What's your 3.5e wishlist?

[Stalker0]

What would be some things you would like to see in the new revision. And while this is a wishlist, please limit it to ideas you think WOTC might actually do. No, they'll kill the dwarves, or they will completely change the skill system ideas.

Personally, I would like to see

1) Some more uses for charimsa, whether it be in feats, or just ways of doing things.

2) Some more balance with the skills. Another look at the craft skill would be nice.

3) Some new changes to the ranger. Come on, you know you want it Also, a few tweaks to the bard, like the ability for bard music to effect the bard as well.

4) Some changes to overly powered spells. Shield ring a bell?

5) Clarification on some spells, especially some illusion spells, and blade barrier.

6) Some tweaks to the CR system. I think some of the CR's are obviously wrong now that some many people have had a chance to use them.

7) Some changes to magic item pricing. Monte said he wanted another crack at this, I say give it to him.

8) The Hero builder's guide background generator. Basically its a list of background facts to you can either pick or roll for. Very very nice for creating character backgrounds when ideas have run out.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

Re: #3

I'm one of the holdouts who isn't so keen on ranger changes. I wouldn't mind seeing alternate starting packages (e.g. PBS & RS instead of Ambi & TWF), but I hope they don't go crazy and cave to public opinion.

 

[Joshua Randall]

3) [...] Also, a few tweaks to the bard, like the ability for bard music to effect the bard as well.

According to Sean K Reynolds, "The bard abilities that say they affect allies should affect the bard as well. The fact that some effects in the PH say "you and your allies" is an annoyance and introduces a line of distinction that the game doesn't need."

I think this change has a good chance of making it into the revised Player's Handbook.

 

[Zappo]

First of all, I want all the errata included. Then, I'd like to see Shield, Haste, Polymorph * and Harm nerfed (and some clearing up on Time Stop). Then, I'd like the bard and ranger boosted (and the ranger becoming less front-loaded). I don't ask much.

 

[ashockney]

X-cellent!

I can't believe I saw this thread in time to actually get my opinions out first. That never seems to happen here in lurker-ville.

Here's a few must-haves:

1. Spell level balance (all the obvious: Shield, Haste, Harm, etc.) PLEASE!!!
2. Ranger - way too focused a class, and the favored enemy should be swapped out for other designated feats or a different special ability. This is a critical ability, and is too DM controlled.
3. Bard - spellcasting needs bumped up.
4. Sorcerer - clarify to ensure they don't lose the metamagic feat abilities.
5. Monster Manual - CR 10+ creatures all need re-worked, and should be presented with "combat ready" stats, otherwise they're making the DM's job much harder than it needs to be.
6. DMG Magic Item Pricing - General sprucing up, similar to the spells.

Really like to haves:
1. Some extra skill points for Warriors and Clerics. Bump everyone if you feel it necessary, but 2 points, particularly on classes that often have no Int or worse, an INT penalty, is PAINFUL!
2. Better distribution of damage spells for all spell levels (direct, area of effect, and damage over time) in the PH. There are presently some huge gaping holes.
3. Throw in some better examples of higher level combat feats. Extend the combat feat trees!
4. Throw in the good stuff from the Hero Builder's Guidebook. Especially sample iconic characters.
5. Monks could use some help offensively, and have PLENTY of defense to give up if needed to get it.
6. Barbarians could use a little help in the mid-levels, kinda boring otherwise.
7. Rogues could have some alternative "high level" abilties. That'd be sweet!
8. I'd love to see a good "optional" alternative to the spells and feats that cost XP's in the DMG. Not all campaigns can easily facilitate this penalty (including mine).
9. Paladins...I'd like to see the Mount chucked and turned into an "option" similar to the way they handle for Rogues. Some paladin's this is great, others...Also, Cure Disease. Please?!?! At least give them an interesting ability. Not sure why they couldn't turn undead at full strength. Take away a couple of broken spells and feats from this class, and it's really not very attractive as it stands today.

 

[Berk]

I would personally LOVE to see Monte's bard and ranger in it, but know that won't happen.

Some spell clarifications, maybe bump some levels around and add some saving throws where there aren't any.

About all I can think of now, my brain doesn't wanna work.

Rework skill point bonuses on magic items.

Rework the CR of every damn creature there is.

 

[HellHound]

My only wish for 3.5e is for it to come out in 5-8 years.

As for the revised edition of 3e?

Only minor tweaks. Perhaps increasing the bard skill points and un-front-loading the ranger.

And a save against Harm.

 

[Kaji]

Wishlist

I really like most of the suggestions here. Let me chime in:

1.Adding feat flexibility to the Ranger would add a lot of vaule.

2. I recently made the decision to use the CR system as only a very rough guideline in my campaign. I typically send my players against CR's AT LEAST 1 level higher than they are, and sometimes 2 or more. I know the idea is for them to be able to stand 4 encounters at the CR level=PC level, but in my game it seems like they could take 6 or more and we have boring fights.

3. I don't agree with comments about skill points. Fighters have lots of great bonus's, and one way to offset this is for them to have minimal skill points. Also highlights classes like Rogue, Monk, and Bard who have tons of skill points and can do all sorts of things for the party. That, as I see it, is the point.

4. Bard songs affecting the Bard seems like an easy one, but I'm not sure I'd boost their spells myself. If you want to play a spellcaster, there are several choices available. Maybe a prestige class that better highlights spells ability later on (so you would have a vocal/sound based sorcerer, in effect) would fill in the void perceived.

5. Harm's a little tougher for me, but seeing as how our party cleric just killed an old dragon with a Harm spell, it does seem a bit much. Although other death magic exists at that level, it all gets saves as far as I know. I think a save should be added.

6. Please include all of the errata!!!! I assume that's a given, but you never know...

7. I'd love to see a re-released Psionic Handbook with all the content on the web added. There are important things in The Mind's Eye that make playing psionic characters very different without that information.

That's enough for now...

 

[Zaruthustran]

Changes I'd most like to see in the revised Player's Handbook:

1. Fix the Ranger. Make him more like Aragorn and less like Drizzt.
1a. Gear optimization (reduce carried weight by 15%)
1b. Endurance feat for free (stay up all night on watch, pursue enemies 24/7), remove the front-loaded ambi/twf feats.
1c. Fast overland travel (and the ability to get others to move fast over land)
1d. Favored terrain bonuses
1e. Knowledge: monsters (Aragorn knew all about the Riders, and Orcs, and Goblins)
1f. Make Track a skill, not a feat. Put it on Barbarian, Druid, and Ranger lists (rogues, fighters, and bards can get it cross-class). But let Rangers get extra uses out of the skill, in the same way that Rogues get extra use out of Search (only Rogues can Search for magic traps).
1g. Expand Wilderness Lore to include the ability to find shelter/hideouts, and let high Wilderness Lore add synergy bonus to Heal checks (for purposes of finding herbs) and Disguise (for purposes of constructing camouflage)

2. Clarify and differentiate Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate

3. Fix the Bard. Give him more skill points.

4. Remove the multiclassing restrictions from the Paladin and Monk, change the weapon restriction of Druids (why does my Druid lose all his powers if he throws a rock at a foe?)

5. Revise Tumble. Instead of a static DC, make it an opposed check vs. the foe's Reflex save or something. Tumbling past a blind peasant shouldn't be the same difficulty as tumbling past Zeus.

6. Clarify Reach and AoOs. These two concepts are what trouble new gamers the most.

7. Simplify and clarify dual-wield.

8. Clarify Armor Spikes and Shield Spikes (does ambidexterity and/or two-weapon fighting reduce "off-hand" penalties for dual-wielding armor spikes/attacking with armor spikes while also attacking with a two-handed weapon?)

9. Clarify the Hide skill, especially its use during combat situations such as sneaking up for melee attacks, sniping, and hit-and-run.

10. More Familiars. And more info on how familiars behave in-game.

11. Allow Quarterstaves to be used to make Trip attacks.

12. Replace the spiky strappy art. Especially the awful, unimaginative, unrealistic, unattractive depictions of armour in the Equipment section of the PHB.

13. Give elves +2 Cha +2 Int -2 Str. Elves are the longest-lived of all the races; why are they given a Con penalty? And Elves are supposed to be incredibly smart, graceful, and awe-inspiring--why no Int and Cha bonuses?

My most wanted changes in the Dungeon Masters Guide:

1. Revise the XP system.
1a. Explicitly state that XP comes from *defeating* monsters, not just killing them in combat. Give an example of how using a Decanter of Endless Water to flood a cave (thus killing its inhabitants) should give the same XP as if you had gone down there and fought them hand-to-hand.
1b. Or, use the alternative XP system that gives you XP per game session (instead of per monster). Make that system the default, official XP system.

Why? The current EL/CR experience point system is cumbersome and confusing, especially for new players. *Especially* if you don't have exactly 4 characters in your party.

2. Revise the magic item creation system. And, necessarily, the cost of magic items.

3. More prestige classes. Ideally, at least two prestige classes geared toward each core class (total of 20 prestige classes).

4. More, better art. Including a bunch of sample city maps, village maps, tavern maps, and dungeon maps.

5. More info on adventure design. Including a step-by-step guide that results in a ready-to-run sample adventure.

My most wanted changes to the Monster Manual:

1. More, better art. That Vampire is embarassing.

2. More useful combat statistics. Meaning, the AC entry should include regular AC, touch AC, and flat-footed AC.

.. only two entries here; I don't really use my monster manual (I mostly use humanoid "monsters" in my adventures).

I hope these get in.

-z

 

[shadowlight]

I wish Spellcraft and Knowledge (arcana) were more useful...