What was so bad about DMing 3x?

[UngeheuerLich]

necessary magical items.

imbalance between offense and defense --> high levels were not very funny

not enough skillpoints (imbalance between skills)

not enough feats

badly done classes - 3.5 was an improvement(druid excluded)

splatbooks ofered to much remedy crunch and fluff was often not that inspirating.


I should mention however: there is no game out there which i would more like DMing than D&D 3.5. It is a great game! And with the previews we are given, 4e will be even better in many regards (although i am still concerned about combat healing)

 

[Umbran]

When you are really creative than you would have no problem with creating interesting plots without breaking the rules...

Having concerns relating to the integrity of the rules of your game has nothing at all to do with now "really creative" you are.

Everyone here has desires, priorities, and makes choices. To suggest that some particular set of those somehow implies some limit to a person's innate abilities is insulting. I don't want to see anyone in the thread making such suggestions again, is that clear?

If it isn't, take it to e-mail, please. Thanks for your attention - we now return you to your previously scheduled conversation...

 

[Badkarmaboy]

When you are really creative than you would have no problem with creating interesting plots without breaking the rules...

And enough people have reported here that when you know what you are doing combat and NPC creation doesn't have to take a long time. So it looks like teh DM and players are also responsible for this, not only the system...

Ouch. I don't know if you meant it to, but that came off kinda snarky.

I have to agree with the folks who find the NPC/encounter building system unfriendly. I write/edit adventures for Living Greyhawk which means I don't have the luxury of omiting rules to simplify things (which is what I do with my homegames). I would if I could.

The CR system is also a pain. When I'm editing I find that authors will try to shoehorn in some crazy creature that's way under CR'd based on all the wacky templates, HD adjustments and such. A good friend of mine created a 1/2 blue dragon advanced Unicorn as part of an APL 6 encounter. It was an absolute beast and WAY under CR'd for what it could do (great attack bonus, decent hp, breath weapon, flight, great AC, etc).

Will 4E be this great panacea that fixes all these issues? I don't know, but the fact that it's been addressed and they've taken the time to examine the system gives me hope that these things can and will be worked out.

 

[S'mon]

GMing 3e well took more effort than I wanted to put in, especially at high level. I don't really care if that speaks to my lack of ability, lack of intelligence (doubtful since I'm Dr S'mon PhD), or laziness. If a game for the less able, less smart, lazier GM is the best game for me, that's what I'll run.

 

[Moggthegob]

I personally enjoy running DnD 3.5. I dont mind it when a couple of my players are twinks. They know that if they get too powerful I will get too powerful and beef up saving throws, increase hit points, add SLA's as appropriate and we have an understanding that if they abuse a rule I will destroy that rule and/or abuse it against them( they didnt like that and so they stopped trying to abuse said rule).

Then again, in all fairness, I am a bureaucrat(Department of Labor) so the littany of rules is processed fairly easily and its like bringing home work and having fun with it for me to DM

 

[Rechan]

Another thing that I found irksome is that I had to give NPCs the Necessary Magical Items, and give those Necessary Magical Items to the PCs, and that took away from the notion of "It's magic, it's special, it's unique." Instead, magical items were like cellphones: expendible commodities.

 

[Steely Dan]

Another thing that I found irksome is that I had to give NPCs the Necessary Magical Items, and give those Necessary Magical Items to the PCs, and that took away from the notion of "It's magic, it's special, it's unique." Instead, magical items were like cellphones: expendible commodities.

Yep, exactly -

"How many rings of protection, amulets of natural armour, bracers of defence, and cloaks of protection have we accumulated by now?"

"About 6 or 7 of each, but we'll just sell them when we get back to town…"

 

[vagabundo]

Yep, exactly -

"How many rings of protection, amulets of natural armour, bracers of defence, and cloaks of protection have we accumulated by now?"

"About 6 or 7 of each, but we'll just sell them when we get back to town…"

I think thast bothered me a lot too. Way too much magic crap at high levels. And my guys will just sell every single item they get there hands on....<sigh>

 

[jaer]

Yep, exactly -

"How many rings of protection, amulets of natural armour, bracers of defence, and cloaks of protection have we accumulated by now?"

"About 6 or 7 of each, but we'll just sell them when we get back to town…"

The common joke in one of the groups I am a player in is, by the time we hit 10th lvl or so, we start funding other adventure groups. Find some low 3rd or 4th lvl adventurers and give them some magic stuff.

"We heard about some orcs attacking the next town over last week. We're in the process of wiping out some demons, so we can't handle that. How about you take this stuff and go take care of it, and tell the locals that Davian sent ya. They love me other there; they'll be buying you your drinks all night!"

Orcs got taken care of (previous plot hook we chose not to take), the locals knew we sent them aid, and we had a small group of lower-level lackies to run some errands every now and then. Win-win-win! My rogue, Davian, became a Govenor in campaign. Good times.

 

[Desdichado]

I've never had a problem DMing 3e or 3.5. In fact, I quite enjoy it.

I think I take the phrase "tools not rules" more literally than most. A lot of the people I hear complaining about running D&D these days complain about "having" to do things that I don't bother doing. Because they think of the 3e tools as rules that have to be followed rather than tools that can be used as needed.