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So as the topic suggests, what do you want in a theoretical 3.75 version of the game? Say if Paizo were to publish their own PHB >.>
My top three things would be:
Aasimar, Tiefling, Drow and Catfolk (or Cat type race, maybe Tibbit-like even) without LA. These are probably the most commonly played non-core races and it's a pain in the butt doing an AP with a character who wants to play one at 1st level.
Redo Half Elf and Half Orc to make them viable as characters.
New Ninja, Wizard, Sorcerer, Swashbuckler class charts.
Edit: Oh and redo item creation too so players can actually craft and make profit off of it (even if it is only a little)
A better name. 3.75 would scare away those who aren't heavily into numbers and/or already call the current D&D "3.11 for Workgroups"
Tweak the standard races and classes to get rid of imbalances (that means dwarfs would get weakened a bit, elves would get a boost, half-elves would get a big boost...) and maybe to make them somewhat more interesting.
Replace extensive magic items with something else that takes less time. This could be a big concept and involve getting rid of DR and similar things, and giving the players some inherent perks to make up for the power level.
For example, let's have a look at how Midnight characters look (in Midnight, PCs will have little equipment, will face overwhelming odds including the only deity, less magic per day and no clerical magic at all)
Races are more powerful than elsewhere. The book says that they're about as powerful as LA+1 races.
In addition to that, every hero has a heroic path, which gives you something each level. What exactly that is depends on the path, it can be special abilities, inherent magical abilities, stat boosts, and so on.
In 3.75, this could look like this:
All races players usually play are as strong as an old LA+1, maybe even LA+2 race. Drow would fit right in, but other races would be made stronger. In addition, we borrow an idea from Dawnforge and grant extra abilities at every level or every couple of levels. These are race-specific, but can be chosen from "talent trees". Also, feats and stat boosts come faster.
Further clear up, clarify, consolidate and streamline the game. Some of the changes I'd like to see:
Weapon Familiarity for everyone, not just one or two races
No flat percentage to stabilise. Maybe something like "con score plus level%", or just a fort save.
Further clear up monster types. My pet peeve here is the Giant type, which should be abolished (or turned into a subtype), and the former giants will then be humanoids or monstrous humanoids.
Some Feats shouldn't be feats: power attack, weapon finesse, combat expertise - Those shouldn't be feats at all, but inherent options. Fighting Defensively kinda is a sort of combat expertise with a penalty. Let's use that: everyone can add +1 to their AC for each -2 they take on their attack rolls (max -BAB), but with Combat Exptertise, you can do -1/+1; Everyone can use power attack at -2at/+1dmg (1/1 for 2h, 4/1 for light), with the feat Power Attack cutting the penalties in half; everyone can choose to wield finessable weapons with dex rather than str, and Weaon Finesse, you can choose a weapon that is normally not elegible (like a longsword)
Magic Item Creation would be toned down in power (since magic items would be a lot less prevalent), but less expensive (no XP cost! Maybe less time, too)
Anything that makes the game less magical-mayhem and more sword and sorcery would be fine for me.
Correcting the problems with the current dependence on magical items would be the first to do. The HP escalation also needs to be stopped, something more like 2nd edition (see Conan RPG).
Social and knowledge skill also feel like they need some tweaking.
The problem is that 4th edition, as seems to be announced, is taking exactly this direction. So maybe that would be the answer for me.
I only expect that they get a good OGL out so that Paizo can keep Pathfinder as good or better than now. Who knows? Maybe even they make easier licensing the D&D name and we end up seeing D&D stickers on the covers of Pathfinder.
Who knows? Maybe even they make easier licensing the D&D name and we end up seeing D&D stickers on the covers of Pathfinder.
I'd bet my house that this will not happen. If anything, they'll make it harder. Probably they will no longer grant anyone the right to use the D&D sticker. They're tired of competition. They know that the D&D logo is their big (and probably only) advantage over the cream of the crop in the d20 sector, so they'll hold onto it like grim death.
Why else do you think all those licenses got cancelled?
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This is a great idea. Having written over 20 episodes and interacives for either Living Greyhawk or Blackmoor, and having edited about four times that, I see 3.5s largest issues with high level play. Play breaks down rapdily at about 14th level and balance becomes a critical issue. Epic play is little better.
Fix this issue, and I doubt any system can trump it.
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A more logical combat, with the much needed parry and dodge options, and a reworking of the obsolete AC concept. Also, the idea of combat fatigue is appealing for additional realism (see the templated rules)
A slightly more realistic damage system, with various degrees of "hurt" and not a single block of HP to destroy.
A reworking of the vancian magic system, keeping the slot/spell level concepts, but giving spellcasters a more flexible and dinamic access to their inherent class powers. The Arcana Unhearted model is a good start.
Some templated additional rules for extra detail, that can be applied almost on-the-fly and most of all only following personal tastes, without a significant change on the game balance.
Fewer feats, but each one with built-in extra options, available only when the character arrives to a certain level/BAB/etc, and/or extra options that become available only when in combo with other feats (so less feat tree and more feat chemistry, so to speak).
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 8
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This is a great idea. Having written over 20 episodes and interacives for either Living Greyhawk or Blackmoor, and having edited about four times that, I see 3.5s largest issues with high level play. Play breaks down rapdily at about 14th level and balance becomes a critical issue. Epic play is little better.
Fix this issue, and I doubt any system can trump it.
I agree, that after 15th level things scale very much out of control. But most DMs can tailor things to work still at these levels.
Glad to see you over here Tad. Will you be making it to Megacon this year?
I'm with Bray. Let's keep it close to what we already have so that we can just carry on with minimal interruptions.
Didn't Mongoose make their own version of a 3E PHB? Just renamed the spells and whatnot.
Anyway, I wouldn't mind something like that. Just a "Paizo Players Handbook". Rename some spells, add a pantheon, maybe a 'toolbox' section for creating races. I'd be pretty happy with that.
BTW, I only have the softcover PHB and am looking for the Mongoose version. However, if Paizo makes noise about putting out a PHB I'd hold out for that one.
If it isn't close to what we currently have why do it? One of the things people like myself have complained about is rendering our investments less than compatible. If I wanted large changes I wouldn't have complained about 4th edition. If anything, it should feel closer to 1st edition (in feel, not mechanics). The game should be very close, just tweaked. Offer some variant ideas, not disrupt the core rules we already have. Seems to me someone else is already doing that for us. The idea is to buy a improved game, not something totally different from another company just to throw it into WOTC face. If I want less than good, I'll buy from them.
Probably they will no longer grant anyone the right to use the D&D sticker. They're tired of competition.
Except for video games, I suppose. With all this rules-in-a-database talk Wizards is giving, it seems that they are also playtesting taking video games in mind.
They know that the D&D logo is their big (and probably only) advantage over the cream of the crop in the d20 sector, so they'll hold onto it like grim death.
Why else do you think all those licenses got cancelled?
You are probably right about the licenses, but I'd like to see what they do next year. I suppose we'll know by next GenCon.
I forgot that I would also like to see rules for playing without a square grid. Like the ones that were in the v.3.0 Player's Handbook.
There are times when you either don't want to play with miniatures or don't want to use a square grid.
I forgot that I would also like to see rules for playing without a square grid. Like the ones that were in the v.3.0 Player's Handbook.
There are times when you either don't want to play with miniatures or don't want to use a square grid.
I think they will keep pushing a grid because they want to sell their miniatures.
Probably they will no longer grant anyone the right to use the D&D sticker. They're tired of competition.Except for video games, I suppose. With all this rules-in-a-database talk Wizards is giving, it seems that they are also playtesting taking video games in mind.
I'm not sure about video games. D&D Computer games don't seem to be that much of a gold mine any more.
Maybe they want to take another shot at the big MMORPG market. I predict that the next D&D Online will be a bigger flop than the last one.
Spell points instead of Set numbers of spells per day - I've always preferred the Psionic power points system
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This is a great idea. Having written over 20 episodes and interacives for either Living Greyhawk or Blackmoor, and having edited about four times that, I see 3.5s largest issues with high level play. Play breaks down rapdily at about 14th level and balance becomes a critical issue. Epic play is little better.
Fix this issue, and I doubt any system can trump it.
I agree, that after 15th level things scale very much out of control. But most DMs can tailor things to work still at these levels.
Glad to see you over here Tad. Will you be making it to Megacon this year?
Probably not. I am managing a $16+ million project at work right now and it is sucking up all my bandwidth. Don't even have time to write!
Most homeplay DMs "house rule" high level play under control. However, I'd like to see this eliminated as a necessity. It's also very hard in an MMRPG environment to make high level play function well.