D&D 3E/3.5 How much do you mod 3E?

[Leopold]

i drop the multiclass penalty for races.

Why? In my mind any race has a good enough chance of being one class as another. An elf should not be penalized if they want to be a rogue/barbarian as a halfling should if they want to be a monk/paladin. What does it matter? It doesn't. so i toss it out the window and let the players come what may and build whatever PC class they want..

 

[Drawmack]

Leopold,
I don't agree with that for a couple of reasons. Halfling and Gnome barbarians make little sense to me, yes they can happen but that character would have to work a lot harder for the same results then a different race hence the xp penalty. Also by throwing out preferred class you are taking away a major boon of being human or half-elf. Remember in 2e humans and half-elves were the only ones that could multiclass all others could only dual class, or did you throw that out as well? I weaken it allowing them to be any but three classes for their preferred class, preferred class is static and on top of all that there are role-playing restrictions on being a non-standard preferred class.

Just my 2 coppers.

 

[The Serge]

I think that 3ed is pretty well balanced.

Initially, I changed a good number of things to test the system. I changed the AC bonuses, ignored the different kinds of bonuses and penalties and how they stacked; I changed certain spell mechanics; I had specialty priests and so on.

In the end, we found that those changes would unbalance another, initially unforeseen aspect. So, now I have very few changes.

In my mind, many of the mechanical issues can be handled through role-playing. I don't mind if a character casts a hold spell and then attempts a coup-de-grace. I don't mind if a character casts harm, then follows up with a final attack. I don't mind if characters attempt to resurrect characters. I don't mind these things because there are ways to honestly deal with them without limiting the rules. In the first two cases, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Furthermore, not all creatures will be subject to those attacks. For the latter, how many diamonds or other wealthy items are out there and who's to say that the god in question (or the subject of the spell) is willing to do the request?

I think 3ed is fine and that it needs little to no tweaking.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

Re: Re: How much do you mod 3E?

I ahve 2 different D20 rules sets I use

The main one is a series of flavor changes and very minor rules mods.

The second is not really D&D its more of a D20 game and combat is rather deadly

Ace, with all the GURPS books of mine that you're buying, any chance you're trying to combine it with 3E?

As for your second rule set, what type of changes do you use? Is it the Grim'n'Gritty rules?

 

[Heretic Apostate]

Remember in 2e humans and half-elves were the only ones that could multiclass all others could only dual class, or did you throw that out as well?

Well, that's kind of backward. Humans could dual-class, every other race could multi-class. And, before that, demihumans had level limits.

 

[CerberusAOD]

I do think 3e is well made and nicely balanced...it's just that it works within a certain context, outside of which, it just breaks down.
I redo races, and make new classes (derived from the core classes, of course), including a defense bonus (I don't like the idea of higher AC coming from items and spells...I also generally don't allow such magic), and currently fleshing out a feat/skill-based magic system (one thing I'm currently trying to do is divide up feats, so that more classes can get bonus feats, but only of a certain type, allowing flexibility, but also not taking away any staple class a bilities), the hard part of which is making most magic not based in combat, but still worth getting.
Anytime I work with other systems (OK, maybe not BESM, but that's a bit of a stretch on this forum anyways), something is always...just wrong. D&D3 I can easily work within. With my PHB and WoT book, I jot down a few things, then type up house rules, and go for it.

 

[Jeph]

Some campaigns that I run are barely recognizable as d20. In one, i got rid of classes totally, and used only skills, to determine everything. However, not all skills had the same cost...

In my current one, I use a construct-a-class system and a pretty original magic system, so every class and every spell is completely tailored.

I've also instituted parry rules, more complex falling damage rules, and occasionally other ability scores, such as Perceptiveness, Appearance, and Magic.

-Jeph

 

[BluWolf]

I have modified it quite extensively but not because I thaught it didn't work.

All my changes are based on my campaign world and the way I want things to work. 70% of the game is still core. the other 30% is just how all that core stuff interacts.

This is what I think the biggest strength of D20 has been. Its very modular and can accomodate major tinkering from us novice game designers.

Races: Mostly cosmetic but they all get the brush and I changed all the planetouched guys to templates.

Classes: Most of them have been 50% rewritten and a few compeletly redone (bard, ranger & monk)

Combat: we roll every round. Just couldn't give that vice up.

Changed how alignment works (no more detect so and so.....)

Changed how ressurection works.

then the usual scattering of stuff, Harm save, Skill focus.....

 

[apoptosis]

So many modifications that it is not a standard 3E game by any means.

classess: a decent bit of changes to wizard, sorcerer, cleric and druid (actually a spellcasting classes).
Added Mage (elven based magic using psionic rules).

Magic: Lower Magic campaign in many ways. Magic is either harder to prepare but powerful (Wizard), Dangerous to the user (Sorcerer), Unreliable (Cleric/Druid), or weaker but more subtle (Mage). Different rules for different types of casters. The feel and definition of the different types of magic is different to give it more flavor and feel.

Combat: use the ken hood grim'n'gritty.

Changed other misc. rules to fit campaign..

like evasion instead allows 2 reflex saves on all reflex saves and just not 1/2 damage saves (better chance of saving but will take some damage in most cases)

and other misc rules.

Apoptosis

 

[jgbrowning]

not much

i stay to the core books. and allow a very few outside sources for other stuff, but i approve everything beforehand.

personally i prefer to pre-emptively prevent rampant powergaming by limiting the number of sources a person can min/max from.

joe b.

oh yah, i also tell my PC's that everything i let in for them my NPC's will be able to use against them.. that also helps prevent alot of bother...