Exact changes from 3.0 to 3.5?

[Jürgen Hubert]

I plan to playtest Urbis with my regular gaming group soon, and since I have hopes for eventual publication of this setting, I plan to use the 3.5 versions to be "up to date".

Unfortunately, I'm the only one in my gaming group who has the 3.5 PHB - and I certainly won't demand from my players that they discard their old books and buy the new ones!

So I am wondering: Is there a document out there that lists all the changes between 3.0 and 3.5 so that you can create a 3.5 character with the 3.0 PHB and this document? I'm especially interested in a list of the changes that are relevant to character creation - i.e., changes in classes, races, skills and feats.

A simple overview wouldn't be good enough - I don't want my players to refer to the entire 3.5 SRD all the time...

 

[diaglo]

yes. visit www.wizards.com search for the 3.5 conversion guides.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

yes. visit www.wizards.com search for the 3.5 conversion guides.

Not good enough, I'm afraid - these only present an overview, but don't list all the changes. You still need the 3.5 SRD or PHB to create a 3.5 character...

 

[Umbran]

There's a very large number of very small changes. A document that lists the changes would not be all that much smaller than the SRD itself, I'm afraid. And it'd probably be less useful as a reference later. The SRD is probably your best bet. Sorry.

 

[jmucchiello]

Not good enough, I'm afraid - these only present an overview, but don't list all the changes. You still need the 3.5 SRD or PHB to create a 3.5 character...

Find the 3.5 SRD competition thread and download a few copies of the SRD. Print out your favorite for your friends. Or go to RPGNow and buy a compiled SRD PDF and print it for your friends. Or advise them to do this for themselves. (One of my players is using the online SRD to do character creation stuff and borrowing the 3.5 books at the table if he needs to look something up.)

A thorough document containing all of the changes would probably not be significantly smaller than new SRD.

 

[Jhamin]

Not good enough, I'm afraid - these only present an overview, but don't list all the changes. You still need the 3.5 SRD or PHB to create a 3.5 character...

This won't be the news you want I'm afraid.

The 3.0 to 3.5 conversion was not a matter of x number of rules changing while the rest stayed the same.

While the D20 mechanic stayed the same, and concepts like BAB, Save bonuses, feats, and the spell system stayed the same almost every detail has subtly changed.

Lots of feats are the same, but many are different. Lots of spells are the same, many are different. Many classes are different. And so on. There were only a few changes that completely altered a mechanic, but there were many that subtly altered a specific ability.

It isn't really practical to list the changes, because you would end up reprinting about half the SRD.

 

[Voadam]

So I am wondering: Is there a document out there that lists all the changes between 3.0 and 3.5 so that you can create a 3.5 character with the 3.0 PHB and this document? I'm especially interested in a list of the changes that are relevant to character creation - i.e., changes in classes, races, skills and feats.

Unfortunately no. Every other spell changed in some way. Every class has changes (even the fighter, he now has intimidate as a class skill). Many feats changed. A couple skills changed and what grants synergies changed.

I think equipment is the same, but I haven't checked for differences.

 

[Conaill]

I think equipment is the same, but I haven't checked for differences.

Nope. For example, some of the spears got combined and renamed, the Lance is now a 2-handed weapon that can be used 1-handed while mounted, and tanglefoot bags have a lower break DC. There's probably a lot more changes, but those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head...

 

[maddman75]

The revision is filled with so many small irrelevent changes that there's little compatibility. I'd say you are looking at playing 3.0 or 3.5, knowledge of one will actually hinder you at the other.

Not that I'm bitter.

 

[Voadam]

Nope. For example, some of the spears got combined and renamed, the Lance is now a 2-handed weapon that can be used 1-handed while mounted, and tanglefoot bags have a lower break DC. There's probably a lot more changes, but those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head...

Doh! And I forgot the changes for differently sized weapons.