The Best and Worst Rules of D&D

[two]

Umm, if the AoO is not before the event, how do you interrupt a spell or potion drinking? If someone leaves a threatened area and thus provokes an AoO, you can't hit them unless you attack before they actually leave your threatened area.

But hey, if you want to count people "half way stood up" as trippable, more power too you. Maybe my favorite thing about D&D should have been "Rule Zero".

It's not "before" it's "during." Because person X is TAKING an action, you get an AOO. Not because person X is thinking about it, but it's actually happening, causing a weakness in defense (or some such crap justification).

Whack him "during" spellcasting, "while" drinking the potion, "while" moving through the square.

That way, you don't get confused situations where you punish somebody for something they have not yet done.

 

[jessemock]

Black Pudding?

-The Souljourner

Wha?

 

[Lamoni]

It's not "before" it's "during." Because person X is TAKING an action, you get an AOO. Not because person X is thinking about it, but it's actually happening, causing a weakness in defense (or some such crap justification).

Whack him "during" spellcasting, "while" drinking the potion, "while" moving through the square.

That way, you don't get confused situations where you punish somebody for something they have not yet done.

This should probably be in another topic, but I agree with K Ryn. I agree with two that that is how it actually happens... sort of. Most AoO's actually would occur sometime during the other person's action, yet near the very beginning. However, instead of focusing on when the event actually takes place, just focus on the rules and whatever happens first, happens first. Some actions stop if an AoO is successful (like disarm), while others can still be completed (sunder). Follow the rules and you won't have a problem with tripping people that are prone. You said yourself that you don't like the idea that it is possible to do, so why do you argue so much that you can do it? It is easy to see both ways. One way makes improved trip very unbalanced while the other does not. Just pick the balanced one.

Back on topic...

Best things about D&D: the D20 system, skills, the flexibility

Worst thing about D&D: Its dependence on magic gear in level prograssion. A 20th level PC that was stripped of all magic items isn't much of a threat.

 

[kreynolds]

Wha?

rMM, page 201. I'm guessing he's referring to the unpredictable TPK factor of that baddie...or just that it's a pain to deal with.

 

[Joshua Randall]

These aren't very original, but I want my vote to count too, so:

Best: the d20 mechanic.
Worst: grappling. Takes way, way too long in practice.

 

[the Jester]

Best rules: d20 core mechanic, advancing monster rules (via templates, HD, adding class levels or special abilities).

Worst rules: xp system (advancement too fast, no real system for anything other than combat or traps giving xp).

 

[Flyspeck23]

Just to interject, you can't trip someone standing up from prone. The AoO is triggered before the event, so the person is still prone whent he AoO goes off. You get +4 to hit (melee into prone) but you can't trip someone who is already prone.

That's not what I meant. What I was trying to say: trip your opponent, he falls down, stands back up and gets hit by an AoO in the process - result: opponent is probably hurt, but also can't make a full attack.
Nice strategy, and IMO a little too nice...

 

[Otterscrubber]

Best: Making AC go up instead of down, making all characteristics have uniform values, d20 system in general, skill check DCs, feats(metamagic especially), multiclassing changes, the sorcerer and spontaneous casting for both clerics and sorcerers.

Worst: Prestige Classes catering to Power Gamers, splatbooks with poorly balanced PrCs, feats and spells, the save or die aspect of higher levels.

 

[Ferox4]

Best: Clerics adding caster level to Cure spells, d20 mechanics, the concept of feats.

Worst: Combat too short (too easy for PCs to hit enemies most of time), standard action to voluntarily drop SR, feats in practice (abused - too many from splats and elsewhere).

 

[jessemock]

rMM, page 201. I'm guessing he's referring to the unpredictable TPK factor of that baddie...or just that it's a pain to deal with.

No, no; I know what they are, though I freely admit that I hadn't looked at the description of them in the 3rd edition (much less 3.5).

But I've now remedied this, and I can't find anything new about them, except this:

A black pudding attacks by grabbing and squeezing their prey.

which is also disgusting, but this is funny:

The most ancient black puddings are vast pools of inky death.

.


At any rate, these bastards have always been a neat little diversion--I don't see that 3.x has changed them much.

Whatevs: oozes, like the works of Stravinsky, have always been love-hate, eh?