Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition is a 2003 revision of D&D Third Edition.
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3answers
430 views
Which creatures don't speak Common?
I realized that my troglodytes shouldn't have been negotiating and taunting like they were goblins. Troglodytes are too primitive to speak Common. They speak Draconic.
Is there a way to generate a ...
17
votes
1answer
2k views
What changed in Eberron between 3.5e and 4e?
Both in terms of setting fluff and game mechanics, what are the differences between the original D&D 3.5 version of Eberron and its D&D 4th edition version?
17
votes
5answers
610 views
Can magic items that deal fire damage function underwater?
From the DMG p93:
Spells or spell-like effects with the fire descriptor
are ineffective underwater unless the caster makes a
Spellcraft check (DC 20 + spell level). If the check succeeds, the
...
16
votes
8answers
2k views
How to kill a troll in D&D 3.5?
My level 6-8 Party is going up against a small troll army invading a forest. Previously, we just assumed that once the party wins, they can burn all the troll remains. Some of us, however, were ...
16
votes
8answers
6k views
Homebrew D&D with only 2 players (plus DM)
I DM'ed for my buddies this semester and it was really fun. I got my roommate hooked and now he's asking for me to make another campaign (I've got a great idea). The problem lies in the fact that I'll ...
16
votes
5answers
918 views
My DM's ruled that all spells cast in armor are subject to Arcane Spell Failure. Can you change his mind?
My Fighter wants to multiclass into Bard, and continue wearing heavy armor; I'd just avoid spells with somatic components, since only spells with somatic Components worry about an armor's Arcane Spell ...
16
votes
7answers
523 views
What's a good class and race for beginners?
I'm a newbie GM and I have a new player at the table. He wants to play and I'm letting him (despite his loud, overly energetic behavior, and has a short attention span). Whats a good 3.5 class for ...
16
votes
7answers
991 views
Converting D&D 3.5 characters to D20 Modern characters
I'm considering running a campaign in the Urban Arcana D20 Modern setting. Instead of taking the usual approach by creating new characters for the D20 Modern system, I want to make the "modern" part a ...
16
votes
5answers
2k views
Any good steampunk material for d20?
The DM of my current Friday night game is running a steampunk-setting, using the Pathfinder rules system. We have two artificers in the party, but my feeling is that all of our material is fantasy and ...
16
votes
1answer
702 views
Is a Dragonwrought Kobold a True Dragon?
The Monster Manual refers to some creatures with the Dragon type as “True Dragons,” and some later books refer to True Dragon status as a prerequisite for various options.
Races of the ...
16
votes
5answers
1k views
How real are illusions?
The PCs this week tried to do something that stumped me this week, though I am sure this question has been asked before. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the PCs decided that they would cast an ...
16
votes
4answers
1k views
What happens to you after you die in D&D 3.5?
I'm playing an assassin-ish rogue in a 3.5 with Nerull (the god of death) as his deity and decided to build his essential character around the internal struggle of justifying his chosen profession to ...
16
votes
2answers
995 views
Are there any resources for diseases or plagues in D&D 3.5 or Pathfinder?
In creating an adventure, there will be a major meterological event causing massive damage to the town's infrastructure. In the aftermath, there will be a pretty significant outbreak of at least one ...
15
votes
13answers
1k views
Sunrods, should they be used?
Sunrods, those banishers of darkness, are they a problem or not, I've met a number of DMs that don't want them in their games.
Are they a problem?
15
votes
8answers
2k views
What is the statistically superior character creation method, twelve 3d6 or six 4d6?
The D&D 3.5 Player's Handbook gives (among others) two preferred methods to roll ability scores for a new character: a) roll 3d6 twelve times and keep the preferred six results, or b) roll 4d6 and ...
15
votes
5answers
660 views
Covertly casting a spell
This question about Charm Person got me musing about a problem with the spell. Obviously, you can't cast Charm Person in the middle of a forum to sway an interlocutor to your side without the other 20 ...
15
votes
3answers
419 views
Can I wish for an extra pair of arms (without breaking Wish)?
Ok, I know this is a big spell and I'm not trying to break anything but I've always wondered if I could do this. Remember this is a 9th level spell so by the time this could be cast I don't think it ...
15
votes
5answers
464 views
How can I add story to every encounter so that they don't seem like I'm just piling monsters on the characters for xp?
I am running a Viking themed 3.5 adventure and the party is traveling to confront a barbarian king on the way though they have just been fighting wild animals and it feels like these encounters don't ...
15
votes
4answers
805 views
What are some resources or tips on dragons as PCs?
Our DM is preparing a new D&D (3.5) campaign in which we all have to play as a (True) dragon. We're all going to play non-evil dragons (we're allowed to pick chromatic ones and change their ...
15
votes
5answers
688 views
Finding alternatives to rogues in campaigns
In a nutshell, I'm looking to join a game, but it seems that the type of character that I play often (rogue), has been done by everyone else in the group. Are their any other classes or sub-classes ...
15
votes
10answers
2k views
Is there a way to eliminate opponents through grappling?
I am playing a monk in our Oriental Adventures campaign, and recently we had a situation where another player was grappling a wu jen spell caster. We thought about breaking her neck to quickly get rid ...
15
votes
4answers
337 views
How do I tell how long my adventure is going to be?
I'm a new DM starting a campaign I've written myself. I have a party of 4 players right now- three have been playing for years, one has never played before. My problem is I'm not sure how to tell how ...
15
votes
2answers
403 views
How can I play monsters and NPCs up to their potential?
In many cases discussions about balance in 3.5 will, inevitably, involve one side or another invoking an anecdote of the time they fought this monster, or a member of that class, and they didn't ...
15
votes
3answers
360 views
Can you use a Longbow outside level flight?
Are there any rules for using a Longbow in parabolic flight, e.g. when you don't have Line of Sight or the target is a very long way a way?
15
votes
2answers
1k views
Lower spells in higher spell slots
Can you place a lower level spell in a higher spell slot? In other words, can you place magic missile in a 4th level slot if you want to, without a metamagic feat?
This came up in our Pathfinder game ...
15
votes
3answers
332 views
What is the cost for the upkeep of gear?
Our campaign setting is money poor, the cost of a master work weapon is far out of the commoner's reach. When players need to purchase things they certainly think it through. NPC crafters do not have ...
15
votes
3answers
425 views
Can an undead cleric resurrect himself?
Inspired by the current OOTS story thread, I was trying to think my way around a resolution for the situation and wondered:
Would it be valid for an undead cleric to cast resurrect on himself?
15
votes
4answers
585 views
Team cleric, team warrior, team mage
In D&D 3.5 I was part of a group of players who decided to play homogeneous groups. We found a team of four clerics to be very balanced and able to carry on regardless of the problem at hand. ...
15
votes
6answers
251 views
How can I mechanistically empower a prophecy or fortune without railroading the plot?
I am interested in the idea of incorporating fate (via prophecy or fortunes told) in my campaign. I would like to come up with a set of rules/mechanics to make a prophecy or fortune teller's ...
15
votes
4answers
381 views
How could I have a sidekick/squire in DnD3.5?
In Mutants and Masterminds you can purchase a side kick as a feat.
I'm rolling up a knight, and I want a squire, using a similar game mechanic.
Is there anything like this in DnD, other than ...
15
votes
3answers
2k views
Where can I get ready-to-play characters for D&D 3.5?
The last time I played D&D was about 10 years ago. Now I've decided to show it to my university friends, who have never played it before but are pretty excited. For that first game, nobody would ...
15
votes
3answers
140 views
Are there rules for identifying class abilities?
Are there rules for PCs making checks to identify class abilities of NPCs? For example, if a Monk uses Slow Fall, or a Druid uses Woodland Stride, or a Paladin uses Lay On Hands, can nearby PCs ...
14
votes
3answers
2k views
Can characters reach Mach 1 and higher in D&D 3(.5)?
A few years back our group tried to come up with the fastest possible D&D character. If I remember correctly we could build a character that could go faster than the speed of sound, but I can't ...
14
votes
2answers
288 views
Does your initiative change if your dex changes?
After combat has started will changes to your DEX stat (sufficent to change your dex bonus) change your initiative score?
Example:
Wizard Bob sees a goblin approaching and initiative is rolled; the ...
14
votes
5answers
2k views
How many arrows an archer can carry/bring with him
What would be a realistic number of arrows an archer can have/carry/bring with him? Dozens or hundreds?
14
votes
2answers
226 views
Does the target of a spell know who is casting it?
Lets say a wizard casts a compulsion spell on someone. Is that person aware that a spell was cast on him? Is he aware of where the spell came from?
14
votes
5answers
260 views
How do I quicken / sum up larger (but not army-scale) d20/DnD3.x combat?
I'll be rather specific:
Imagine you have five lv7 characters (in DnD3.5), a bunch of their followers (skeletons raised by their priestess and whatnot), and they're facing about the same number of ...
14
votes
4answers
2k views
Can I use a full attack and natural attacks in the same round?
I'm playing a 7th level monk variant in D&D 3.5e and I'm a werewolf. The variant has a 1 for 1 BAB. (level 1 = BAB+1) If I'm in hybrid form, Can I make my 2 standard attacks followed by 2 claws ...
14
votes
4answers
563 views
Why do Spell-Like Abilities provoke attacks of opportunity?
Both in D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder, Spell-Like Abilities are described as having "no verbal, somatic, focus, or material components." In both systems, however, activating them as a standard action ...
14
votes
4answers
820 views
Can you ready a charge?
In 3rd edition, you could ready a partial charge. From the PHB, p134:
Only partial actions can be readied. To do
so, specify the partial action you will take and the conditions under
which you ...
14
votes
2answers
315 views
Do I lose access to a feat if ability drain results in no longer meeting the prerequisite?
Do curses or ability damage/drain cause a character to be unable to use his feats?
For example, a Ranger with 20 Dex who has two-weapon-fighting feats and is using two weapons gets cursed or ability ...
14
votes
2answers
322 views
Fending off phase spiders in 3.5
You're in a dungeon filled with phase spiders. They can ethereal jaunt in as a free action, bite you with their hideous poison dripping mandible of doom, and slip back to the ethereal plane as a move ...
14
votes
3answers
347 views
What information do creatures passively gain from constant “Detect” spells?
Consider the Night Hag. The Night Hag has "constant detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, and detect magic."
However, each spell reveals additional information for each round "you study ...
14
votes
2answers
917 views
Are there any Animal Companions that are not actually Animals?
I’m just curious if any supplement out there includes an Animal Companion that is not, in fact, an Animal. As in the type.
I mean that just any Druid of sufficient level can take; there are ...
14
votes
2answers
1k views
How are Pathfinder Fighters different from D&D 3.5 Fighters in the first 6 levels of play?
How do Pathfinder Fighters differ from D&D 3.5 Fighters in the first 6 levels of play? Is the feat structure different? What are the changes regarding combat feats and special rules like ...
13
votes
3answers
435 views
Is it legal to write and distribute adventures or campaign settings for D&D 3.5?
I am considering writing and selling adventures and/or a campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons v3.5 and I am wondering if it is legal to do so. Also what am I allowed to use from the official ...
13
votes
2answers
301 views
What is the limit for the Masterwork Bonus?
Are Masterwork weapons limited to a +1 bonus, or can the bonus go all the way to +5? The reason I ask is the books usually refer to items with a bonus as magical items, but the books also say that all ...
13
votes
3answers
1k views
Why use NPC classes for NPCs?
I am a fairly novice game master, but something I've never really understood NPC classes. As far as I understand them, they are noticeably weaker versions of PC classes (e.g. the NPC warrior in 3.5 ...
13
votes
6answers
4k views
Alternatives to Familiars in DnD 3.X
Players tend to not keep very effective track of their familiars. Where can I find (or equally what can I use as) alternative Class Features for Wizards and Sorcerers to replace Familiars which will ...
13
votes
3answers
193 views
Do magical beasts have a magical aura with regard to Detect Magic spell?
The description for Detect Magic doesn't explicitly cover this. Some monsters, like the Ankheg, are categorized as magical beast, but don't have any magical or spell-like abilities. If they are ...
