D&D 3E/3.5 3rd Edition Revisited - Better play with the power of hindsight?

Thomas Shey

Legend

• May 2, 2024

• #281

Dannyalcatraz said:

There’s probably a sweet spot, but I’m thinking it’s probably better to avoid messing with durations and limit the number of active buffs/debuffs a character can be affected by at any time.

Click to expand...

I know talking about it is the debbil to some 3.5/PF1e people, but PF2e's approach, which was keeping the number of modifier types down to a dull roar while still not going to the extreme of what D&D5e did seems to work pretty well. I never saw modifier bloat there (conditions could sometimes be a different story...)

 

log in or register to remove this ad

D

DeadlyUematsu

Explorer

• May 2, 2024

• #282

From experience, limit the buffs to no more than 3. If you're generous, 4. It allows you to keep dispel effects useful without bringing the table to a halt.

 

payn

I don't believe in the no-win scenario

• May 2, 2024

• #283

I'd kick around stat mod, (maybe con?) amount of buffs at a time.

 

rgard

Adventurer

• May 3, 2024

• #284

Voadam said:

I really hated tracking spells that lasted 1 round/level in combats.

It was very fiddly, required active upkeep tracking every round, and usually ended up not making a difference as the combat usually ended before the spell did at mid to high levels but occasionally fights would last long enough for it to become relevant.

I was quite happy to change things to encounter duration and not sweat it.

Click to expand...

We use graph paper. Outline the squares (one square per round) and then fill them in with a marker as the rounds go by.

 

D

DeadlyUematsu

Explorer

• May 3, 2024

• #285

I tried set durations for spells. They helped but not as much as I would like (the crux is people wanting to use the effects and not prepping either personally or preparing the team).

 

Zardnaar

Legend

• May 4, 2024

• #286

Wouldn't mind a 3E either smaller numbers eg the 5E engine.

Or hybrid eg SWSE using said engine.

 

D

DeadlyUematsu

Explorer

• May 4, 2024

• #287

Kirthfinder offered options for smaller numbers via a Diminishing Returns rule. Essentially, bonuses to d20 rolls or base 10 scores pass +5 were halved (so a +13 bonus became a +9 bonus) and bonuses couldn't go higher than a +20. After dealing with bonus stacking nonsense for the last 2 years in my 3e campaign, I'm seriously considering this for my next campaign.

 

Arakhor

Explorer

• May 4, 2024

• #288

The simpler way of calculating that bonus would be halving the bonus and adding 2 or 3 (your choice).

 

D

DeadlyUematsu

Explorer

• May 4, 2024

• #289

You get something for nothing for low end bonuses but if you don't care about that, it is definitely more straightforward.

 

CapnZapp

Legend

• May 31, 2024

• #290

3E did many things right.

But two things mean I'm never going back:

* The martial - caster divide

* The complex way you build NPCs