D&D 3E/3.5 Differance beteen 3E & 3.5E?

[irdeggman]

One thing that changed and I missed for a long time was the refocus initiative action. In 3.5 you can't refocus anymore. I liked this in 3.0 and didn't think it was unbalanced since you couldn't do anything except a 5' step while you were refocusing. I also didn't see any discussion as to why this was changed whereas most other changes were discussed in one way or another with the reasons for them.

 

[Li Shenron]

One thing that changed and I missed for a long time was the refocus initiative action. In 3.5 you can't refocus anymore. I liked this in 3.0 and didn't think it was unbalanced since you couldn't do anything except a 5' step while you were refocusing. I also didn't see any discussion as to why this was changed whereas most other changes were discussed in one way or another with the reasons for them.

I think the reason is that you don't need it anymore: when you have really nothing to do in one round, you simply delay your action into the next round (in 3.0 there was a lower limit to delaying initiative).

 

[SoulsFury]

I think I'll just pick up the three books and let the players decide which to use.

Thanks for all the info!

Nik

 

[Ottergame]

There are really a ton of little changes, and only a few really big ones.

 

[Chris Nagle]

I've yet to pick up the new corebooks, and haven't really browsed through them. How do they make the game better? Are more people switching to 3.5E or are there still plenty of people running 3E games?

Any help would be appreciated...

Nik

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a

Wizards of the Coast update accessory booklet. The differences from v3.0 to v3.5

There are lots of little differences so it's up to you but I have spent too much on v3.0 at the moment to go over.


Chris

 

[Shard O'Glase]

IMO overall 3.0 after errata and the faqs is by far the superior product. Me I'd go 3.0with the haste, harm and polymorph spell changes with the 3.5 ranger, bard, monk, sorcerer, and druid. And read and use the 3.5 grapple rules since there much clearer.

Spell changes really suck I mean really, really suck. It turned many spells into spells that suck so bad you'd have to being intentionally playing bad to use them. (stat buffs, the many spells split into multiples instead of general purpose, and more I can't think of)

And dang some things like the darkness/concealment rules suck. Sure its simplified now it just happens to be dumb. Yeah I can't shank people in a dark alley anymore. And other rules that sound good are don't work in play. Hey you can't hide if there isn't somce cover or concealment. Sounds good, a person shouldn't be able to sneak down a guarded hallway that is well lit with no cover. But someone should be able to sneak up on someone in broad daylight without cover. Sure I can hand wave it and say well he's sneaking up behind he doesn't have to hide he just has to beat the listen check. Unless someone specifically is saying I'm looking this way though your spot rolls would normally include things behind you cause occasionally people do glance around, but hey hand waves can work.

Some feats are poorly balanced or modified to avoid cheats and end up damaging the non cheaters in legitimite uses. For example improved trip now is a bit unbalanced in many campaigns. Whirlwind attack no longer works with cleave and other extra attack producers. Why because of the bucket of snails cheat. Well geez that's great so because a tiny group pulled off a dumb trick and there DM was to weak to just tell them no, the legitimite users od cleave and whirlwind combo get screwed. Great idea oh the bone you threw us that it now works with reach weapons tastes so good after your big meal of crap you served up.

I could go on and on but the end result for me is 3.5 is overall worse, though the classes are a bit better designed and a couple spells are better and grapple is explained much better.

 

[allenw]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a

Wizards of the Coast update accessory booklet. The differences from v3.0 to v3.5

There are lots of little differences so it's up to you but I have spent too much on v3.0 at the moment to go over.


Chris

Note that the difference documents at http://www.users.bigpond.com/steven_cooper/dnd/dnd-revised.htm are far more complete, and are especially useful for finding changes in spells. Use the Wizards update accessory booklet for an overview (and for books besides the PHB and DMG), then look at Steven Cooper's stuff for specifics.

 

[irdeggman]

I think the reason is that you don't need it anymore: when you have really nothing to do in one round, you simply delay your action into the next round (in 3.0 there was a lower limit to delaying initiative).

That would work, but the way I read the delay action is that it must be done in the same round and you don't get to reset your intiative to higher than what it was only lower. For example to go first in the round, starting with the next round.

"When you delay, you voluntarily reduce your own initiative result for the rest of the combat. When your new, lower initiative count comes up later in the same round, you can act normally."

Now they might have meant to make it work the way you described it, and that makes sense to me, but they sure didn't write it to parley that intent.

 

[WCrawford]

That would work, but the way I read the delay action is that it must be done in the same round and you don't get to reset your intiative to higher than what it was only lower. For example to go first in the round, starting with the next round.

"When you delay, you voluntarily reduce your own initiative result for the rest of the combat. When your new, lower initiative count comes up later in the same round, you can act normally."

Now they might have meant to make it work the way you described it, and that makes sense to me, but they sure didn't write it to parley that intent.

I think the problem you are having is that the definition of a "round" has been altered. It is now the time between your X initiative action and your X+1 initiative action, rather than the span from the person with the highest initiative to the person with the lowest initiative.

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

The only thing that really gets to me about 3.5 is the druid. Animal friendship has been replaced with one animal companion spontaniously assigned to you, that changes with level like some sort of fecking Pokemon. Instead of animal companions being just that, they are now vaguely mystical familiar ripoffs. It's things like that, and the radical change made to certain monsters like Dryiads and Pit Fiends, that really over pre-existing campaigns.

Edit: I like the way they censor out obscenities. It's cute.