested and potentially game-balance disrupting change.

Read Conaill's reply; that pretty much says it. I didn't mean making a new rule, just want to slap a name on an existing rule to help explain things.

Avoiding an AoO by "movement only" could be called a withdrawl- something the player can actually declare without confusion. That way, all the player has to remember are two basic actions to escape an AoO: the five-foot step, and the withdrawl. Almost everything else gets you whacked. Naturally, certain feats, skills, and tactics will improve your ability to avoid an AoO.

This is basically how they explain it in Wheel of Time, CoC, and the revised Star Wars.

 

[Archimedes]

Rework Psionics

Well, here’s my two cents.

As many others have said, Skill Focus should count for +3. Why? It would help balance it with the other feats.

Also as others have suggested, multiclass restrictions for Monks and Paladins should be removed. Why? These restrictions are setting specific, not balance issues.

I'd also include a completely reworked psionics system in the core rules!

I know the 3e psionics system works better then previous attempts and I know it’s close to balanced, but it just doesn’t have the right feel. Yes, I know the 3e psionic rules received good reviews, but I still don’t like them.

Here’s a list of some psionics gripes:

1). Basing bonus spell points on all abilities rather than just the mental ones. For example, linking Con with Psychokinesis. Yes, I know they do this for balance reasons, but it gives the system the wrong feel.

2). The power displays give psionics a 4-color comic book flavor. Reminds me of Doc Strange vs. Dormammu.

3). The whole Metacreativity discipline rubs me the wrong way. Many of these powers don’t seem very mental. Take Grease for instance… materializing a 10 x 10 patch of lube is a spell, not a psychic power.

4). Some powers seem to be in the wrong disciplines. For example, you’d think Burst would be a Psychometabolic power, but it’s listed in the Psychoportation discipline. The Fly power would seem to be Psychokinetic, but it’s listed, once again, over in Psychoportation. Yes, I know this was done for balance purposed. I also know they wanted to lump all movement powers together regardless of their mechanism. It just gives the system an inelegant bad taste.

I could go on with more flaws and nits.

What would I do to fix psionics?

First, I’d make the system Feat and Skill based. Yes, I know the designers wanted to keep supernatural powers out of the feat system, but that rule’s already been broken elsewhere.

Second, I’d dump the Metacreativity discipline entirely. I’d replace it with a healing and necromancy discipline. I’m too tired to think of a good, and probably obvious, name for it.

Third, I’d group powers by method rather than effect! Any power having to do with moving objects by mental force would be in the Psycokinetic discipline, powers involving teleporting or gating would go in Psychoportation, no damaging powers in Clairsentience, etc.

This system would probably be harder to balance, but at least it’d seem more like psionics. At least to me.

Ugh, that was more than two cents Too tired. Signing out.

Sam

 

[Tyrion]

Get rid of alignment, and all rules related to it. I don't find it adds anything to the game, and it takes away quite alot with the absurdities it introduces...stuff like the party Paladin going from town to town slaughtering everyone who shows up on his Evil Radar, or the rigorous training and mental discipline that requires monks to be Lawful, but not Wizards.

 

[thalmin]

Whatever changes, make an immediate module for ETools.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Re: Rework Psionics

Well, here’s my two cents.

...

Here’s a list of some psionics gripes:

The whole Metacreativity discipline rubs me the wrong way. Many of these powers don’t seem very mental. Take Grease for instance… materializing a 10 x 10 patch of lube is a spell, not a psychic power.

I found the metacreativity discipline to be one of the coolest parts of the new psionics system. It reminds me of the ghostbusters movies with the psychoreactive goo...not to mention slimer Anything that involves freaky goop from another dimension is just fine with me.

 

[Vaxalon]

... the party Paladin going from town to town slaughtering everyone who shows up on his Evil Radar...

What???

What kind of damfool DM allows that kind of shenanigans?

 

[Archimedes]

Re: Re: Rework Psionics

I found the metacreativity discipline to be one of the coolest parts of the new psionics system. It reminds me of the ghostbusters movies with the psychoreactive goo...not to mention slimer Anything that involves freaky goop from another dimension is just fine with me.

But there's a right place and a wrong place for freaky goop.

Grease was just an example. I guess my real gripe with Metacreativity is that it seems to be a bucket for every power that doesn't fit in the other five disciplines.

Sam

 

[Vaxalon]

You could say that about all of them.

 

[Ace]

What???

What kind of damfool DM allows that kind of shenanigans?

None that I know of but it does make a certain twisted sense to me.

I could imagine a Paladin dictatorship very easily.

" Citizen I am a Paladin of The Obidietor and you show as as evil by you acts and deeds. Prepare for Justice"

IT would be a sort of dystopic Judge Dread like Fantasy world but it actually makes sense. Of course when dealing with D&D don't look behind the curtain. Ignore that little guy and just have fun.