D&D 3E/3.5 Question regarding tweaked 3.5 classes for a campaign

[Dimitri Mazieres]

Being aware of the power level difference between casters and non-casters, and knowing that there's no true "fix" besides re-building the 3.5 system, I was thinking about a few tweaks to the system to tone casters down a bit for a future campaign, and wondering how much would they impact the game and class (im)balance. I would like to read the comments of the well-versed people of this forum on the subject.

The changes, broadly speaking, would be:

To (full) casters:
- No item creation feats.
- No summoning spells, or summoning limited as per the Ravenloft setting rules: creature is trapped in the Material Plane, and will be probably very angry at the caster for this.
- Druid: No Natural Spell feat.
- Druid: No Animal Companion class feature
- Cleric: Cloistered Cleric variant? (I don't know about this one. I like the fighting cleric image )

Non casters:
- Paladin: would work as the Pathfinder Paladin.
- Ranger: would work as the Midnight Wildlander or the Kobold Quarterly Spell-less Ranger.
- Fighter: would have numerous changes (more skill points, Con bonus to Ref & Will saving throws). Treat it, at first, as a Pathfinder Fighter.
- Rogue: Bonus Ambush feats (Complete Scoundrel), maybe bonus skill tricks (CS), maybe d8 Hit Dice, half Sneak Attack damage on those creatures invulnerable to critical hits under 3.5.

General:
- Feats as in Pathfinder (one every other level).

Thoughts?

 

[Herobizkit]

I can't speak to what effect your tweaks would make, but here are some suggestions that I've used in the past.

Mages and Clerics are replaced by Sorcerers (and variants) and Favored Souls (with maybe the Cloistered Cleric variant as is) respectively.

This makes Clerical casters the "kings of the hill" and makes a greater desire for Crafted items... which you can houserule to lower the number of charges.

Druids remain as is. Option to shapeshift OR have animal companion. Limiting Natural Spell makes more sense if you give the Druid the option.

I like the Summoning Spell variant, but it makes less sense for Druids since Druids are supposed to work WITH nature.

I have no beef with adding meat to the spell-less classes.

 

[Grogg of the North]

For cloistered clerics, I frequently see their weak bab compensated for with Divine Power. So it's "drawback" really isn't. Add in things like Divine Meta Magic and you're back to a full power cleric.

 

[kitcik]

Try this.

 

[Empirate]

I have some positive experience with a Shapeshift Druid (gets no AC, no wildshape, but can shape at will into certain, fixed, forms, which don't reset stats but give slight bonuses to your natural stats). Very well balanced for a tier 3 game, now, IMHO.

For Clerics, I just like to outright ban Divine Power and tightly restrict the availability of Nightsticks and Reliquary Holy Symbols. That usually puts them in a good place.

EDIT: Player's Handbook 2, btw.