I'm still revising my 3.0 rules to reflect the 3.5 changes. But this is what I have thus far.
Misc
I do not use Experience points.
Death occurs at –con.
To make a melee touch attack, a PC can opt to use either their melee BAB or their ranged BAB. Additionally, arcane spellcasters who must make a ranged melee touch attack for a spell (such as a ray) can use their Intelligence modifier in lieu of their dexterity modifier for the attack roll.
DR Adamantine is equivalent to Magic +3. So, in lieu of having an adamantine sword, a +3 sword will work just as well. Furthermore, Dragons retain their 3.0 DR ratings.
Ability Scores
Ability scores are rolled 4d6, re-roll 1s; keep the best 3.
Races
All the standard PHB races are allowed. Beyond that, talk to me.
Strange hybrid races are allowed. If you want to play a half-halfling/half-gnome talk to me.
The concept of “favored class” is removed
I will consider races from the Monster Manual. If you want to play something like a dryad druid, talk to me.
Classes
Barbarians are unchanged.
A cleric’s “cure” spells (cure moderate wounds, etc.) cures 1d10 hit points instead of 1d8 hit points if it is memorized – if a spell is “hot-swapped” for a cure spell, it cures 1d6 hit points.
Clerics are not automatically proficient with Heavy armor. You may take the heavy armor feat if you desire.
Clerics receive 4 skill points per level.
Monks do not exist.
Paladins are a prestige class. If you make a paladin, see the paladin as a prestige class entry below.
Rangers are a prestige class. I will allow Rangers from the 3.5 rules as a class, or the Ranger as PrC.
Rogues can sneak attack an opponent from any angle – so long as they are not being attacked themselves, and the creature is currently being attacked by someone or something else. In other words, the rogue doesn’t need to be flanking to sneak attack, but they can not be the current target of the enemy they are trying to sneak attack. The exception is the ability to sneak attack while the opponent is flat-footed.
Sorcerers receive a bonus feat at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level like wizards do.
Sorcerers and wizards receive 4 skill points per level.
Wizards and sorcerers who do not summon a familiar can choose to take a bonus feat instead.
Rogues are proficient with light and medium armor, in addition rogues are proficient with all simple and martial melee and ranged weapons.
Rogues have the savings throws of a monk.
Bards do not exist, as you know them. I have split the bard class into two separate classes – minstrel, and archaeologist. The minstrel gets a new song every level that he can play to produce a magical effect. The archaeologist is like a hybrid between a rogue and a wizard, and is a prestige class.
Feats
Item creation feats as you know them don’t exist. If you insist on taking item creation feats, talk to me.
Skill Focus: grants +3 to any one skill, OR grants +2 skill ranks to a skill, allowing you to have more max ranks in a skill than your class would normally allow. The latter can be used to meet prestige class requirements earlier, for example.
Toughness grants +1 hit point every level, and can only be taken once.
Weapon finesse applies to scimitars in addition to the weapons listed.
Subtype Spell Focus [General]
Choose a subtype of magic, such as [cold]. The character's spells of that subtype are more potent than normal.
Benefit: Add +2 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against spells from the subtype of magic the character selects to focus on.
Special: The character can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time the character takes the feat, it applies to a new subtype. This feat stacks with spell focus if the spell focus and subtype spell focus belong to the same chosen categories.
(I'm toying with the idea of making spell focus +1 DC, +1 caster level, and greater spell focus +2 DC, +2 spell level). Otherwise, I'll probably eliminate GSF.
Skills
There are no skill lists by class/prestige class. You choose 10 skills that you consider class skills. All other skills become cross-class skills. Exclusive skills can not be chosen unless it is exclusive to your class. Language skills do not count toward this total, nor do “things I learned as a child”.
Fighters and barbarians get 2 skill points per level. All spellcasting classes get 4. Minstrels and archaeologists get 6, and rogues still get 8.
Alchemy is a required skill for brewing potions. Talk to me if you want to brew potions.
The following skills are a special case: Balance, Climb, Jump, Listen, Profession, Ride, Spot, and Swim. These skills are lumped into a special category called “things I learned as a child”. At first level, you get 4 skill points to spend on these skills and 2 additional skill points every level to spend on these skills. These skills are always considered class skills for everyone. You can use your regular skill point allotment to increase skills “you learned as a child” if you desire.
Languages are a separate skill. So, you could have 5 ranks in Elven. When you speak with an Elf, you will be forced to make an “Elven” skill check. If you botch it, you might inadvertently tell the Elven prince that his shoes taste like water, instead of asking for safe passage through his land.
Each character starts with 10 ranks in Common.
Druids get +1 free ranks in Druidic (Fey) every level starting at 1st.
Rogues get +1 free ranks in “Thieves Cant” every level starting at 1st.
Barbarians have 10 ranks in Common, but can only speak it. Reading/writing common is a separate skill for them, which they can put points into if they desire to.
Clerics gain +1 ranks each level in the following languages: Celestial, Abyssal, and Infernal. This includes read/write as well as speaking.
Paladins gain +1 ranks in Celestial each level.
New Knowledge skills exist centered around monster knowledge. These are based on the category of monster. So, knowledge (aberration), or knowledge (undead) would be examples. Having ranks in such a skill allows you to identify creatures in that category, and to have knowledge about possible weaknesses. The following DCs apply:
DC10-14: Common man's knowledge about the particular kind of creature.
DC15-19: Actual habits and behavior of the creatures in questions.
DC20-24: Actual weaknesses and powers of the creatures.
DC25: Anything obscure not covered by the above
Perform(Dance) covers all bodily activities, including dancing, juggling, pantomime, tightrope walking, etc. The skill is based on either Dex or Cha depending on the situation.
Perform(Oratory) includes comedy and acting. These are not separate skills.
(Oddly enough, many of my 3.0 house rules got implemented in 3.5 - namely breaking Perform up into subcomponents).
Equipment
Spiked chains do not exist.
The movement rate of hide armor is 30ft./15ft., instead of 20ft./10ft.
I use piecemeal armor rules, which means that you could wear part of full-plate armor, or half of a suit of chainmail. If you want to wear the armor as listed in the PHB, that’s fine, but if you want to wear pieces of armor, talk to me.
Be aware that these piecemeal armor rules affect the donning/removing armor table (to your advantage).
I use encumbrance rules. Keep track of how much the gear you are carrying weighs.
Vorpal weapons (not that you’ll ever see one) only affect targets 1 size category smaller or larger than the size of the weapon. You can not lop the head off a titan, with a vorpal sword. A vorpal greatsword can lop off heads of huge creatures, but a medium-size weapon can not.
An arcane spellcaster reduces the arcane spell failure % of armor a number of points equal to the number of unmodified ranks he has in concentration. Mage armor still doesn’t stack with armor and wizards and sorcerers are still not proficient with armor unless they take one of the armor feats.
I've made numerous changes to spells, but the version I have here at work is older, as many of these have already been fixed in 3.5. So, I'll post this, but just know that these are based on the 3.0 rules, but many have remained. A few of these have been corrected in this version.
Clerics
Tongues – clerics no longer get this spell.
Repel vermin – clerics no longer get this spell
Insect plague – clerics no longer get this spell
Plane shift – only applies the plane that is appropriate to the clerics’ deity.
Scrying – clerics no longer get this spell
Quest – clerics no longer get this spell
Divine Power is now a 5th level spell.
Righteous Might is now a 4th level spell.
Astral Projection – clerics no longer get this spell
Slay living – this spell is [evil].
Raise dead – raised characters suffer 1 point of constitution loss, instead of the loss of a level. Furthermore, raised spellcasters lose all memorized spells.
Sorcerers/Wizards/Archaeologists
Sorcerers gain the Eschew Material Components feat for free at 1st level.
Charm person – if you attempt to charm a creature that would normally be hostile to you, while it is flat-footed, it does not get a +5 to its save.
Comprehend Languages – This skill adds +10 to the language skill check for one language for the duration of the casting time. So, if you encounter an Elf, and a Halfling in a cage, and each only speaks Elven and Halfling, you’d need to cast the spell two times in order to be able to understand them. And even then, you have to make a skill check (with a +10) in order to decipher what they are saying. The same applies to their written language. There are some languages that this spell will not confer.
Tongues – this spell adds +10 to your language checks for both speaking and deciphering the language of another creature. In addition, multiple languages are granted for a single casting. So, in the above example, you could speak to both the elf and the halfling without casting an additional spell.
Permanency – this spell no longer exists.
Identify – identify requires no spell component, and takes only 10 minutes to cast. It reveals the single most powerful function of an item.
Shout – now does 3d6 damage rather than 2d6 damage (interesting enough, this was increased to 5d6 in 3.5, so I dropped my house rule here)
Greater Magic Weapon lasts 10 min/level instead of 1 hour/level. In addition GMW increases the bonus of an already existing magic item to the bonus the spell confers, rather than adding to the items existing bonus. In other words, if a +2 sword has GMW cast on it, which would normally increase a weapon by +3, it will only increase the weapon to +3, not make it a +5 weapon. This is added to the base bonus. Any bonuses from special abilities are not included (keen, flaming, etc.). Oddly, GMW lasts 1 hour per level, by MW only lasts 10 mins per level. Seems like it should be the other way around
Polymorph other has a duration of 1/hr level. In addition to this change, polymorph other can not be used to kill someone, e.g.., by turning them into a fish. If this occurs, they receive subdual damage, and may become unconscious until the spell duration ends.
Ice storm – this spell has changed (slightly). Hail falls for one round every 3 caster levels, dealing 3d6 points of bludgeoning damage and 3d6 points of cold damage to creatures in the area of effect.
Otto’s Irresistible Dance – this spell is now 6th level for Sor/Wiz.
Mind fog – This spell no longer allows a will save. Those within the area, suffer a –6 to all will saves.
Contingency – This spell works as advertised, but you can add an additional spell every 4 caster levels.
Ghost sound – This spell does not require a verbal component.
Levitate – This spell description has changed:
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Levitate allows the character to move him or herself, or an object up and down as the character wishes. An unwilling subject that fails a will saving throw can be levitated, however the subject of the levitate can control their own levitation. A subject can forego a saving throw to be levitated if they desire.
Objects may be levitated (and controlled by the caster) so long as they are unattended or possessed by a willing creature (or one that failed their save). A levitated creature can move up or down as much as 20 feet each round; doing so is a move-equivalent action. Levitated creatures can not move horizontally, but the recipient could clamber along the face of a cliff or push against a ceiling to move laterally (generally at half its base speed).
A levitating creature who attacks with a melee or ranged weapon finds itself increasingly unstable; the first attack has an attack roll penalty of –1, the second –2, and so on, up to a maximum penalty of –5. A full round spent stabilizing allows the creature to begin again at –1.
A levitating creature can not have physical contact with the ground, and their ability to dodge blows suffers. Levitating creatures suffer a -2 circumstance modifier to their armor class.
Globe of invulnerability, and minor globe of invulnerability. This spell travels with the caster, but he may move from the globe if he desires, losing the benefits of the spell if he moves outside the globe’s radius.
Personal spells are suppressed, but not dispelled, inside a globe of invulnerability for the duration of the globe. Items of +2 enchantment or less are suppressed in a minor globe of invulnerability, and items of +3 enchantment or less are suppressed in a globe of invulnerability.
Wall of stone – slashing weapons deal half damage to a wall of stone. The duration is 1 hour per caster level. In addition, the spell level is as follows: Clr 4, Drd 5, Earth 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Wall of iron – A wall of iron has DR 5/+1, meaning it takes an additional 5 points of damage reduction from non-magic weapons, in addition to the hardness it already possesses. It is not possible to make a strength check to bust through a wall of iron, however a strength DC of 10 +2 per inch of thickness can topple the wall over. This is in addition to any opposed strength check from the other side of the wall, should there be any resistance. A vertical wall without resistance from either side will topple (50% either direction) after a number of rounds equal to the thickness in inches * 10. Creatures with room to flee the falling wall may do so by making successful Reflex saves at a DC 13 + 2 per 5 square feet of dimension. Furthermore, the wall can crush victims of a size category as large as the wall will allow. The wall can crush small and tiny creatures at 5 square feet, medium creatures at 10 square feet, large at 20 square feet, and Huge at 40 square feet. The wall weighs 500 pounds per 5 square feet per inch of thickness. Crushed creatures take 3d6 per 500 pounds of weight of the wall crushing them. It has a duration of 1 hour per caster level.
Druids
Druids add the following spells to their spell list: air walk, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, chain lightning, consecrate, control water (4th), create food and water, daylight, darkvision, endurance, gust of wind, horrid wilting, ice storm, jump, lightning bolt, locate creature, magic stone, move earth, sanctuary, sleep (2nd), water walk, and wind wall. Am I good, or what? Almost all of these spells were added to the Druid's spell list in 3.5. I'm practically psychic!
Reincarnation is a 5th level spell. In addition, the chart has been modified. Reincarnation does not reduce the PCs level by 1. Nor is the constitution affected.
d% Incarnation Str Dex Con
01-15 Forest animal ? ? ?
16–20 Centaur +8 +4 +4
21–26 Bird 0 +4 +2
27–33 Elf 0 +2 –2
34–40 Gnome –2 0 +2
41–47 Dwarf 0 0 +2
48–54 Halfling –2 +2 0
55–66 Human 0 0 0
67-77 Other humanoid ? ? ?
78–95 Any Fey ? ? ?
96-100 DM’s Choice ? ? ?
In addition to these, I have a Ranger PrC, a Paladin PrC, and two new classes minstrel (non-magic using bard, with magical musical effects only), and an archaeologist. I also have some new spells. But, I won't post all that here. It's like 11 total pages of stuff. Perhaps I'll post it all when I get it all refined for 3.5
