D&D 3E/3.5 Things 3E Did Well & Should be Kept in Some Form

[Connorsrpg]

Please limit your entries to lists - take discussion of specific parts to another forum (as several of them may generate such discussion):

Again, I will chime in soon. Just a generic thread to keep thoughts together.

I will start and add others later

1. Modifiers actually determining how well you fit a class, rather than flat out saying you can't take that class.
2. Spell lists. Wizards esp should be able to peruse any spell in their books and be encouraged to build great tomes like the wizards of lore.

 

[Ahnehnois]

*Skills
*Feats
*The three saves
*Leveling and multiclassing
*Different mechanical subsystems for each class
*Availability of all classes to all races
*Shared mechanics for monster HD and class levels
*Standardized ability modifiers
*General modularity
*Uneathed Arcana (in concept and in execution)

(I may not be finished)

 

[Greg K]

Of the top of my head

1. Unified Ability Score and Bonus Progression including ditching percentile strength and hit point bonus differences for con based upon class.
2. Removing Level Restrictions
3. Multi-classing working the same for everyone (I still think they were wrong for making training requirements optional rather than default and think that multiclassing should not have granted the new classes armor and weapon proficiencies or good save bonuses )
4. Skills and skill points (imo, a couple of skills could be combined. However, overall, done well)
4. Armor Class system
5. 3 Saving throw categories
6. Monsters get ability scores
7. Monster AC broken down into components (Natural AC, Dex, etc.) despite later supplements
8. Options in the DMG for tailoring the game.
9. Class variants (even if not, really, explored until Unearthed Arcana). I like most of the class variants in Unearthed Arcana and the spellless versions of the Paladin and Ranger from Complete Champion.
10. Unearthed Arcana
11. OGL and d20STL.
12. Fiendish Codex I, Lords of Madness, Heroes of Horror, Stormwrack
13. Sorcerer in concept
14. Rule 0

 

[Connorsrpg]

Yes - add that 'Rule 0' to my list too. Bring back 'more in the hands of he DM'.

Monte Cook's 'Arcana Unearthed' had a good level of this AND awesome classes, AND made better use of Spell Descriptors.

In fact, make Spell Descriptors count for more! (Will do new thread for this).

 

[Zireael]

1. Skills
2. Class variants
3. Removing level restrictions
4. Multiclassing
5. OGL
6. Rule 0

 

[Number48]

Have to stretch my memory way back to 2E for some of the things 3E fixed.

* Multi-classing (but it has to be better).
* Skills.
* Non-combat spells, feats and skills (if comparing to 4E).
* Open race and class combinations (but it has to be better).
* Not having a chart to look up for every damn thing! (I'm looking at you, Gary)

 

[nightwalker450]

I'm 4e well and above 3e... but things I miss. (So this is more of backwards comparison)

5ft increments, or more in particular the 1-2-1 movement on diagonals.
My group went hex with 4e, mainly for this reason, one rule had to be modified (blasts), everything else was fine.

Ray's and Cones
Our blasts were cones, but I like a variety of spell shapes.

 

[MarkChevallier]

1. The central d20 mechanic.
2. Unified level and xp for all races (except for favoured classes, which I think was a mistake).
3. The idea of universal multiclassing (although the implementation wasn't perfect).
4. OGL.
5. Simplified saves.
6. The idea of prestige classes (although again, the implementation was often flawed).
7. Monsters and PCs are defined in the same way (meaning if you need to know the rule for a monster interacting with X, you can use the same rule as for a PC interacting with X; this, of course, came with a potential cost).
8. Spell lists being rich and diverse, and based in their description in-the-world as opposed to in-the-game.
9. The idea of feats.
10. The sorceror as a simple, if weaker, alternative to the wizard.
11. The paladin needing Charisma for a reason.
12. The skill system.
13. The modularity and universality of many of the rules.
14. Clerical domains.
15. Stats having meaning for all characters which related to their real world description (Intelligence giving bonus skill points, for example).

 

[TwinBahamut]

The biggest 3E advantage I can think of is its wide diversity of concepts and mechanics. Martial combat, magic, psionics, incarnum, Tome of Battle maneuvers, those three magic variants from the Tome of Magic, warlocks... There were some serious quality control issues across the board that hurt many of these, but the raw variety of ideas and implementations was a lot of fun. They sparked the imagination and opened the door for D&D to represent a broader range of fantasy than just being a rehash of a limited set of 50s-70s fantasy novels.

 

[foolish_mortals]

guys, they can't keep anything from 3rd or 4th at this point. If the stated goal is to keep things simple than we have to look at 2nd as the valid starting point.

foolish_mortals