3rd Edition has been kicking about for 3 years, and has shown a number of weak spots. Which is good, since it has given me hours of wasted time posting here. Anyway, after 3 years, Wizards released 3.5 edition, which is intended to close a lot of the loopholes, and generally make the game more like it's actually played (I'm not sure that makes any sense, but there it is). Co-incidentally, at about the same time, Monte Cook published Arcana Unearthed, which is intended as a replacement PHB for use in his Diamond Throne setting. Interestingly, AU also fixes, or attempts to fix, some of the same problems as were identified and 'fixed' in 3.5. So, I thought it would be interesting to see how the two books approached some of the problems.
Two-weapon Fighting
Problem: In 3rd Edition, you needed 2 feats to be at all useful with 2-weapon fighting, and were still left slightly less effective that using a single 2-handed weapon. Ranger gave these feats as "virtual feats", making one level of Ranger a munchkin option for Rogues, and perhaps some other characters.
3.5: Combine the Ambidexterity and Two-weapon Fighting feats into one. Rangers don't get these feats until 2nd level, eliminating the munchkin option. Two-weapon fighting becomes a viable option, although still slightly over-priced.
AU: Ambidexterity can only be bought at 1st level. Two-weapon fighting decreases the penalties by 4, rather than 2. A new feat allows the use of non-light weapons in the off-hand with further reduced penalties. This means that buying two feats (one at 1st level) makes 2-weapon fighting marginally better than a single 2-handed weapon, with a third feat making it significantly better. Thus, a character can viably focus on 2-weapon fighting, although it remains an expensive choice. AU doesn't have Rangers.
Verdict: Both methods are better than the original, but I prefer the 3.5 option. Feats are fairly rare, and 2-weapon fighting is not so good as to make the investment required in AU worthwhile unless a player is really determined.
Multi-class Spellcasters
Problem: Levels in different spellcasting classes don't stack, making the Wizard/Cleric combination, amongst others, laughable.
3.5: A partial solution exists in the much-aligned Mystic Theurge prestige class, and others for other combinations.
AU: This game completely changes the magic system, and there aren't different lists by class. Instead, spells are listed as being Simple, Complex, or Exotic. Multiclass spellcasters thus have access to some of these types by class, and add their slots and caster levels together.
Verdict: AU wins hands down. However, since it was created from a blank slate, whereas D&D has always had an arcane/divine split, it had a somewhat unfair advantage going in.
Creating Magic Items
Problem: Items are created by type, so Craft Wondrous Item is over-powered. Also, some spells become abusively powerful when placed in certain types of item.
3.5: No change.
AU: Items are created by uses (Craft Single Use Item, etc). Spells have modifiers assigned when being placed in certain item types, and some can't be placed in some item types at all.
Verdict: AU wins, of course. Additionally, this seems to fix the problem entirely (something not true of 2-weapon fighting. The multi-class spellcasters fix does work, but is useless to D&D as it stands).
Counterspelling
Problem: Counterspelling is largely useless. You have to Ready a counterspell, effectively giving up a round of your own actions, and even then you might not have a suitable counterspell available. Better simply to wipe out your opponents as quickly as possible.
3.5: No change.
AU: Counterspelling is possible with dispel magic (as before), or can be purchased as a feat. With the feat, you can try to counterspell any spell, a number of times per day. You still need to ready to counterspell, though.
Verdict: AU wins, but only provides a partial solution. I would prefer to see some mechanism where you need not Ready an action (a "Counterspell of Opportunity"), but have no idea how it would be implemented.
Too-weak Skills
Problem: Some skills are over-specific. Examples include Use Rope and Intuit Direction.
3.5: Intuit Direction rolled into Survival (with Wilderness Lore). Alchemy becomes Craft(Alchemy). A few other changes. Use Rope remains.
AU: Hide and Move Silently are rolled into Sneak. Others stay the same.
Verdict: I like the Sneak skill, but otherwise 3.5 wins handily. I'd still like to see the removal of Use Rope, as it's not really useful enough. However, I think the only skill it can be rolled into is Sleight of Hand, which seems an odd choice.
Exclusive Skills
Problem: Some skills are only available to some classes. If these are class abilities, they should be treated as such.
3.5: Exclusive skills are gone.
AU: Exclusive skills are gone.
Verdict: Either way, I'm happy :-)
Swim and Encumberance
Problem: The swim skill has a penalty based on weight carried, rather than armour, which forces the rather tedious tracking of encumberance. Okay, it's realistic, but I'm lay and would rather ditch encumberance.
3.5: Swim uses a double armour check penalty.
AU: No change.
Verdict: 3.5 wins, from the lazy man's point of view :-)
Conclusion
I'm aware that Monte didn't set out to "do D&D right", and the timing is a coincidence. That said, it is interesting to see how these problems were approached. It also seems that some of the problems were addressed in one book, and others in the other. Neither solves all the problems.
With luck, in about five years, when Wizards are ready to do 4th Edition, they'll have the good sense to look at books like Arcana Unearthed (and also some of the other good d20 and OGL works, and roll the good ideas into the core rulebooks). That way, we might end up with a game that is a genuine improvement over what we currently have.
I haven't looked at all the changes, or even all the areas where I wasn't entirely happy (metamagic for one), nor am I advocating one option over the other. Both 3.5 edition and AU represent an improvement over 3rd Edition (which is rather a good thing, don't you think), but neither is such an improvement that you must immediately run out and get the new books, and burn the old ones. Instead, get AU if you want to play AU, and get 3.5 if you want to play D&D and want to stay current (or are new to the game).
Or, ignore me. These are hardly pompous words from on high. Just those of some bored guy.
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