The Most Broken Crunch in 3.5 (or what should I be banning)

[Ferrix]

Go with AMG's recommendation.

To fix what is often classified as "broken" really just takes a five minute appraisal by the DM on the spot or during the situation where it comes out that it's going to be a problem. Also check errata, but don't just take it at face value and call it final. Sometimes errata can adjust occasional problems into things that no one would want to take.

In my opinion, nothing in any of those listed books is "broken" if taken with a grain of common sense, some of it is more powerful, and some of it is subpar.

Out of the stuff other people have mentioned, I actually disagree with about 90% of it. Sure there are a few things you have to be careful of (shapechanging magic/powers are easier case-by-case), but really in the right vein of things very little of it requires a unequivocal "no".

For example:

The Radiant Servant of Pelor could be quite powerful in a game where you'll be facing undead very frequently. However, in a game where undead are less common, one of the PrC's main focuses (greater turning) becomes far less useable if you rarely encounter undead. Also, depending upon your reading, the healing abilities could apply only to healing spells which are in the characters single domain slot.

 

[xazil]

Oh, and artificers with the armor enhancement infusions. At level 5 with 100gp components they can grant a +5 armor ability to anyone with a duration of 50 minutes. Most CR5 monsters have trouble with people getting DR15/magic.

Reallly its just the top one that is the problem one as many of the +5 armor abilities are quite good.

 

[Bigwilly]

Power Attack

Bigwilly

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

My recommandation is: Allow only the Core rule books and the Eberron book as a starting point.
Each player has to individually ask you if he wants something from a different source, and if there is any doubt on your side, he should explain why he is wanting the class, feat or spell found there.

Or don´t care it all, and if you think one of your characters is to strong, just min/max the villains with the same tricks or simply give enemies more HD/levels than usual without affecting the XP.
If only a single character overshadows the others, ask the group if it´s okay or if they want it changed, and act accordingly (by changing the broken rules, requesting the player to change his character or whatever else you come up wiith)

 

[FireLance]

As others have said, only you can determine what is balanced in your game. Still, if you want my view, you should think carefully before allowing Snake's Swiftness (MiniHB) and Quill Blast (CompDivine) in your game.

 

[RangerWickett]

Spiked Chains are pretty harsh if min-maxed properly. Spring Attack with spiked chains basically makes hurting the character in melee very difficult. Still not a huge problem if you have a diversity of foes.

 

[Psion]

From Complete Divine: Spikes has a stupid stupid stupid duration, at 1 hr/level. Miasma is still effectively a kill with no saving throw. Disciple of the Sun screams BREAK ME BREAK ME! As does Divine Metamagic, although the errata now means that you actually have to have the metamagic feat. Still wrong though. And don't allow anything that remotely resembles a Radiant Servant.

I concur with most of that. Radiant Servant is just "more cleric than cleric."

I don't see a real problem with divine metamagic, though I was sort of assuming what the errata said in the first place...

XPH: Energy stun, energy missile. Both of these scale WAY WAY WAY WAY too fast, DC goes up by one per aug.

Absolutely agree.

Even without the super-scaling, energy missile is a potent and flexible power.
Also, energy missile should only be able to target unattended items.

Metamorphic Transfer is also a worry, as is Hostile Empathic Transfer.

Hostile Empathic Transfer is no big deal. So long as you limit the PC to doing as much damage at they currently have, it's really sort of limited.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Miasma is still effectively a kill with no saving throw.

No saving throw except 'Fortitude negates', you mean?

-Hyp.

 

[Testament]

The save to hold your breath in each round. Then comes the fact that it lasts for 5 ROUNDS A LEVEL!

And Psion, that was my assesment of the RSoP. Hence my referring to it usually as the Cleric Plus.

 

[Ry]

I've started using the following as my guide:

Talk to your players; if they're looking to play something not covered in core (say, a swashbuckler, or a rune-based magic user), then decide how you're going to add it. In my campaign, this means I've got an investigator bard variant and a feat that allows anyone to have an animal companion. Pretty easy to manage, really.