1. You can generate any type of NPC using the rules for classes/racial HD that you wish. You want a kobold barbarian, no problem, you want a gnoll wizard, go for it.
2. The game is fun at all levels, just in different ways.
3. At high levels, the PCs can handle whole armies of mooks, and can often deal with hugely powerful creatures.
4. At low levels, there is a lot of tension around single attacks, is it going to crit, is it going to drop the character.
5. The CR system works reasonably well, especially if people understand that when you double the foes, you add 2 to the EL. True, not all EL 14 encounters are the same, some are tougher than others, but you know a hydra in an enclosed area is pretty nasty, yet in an open area with everyone flying, a hydra isn't that scary at all. It is the nature of the "beast".
6. All classes have things to contribute. Yes spellcasters can be powerful, but one thing to keep in mind, a greataxe never runs out of swings.
7. Multiclassing works good for creating unusual types of characters. True, fighter/mages aren't as good at fighting as straight fighters or at casting as straight mages, but then again, why should they be?
8. Characters choose which skills to train each level, and can even put points into skills that aren't typical for the class. This leads to more creativity for players. If someone thinks there are not enough skills per class (something I agree with), you certainly don't need a whole new book to give each class 2 more skill points per level.
9. Different monsters have different abilities. This gives monsters unique feels. I mean do you really want to play a game where every monster is basically just a bigger or smaller version of an orc?
10. Feats are valuable, but ultimately are not even necessary to play the game. A fighter that spends all of his feats on a greataxe, can still fight effectively with a longsword.
11. Attacks of opportunity aren't too complicated, especially once you play a little bit. They also reward characters for being strategic.
12. There are a variety of magic items, some of them if not all that effect are at least fun to use (wand of wonder?). Even better is the fact that PCs can craft their own for exactly what they want and don't have to depend on the whims of a DM.
13. There are several different alternative types of attack actions, many of which are not necessarily lethal. This gives PCs more options on what to do.
*Applause*
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THAT is what I'm talking about. Positive thinking towards a game that works and is fun to play.
Outstanding.
14) Regardless of the story you concoct you can make the rules work for you.
15) Characters can try all sorts of special maneuvers of swashbuckling adventure, from tripping to grappling, disarming and bull rushing to make combats interesting and fun.
16) Success is sweet because there is also a fair chance of failure.
-DM Jeff
17) I already have WELL OVER A THOUSAND DOLLAR'S WORTH of 3.0 and 3.5 books that I know and love!
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18) Ample support in the past has meant a whole host of rules variants and options that I can mix and match in my home games.
19) Consistent rules design allows you to understand exactly how the bits and pieces work. It is clear how things work and why they work the way they do. The abandonment of exception based design that plagued earlier editions means a the DM has reliable tools with which to build his campaign.
20) Intergrated modularlity allows to "sub-out" new systems so long as you understand what that change will do to the game.
21) A strong line of tradition stretching back to the earliest forms of D&D gives players a "common" language with which to speak.
23) Five years of game testing for 3.5 or eight years for 3rd.
24) Huge number of different companies products all with a consistent rule base to choose from.
25) It's fair. What works for the PC's, works for the monsters and vice versa.
26) The OGL means that anybody can add to the enjoyment of the entire gaming community.
26) The OGL means that anybody can add to the enjoyment of the entire gaming community.
27) The OGL/SRD means if 10 years from now I meet someone that wants to play and can't find a PHB, I can print off the SRD and they can use that. I am no longer dependent on some company to supply the basic rules.
It saves you money on your car insurance...wait no, thats Geico, my bad
29) I can play an awakened geko if I want.
That's just it too...truly endless variety. God I love this game.
31) The editions of Dragon and Dungeon magazines that are relevant can be read in the bathroom without the need of a power cord. ... Perhaps that's just me.
1) I want to.
0) I want to.
Fixed it for you.
Don't you know Rule 0 was edited out of 3.5?
Well this Reason 0, not Rule 0. And Rule 0 wasn't edited out of 3.5, it was just not addressed by name. See p.6 in the 3.5 DMG under Adjudicating.
32. Because I'm still having fun.
Pro-4th Talk spoilered.
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31) The editions of Dragon and Dungeon magazines that are relevant can be read in the bathroom without the need of a power cord. ... Perhaps that's just me.
Absolutely not! Well, not necessarily the bathroom, but in the front room by the fire in the comfy chair. I miss that. The laptop is just klunky.
But this isn't necessarily a 3.5 thing. I would have been happy to see Paizo publishing 3.5/4.0/4.5/5.0/5.15/5.25/etc. Dragon/Dungeon forever! :-)
35 the system is very plug and play friendly and easy to change and modify
great thread by the way
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38. The Book of Experimental Might makes my 3.5 game even more adjustable. I love it, that players can never be sure of who or what is facing them. That little kobold there could easily be a high-level wizard as well. That's what my players love about the game. And I as the DM can say you see a Kobold, without my players telling each other:"You take him out, I am too tired right now! No, you do it, it's just a little kobold!".
45.) I only just learned 3.5 last September 2007, and just hit the point that I feel fairly comfortable with it.
(My players are exceptionally fair and familiar with the rules, so they've helped me along. Plus an AP makes your first game easy.)
46) Planar set up. 3rd has alot of planar stuff, and I find it easier to remove what I don't want to use, then to build up what I do. If I wanted to write a bunch of material myself, why would I buy the books?
47) Half-orcs. Yeah I said it, I love 'em. Big, badass, and with a serious chip on their shoulders. Yeah, he may be good and a cleric of Kord, but you get in his face, and you better expect to get beat down. (And no, they don't have to be the product of rape. What do you get from a half-orc and a half-orc union? Probably another half-orc.)
48)Midnight.
49)Rokugan d20.
50)Power Attack.
51) No conversion for Red Hand of Doom.
53)Because it provides a precise (but also flexible) rule system which offers tons of character options, and yet still manages to maintain the feel of the game I have loved since I was a kid.
54)Because Paizo supports it, and Paizo is the best in the biz.
55) because you can have fantastic encounters using 3.x! From the top of my head: the warf chase in "mad god's key", and the fight with the assassins on stilts (STAP). (I'm sure we can make a loooong thread of this subject in itself)
Hagor
56) Because I can find new players for 3.5 in minutes, while I had to "teach" new players, when I wanted to play GURPS, Traveller, Elric!, RuneQuest or other fine games (OK, since the fine german Cthulhu translation, it is as easy to find Cthulhu-Players ...)
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57) Because not everything is required to justify its existence by having a role, and meeting someone else's idea of "fun". There are loads of interesting things out there that are what you make of them.
For example achierai (or however you spell them) come in for a lot of criticism, but they featured prominently in one of our most fun sessions ever.
58) Because you can realistically still play in the Forgotten Realms w/o it having been turned on its head?
59) Because for the first time in what?(15+ years), Greyhawk has become a more viable setting than ever with its 3.5 ed update.
On a random question, has anyone ever gotten around to "unoffically" tweaking Planescape or maybe even Spelljammer? I couldn't recall if RPGA journal did or not?
Sorry if my post is a little off base there. Great thread there!
Whoops...looks like we had cross posts there. I'll differ my reasons 60 & 61 if it matters as courtesy to the maiden. :-)
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Whoops...looks like we had cross posts there. I'll differ my reasons 60 & 61 if it matters as courtesy to the maiden. :-)
Ooh! Sorry about that! The site was going really slow for me and I was hoping that wouldn't happen.
I can change mine, since my post comes after yours. But thank you for the courtesy. Such a gentleman!
62. Some really nice guys play 3.X and are sticking with it ;-)
I can change mine, since my post comes after yours. But thank you for the courtesy. Such a gentleman!62. Some really nice guys play 3.X and are sticking with it ;-)
Thanks...and:
62b. Some really nice gals play 3.X and are also staying with it.
Want to be fair about it! :-)
On a random question, has anyone ever gotten around to "unoffically" tweaking Planescape or maybe even Spelljammer? I couldn't recall if RPGA journal did or not?
For Planescape, the answer is yes. The absolutely astounding team at http://www.planewalker.com/index.php has released a FULL conversion of Planescape for 3.5. You can download all the fluff and crunch you need to play in Sigil and beyond! You have a large community which keep improving all the stuff and keep ading conversion.
Planescape was already fantastic and Planescape with 3.5 is...a blast :-)).
For Spelljammer i'm not sure but it seems to me that another site do it too. There is something like Planewalker for Birthright too!
So!
63. You can play one of the best universe ever created, Planescape, with 3.5 :-). No need to do all the dirty work with the rules^^.
On a random question, has anyone ever gotten around to "unoffically" tweaking Planescape or maybe even Spelljammer? I couldn't recall if RPGA journal did or not?
For Spelljammer there is this:
http://www.spelljammer.com/It looks like someone tried to update to 3rd but it doesn't look like it made it to 3.5. Also I believe there was an issue of a magazine (Polygon?) with some updated material.
64. If I want a spellcaster to get "4th edition" feel, with never running out of magic, I can just use wands.