D&D 3E/3.5 The indispensable 3.5

[Storminator]

I realize not all of these were actually invented in 3e.

Unified mechanic
Rationalized saves
No class/race restrictions
Prestige classes
Feats
Skills
Ability scores for monsters
The sorcerer
Max hp at 1st level
Wealth by level
Wealth for settlements
Unified XP charts
Cleric/druid/wizard spells have same number of levels
Cleric heal swaps
BAB & ascending AC

This is a good exercise for me. The experience of playing 3.x broke down for me - to the point where I never want to play again - but there was clearly a lot I liked in 3.x That's good to remember.

 

[Storminator]

I agree, but a good patch requires a shift of assumptions. Specifically that 1st level PCs are apprentices, rather than green-but-skilled professionals. That way, the devs don't feel obligated to front-load classes like they did in 3.x. Unfortunately, I don't think D&D is ever likely to return(?) to this paradigm.

You could also do it by giving PCs a stack of abilities at character level 1, but not at class level 1. That way a 2nd level multi-class character gets the starting package once.

PS

 

[Zireael]

I guess what I like is:
- a vast choice of races and classes
- multiclassing
- prestige classes [note, I'm not saying they are perfect, but I prefer them to the paragon paths of 4e because they're not limited to a particular level and class]
- templates

 

[CM]

Many of my choices have already been listed above (particularly the standardization/modernization points) and carried over to 4e so I will not repeat them. Here are a few I don't think have been mentioned:

• Ability scores and key skills for monsters. Early in 3e I was a big fan of the complex monster creation rules (I had a lot of free time... )and really dug that monsters now had a full array of ability scores and certain default skills assigned. This has been carried over to 4e although the ability scores no longer have any effect on a creature's combat effectiveness and are there purely for skill and ability checks.
• Standardized creature types: Construct, Elemental, Humanoid, etc., with some basic assumptions baked-in.
• The 3.5 DR system, when it made sense for the creature (holy, cold iron, silver, etc) with the caveat that DR should never be more than 5 or 10 points. This has been flipped a little in 4e with creatures having more HP baseline but sometimes having vulnerabilities (particularly undead). I would like to see 5e bring back vulnerabilities to particular weapon types (piercing, slashing, bludgeoning, silver, cold iron, etc.) which leads me to:
• Special materials. I thought adamantine, darkwood, mithril cold iron and such were cool for alternate weapon and armor materials, but the implementation could've been better. This has been somewhat superseded by 4e's masterwork armor types, but it isn't really a direct replacement.
• Standardized conditions. Really cuts down on book-checking.

I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can come up with ATM.

 

[JamesonCourage]

Skills. There are other things, but that's what I'm worried most about. While 4e is too "streamlined" for my tastes, and 3.X definitely had kinks to work out, I still want skills, not just "+2 when you engage in thievery" or the like. Please... skills in the next edition.

 

[avin]

I could say 3.5 is my favorite edition... but, in a strange way, I'm faster to say what I would bring from 4E to 5E. That's weird

My favorite things about 3E, compared to AD&D2E was the wide range of options, the end of negatice AC and the death of Thac0

And skills.

 

[MoonSong]

Skills. There are other things, but that's what I'm worried most about. While 4e is too "streamlined" for my tastes, and 3.X definitely had kinks to work out, I still want skills, not just "+2 when you engage in thievery" or the like. Please... skills in the next edition.

Can't xp you yet but, yes. Meaningful skills are a must for me. It really bothered me that the first edition ever to give different stats for different musical intrument was the first one to also not have a mechanic attached to them (ok there was the "enchant them so they give +1 to some powers", but that was baffling). Also Craft and Profession.

So in short words:

-stats for mundane items, including clothing, rings, fish hooks, etc.
-powers,skills,abilites,etc as means not as results
-skill granularity (at least as an option)
-Bardic Knowledge as an actual class feature not as a math feat, songs tied to perform skill.
-Exotic Weapons (including the whip)
-Playable NPC classes
-Multiclass by levels.
-Craft and Profession skills
-Shared spell lists between pure vancian and spontaneous casters, or at least shared spells
-Variety of classes, including some niche ones in splatbooks.
-Exotic maerials.

 

[concjo]

NPC Classes - Adept, Aristocrat, etc. made you feel powerful as an actual Rogue, wizard, etc.
NO MORE THACO - d20 + for everything
Prestige Classes
Cleric Domains - You can make literally any type of cleric you wanted
Sponaneous Healing - Love the ability to memorize other spells and still have healing
Vancian Casting - memorization, anticipation and preparation. I found it rewarding to make educated guesses on what I thought i'd need and be right about it.
Skills/Feats - Just awesome ways to make your characters unique
Variety - So many ways to build characters and so many options. I still haven't been through all my character concepts I want to try.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Well, hasn't there been a lot of talk about less frontloading in 5e?

I don't know; I haven't been paying much attention.

You could also do it by giving PCs a stack of abilities at character level 1, but not at class level 1. That way a 2nd level multi-class character gets the starting package once.

PS

There is that option, but that requires somehow designating which abilities are for any member of a class, and which are for 1st-character-level conscripts only. Not sure if there's a great way to do it.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Magic items that I can use whenever I want, not just once per day.