D&D 3E/3.5 Issues that might arise from a "core book only" 3.5 campaign and possible fixes?
ccs
41st lv DM
So you don't really want to run a 3.5 fore book only game ....
I have two types of players in my group. I have a couple of very experienced gamers who played lots of 3.5 years ago, but mostly noobs who are playing their second campaign ever and so far have only experienced 5e.
I wanted to run a "core only" game because I figured that a lot of the problem with 3.5 was the excessive number of splats and most of the guys are new to the system. However since a couple of the guys have played all the core classes a number of times in their career I wanted to open up a few options for them , maybe some PHB2 stuff. Maybe Tome of Battle which I remembered I loved.
Essentially looking for ways to play a "mostly core only" and the simplest way to open up several well balanced options.
Make sure you obtain all of the errata and updates for whatever books you decide to allow. Some of the broken issues are fixed via errata/corrections.
If you are worried about magic tossing classes being over powered, consider implementing a one rest period per 24 hours house rule. Or give them a time limit to accomplish the mission. "You have 36 hours to rescue the sacrifice before the cultist summon the great being." When magic types have to ration spells due to limited recharging, it does impact class balance.
If you are worried about magic tossing classes being over powered, consider implementing a one rest period per 24 hours house rule. Or give them a time limit to accomplish the mission. "You have 36 hours to rescue the sacrifice before the cultist summon the great being." When magic types have to ration spells due to limited recharging, it does impact class balance.
Celebrim
Legend
No, in fact, in general splats tended to make the problem worse. The core rules have essentially one basic problem. At some point, generally around 7th-9th level, spell-casters start outshining non-casters, and above 11th level, the game is entirely geared around spending caster resources. While a few splats attempted to 'fix' this by ramping up the power of non-casters, none really did a good job of it and most at the same time broke spell-casters even worse.
In my opinion, all of them. In fact, the first thing I'd do is ban all non-core spells and all prestige classes. Play core classes only, and in general look at the 3.0 and 3.5 version of each core spell and make the weaker of the two the one that prevails in the campaign. If you add anything to core at all, and I'm not suggesting you do so, the only thing you should be adding is fixes for the fighter in the form of more powerful feats and options for the fighter and similar classes to try to stem the tide of spellcaster power a little.
Understand in core your main brokenness is Cleric, Druid, and Wizard and that the more spells you add from outside sources the more broken they become. In particular, the problem with these classes isn't just the sheer brokenness of them, but that with open access to spells each new spell in the campaign gives them another class feature and another tool to solve problems they previously couldn't solve.
However, if you stick to core, the casters won't be excessively broken unless they start abusing shape-changing spells and summoning spells. (Watch in particular for Polymorph Other abuse and Planar Ally abuse.) They'll just be slightly broken at that point. Also, if you stick to the 3.0 versions of many spells, even that problem is mitigated somewhat.
So, if you are wanting to keep your ban list small, ban anything and everything that lets you get free metamagic or greatly increases effective caster level or spell DC. Ban Robilar's Gambit and Assault Trooper. Ban Natural Spell (which moved into core with 3.5 because 3.5 had to break everything). Ban Ur-Priest and Frenzied Berserker. Ban Psions, unless you ban Wizards and Psions are replacing wizards. Ban everything from BoED, BoVD. Ban Tome of Battle unless you ban all non-Tome of Battle non-spellcaster classes and just run a Tome of Battle centered campaign...
You know, seriously forget about it, your game will just be better core only. If it isn't going to be core only, then the best policy would be to ban part of core and use some replacement classes to achieve balance. However, IMO that runs into two problems. First, you tend to end up in a place where nothing is broken because everything is. And secondly, you tend to end up with parties well optimized for going supernova on opponents and most combats are effectively over by the middle of the first round, which was kinda what you were trying to avoid by putting bans into effect in the first place.
Celebrim
Legend
The one house rule I implemented in my campaign that made the biggest difference in caster power was I removed the spell level from the calculation of saving throw DC. Without that, save or suck spells - which is usually the first order brokenness you see from players without high system mastery - are relatively balanced and won't vastly outshine non-casters. It's also a very easy change to implement, as it makes the rules more simple and not more complicated.
Grogg of the North
Adventurer
Splat books are not a problem in and of themselves. Most of them have their fair mix of good, bad and broken items. And it sounds like from your own posts that your players are not going to go out of their way to break their characters or the game. Do you know what your players want to play? That may help the boards give you some more pointers.
Since you're running Red Hand of Doom, you're going to be progressing over several levels. At character creation and the first few levels just go with the PHB. Maybe later in the campaign allow each player to pick one other source book to augment their class/abilities? The first four Complete Books are the ones I typically allow in my games (Warrior, Divine, Arcane, and Adventurer).
Cleric, Wizard and Druid are the typical problem children. Putting the party against a clock is a good way to combat your PCs going nova and resting.
Finally, if you're just coming back to 3.5 I'd like to say this: Don't get bogged down in the minutia of the rules. If a PC wants to leap from the back of their wagon and tackle the riding horseman, just roll with it. Don't kill your player's creativity because they don't have a feat or there are no rules for what they want to do.
Since you're running Red Hand of Doom, you're going to be progressing over several levels. At character creation and the first few levels just go with the PHB. Maybe later in the campaign allow each player to pick one other source book to augment their class/abilities? The first four Complete Books are the ones I typically allow in my games (Warrior, Divine, Arcane, and Adventurer).
Cleric, Wizard and Druid are the typical problem children. Putting the party against a clock is a good way to combat your PCs going nova and resting.
Finally, if you're just coming back to 3.5 I'd like to say this: Don't get bogged down in the minutia of the rules. If a PC wants to leap from the back of their wagon and tackle the riding horseman, just roll with it. Don't kill your player's creativity because they don't have a feat or there are no rules for what they want to do.
Some people ban the big tier 1 full casters and use later published ones from the splatbooks. I don't bother: even though our group contains guys fully capable of optimizing, they tend not to. They also tend not to nova, because no DM in our group is going to let you get a rest to recover just because you're out of spells.
That said, the last guy to run a 3.5Ed game allowed each player to use the PHB and his choice of any 2 splatbooks. Once chosen, selection could not be changed at a later point.
That said, the last guy to run a 3.5Ed game allowed each player to use the PHB and his choice of any 2 splatbooks. Once chosen, selection could not be changed at a later point.
Thanks everyone,
I think I'll keep it simple and roll with "Core Only". It sounds like I shouldn't have any real problems that way. The campaign won't be going over 12th level so that should minimise caster supremacy. If anyone is really interested in using something non-core further down the track I'll address it on a case-by-case basis then.
I think I'll keep it simple and roll with "Core Only". It sounds like I shouldn't have any real problems that way. The campaign won't be going over 12th level so that should minimise caster supremacy. If anyone is really interested in using something non-core further down the track I'll address it on a case-by-case basis then.
