Using elements of 4e to make "3.75e"

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

So this past EN Chicago gameday, I finally got a full-fledged introduction to fourth edition. I definitely enjoyed it, though I didn't feel the immediate "oh man, this is SO much better than last edition" that I got going from 2e to 3e.

For the time being, I doubt my infrequently DMed game (a handful of times per year) is going to make a conversion to 4e--it's a new set of books for the players to buy, and more time learning rules that we already don't have for playing. That said, there are elements of 4e that I've noticed in play and while skimming through the rulebooks that I like quite a bit:

• the new death rules
• the skill challenge system (in situations when it's not trying to replace roleplaying, e.g. the king negotiation example given in the DMG)

These things got me wondering if anyone had done anything like what I suggested in the thread title for their games (or in a thread here already, since I'm pretty slow in keeping up with this place). Would the new death rules work without making anything unbalanced in 3.5? Is the idea of a skill challenge edition neutral enough to work pretty much the same way in 3.5?

Are there any other elements of 4e that you think would also work well in 3.5?

 

[Betote]

Are there any other elements of 4e that you think would also work well in 3.5?

Rituals. I love the concept, and I wish I wasn't so lazy, so I could rewrite some 3.5 spells as rituals.

Also, the encounter building rules and the smoother leveling are things I'd gladly welcome in my 3.5 games.

 

[Grazzt]

Skill system.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

Skill system.

Ditto.

 

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

I never had much of an issue with the 3e skill system, but I can see some merit to the 4e system. The question would be how to implement it without gimping classes like rogues that get quite a few abilities from the number of skill points that they get.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience of plucking things they like from one system and putting them into another?

 

[Betote]

It's funny, because the skill system is one of my biggest dislikes about 4e. I want graininess, not an on/off system.