3.5 Rules and Errata

Hey Taxidermists!  I wanted to make a real quick post to let you know, now that we're moving to official 3.5 rules, there are some slight changes to the classes we use.  I'll just list those classes - if you have another class you want information on, let me know (in case you're thinking of multi-classing).

Druid (Naya/Beth) -  Druids get more use out of their animal companion, who will now help attack any melee combatant.  Also, druids can cast a summon nature's ally "X" in place of any of their 1st level or higher spells; clerics can do the same things with cure and inflict spells.  For example, if Naya has prepared contagion, a 3rd-level spell, she can cast summon nature's ally III as if she had prepared that instead, using up that contagion spell.  Naturally, she could replace that same contagion with EITHER summon nature's ally I or summon nature's ally II.  She just can't trade a 3rd-level spell for something higher.

Also, at level 2, she gains Nature's Sense, which gives her a +2 on Knowledge (Nature) checks and Survival checks.

You also gain a new ability, wild empathy.  This allows you to communicate (in a fashion) with animals and attempt to influence their thoughts; if an animal attacks, a druid can attempt to "talk"it down, for example.  A druid can take one minute to do this.  To use wild empathy, a druid rolls a d20 and adds her druid level and her Charisma modifier.  The better the check, the better the influence (either friendly or hostile).  The DM has set levels to follow for these DCs.  Non-sentient Animals, Beasts and Magical Beasts can be affected, but the latter is done at a -4 penalty.  The worg you mauled, although a Magical Beast, was sentient (had an Intelligence score 3 or greater), and so normal Diplomacy checks had to be made (and subsequently failed).  =)

Fighter (Seyer/Wesley) - Fighters don't change much, but they do get access to more feats, as Wes is probably already aware.

Ranger (Raina/Carol) - Rangers change significantly with this edition.  They move down a Hit Die; in other words, whenever gaining a level, they roll a d8 instead of a d10.  Carol, we'll have to shrink your Hit Points just a tad (but you'd never get hit with your Dexterity bonus and size modifier anyway, so you won't miss it.  If your roll was 8 or less for your level 2 advancement, I'll let you keep it (you wouldn't have rolled higher on a d8.)  If you did roll a 9 or 10, I'll just shrink you down to 8.  I'll explain more when we get together.

Although it's a bummer to lose some HP, you do get bonus skill points every level.  I'll go back and give you 8 bonus skill points from level 1, and you'll get two more every level. 

Also, regarding favored enemies, they've changed the way it works.  Now, instead of a +1 bonus on everything dealing with that creature, you receive a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks instead.  I'm also allowing a +2 Knowledge check for whatever knowledge is relevant to give you more a chance of identifying that creature.  In addition, you get a +2 bonus on damage rolls against the favored enemies.  At every 5th level (so level 5, 10, 15, and 20), you can choose another favored enemy to add.  Then, you can choose to increase any of your favored enemies' bonuses by +2.  So Carol, for you, you chose Giants as your first favored enemy.  This means you get +2 Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival and Knowledge (Society/Nature) checks regarding any kind of interaction with Giants.  You also hit them for two points of damage harder per successful attack.  At level 5, let's say you pick Oozes.  You get a +2 bonus on them, too.  Then you can pick Oozes or Giants; whichever one you pick gets an ADDITIONAL +2 bonus on all the above stated bonuses.  If you pick Giants, you'd get a +4 bonus on everything listed above, say.  Then, at level 10, you can pick another, like Plant, or Humanoid (goblinoid).  If you do, then you get +2 for the chosen type, then you may choose any of your now three favored enemies, and increase that one by another +2, and so on.

Also, you can now choose your own race as a favored enemy regardless of alignment.  >=)

You get Track as a bonus feat.  This allows you to search for tracks and follow them using Survival checks.

You gain the druid's ability, wild empathy.  There are no changes.

At 2nd level (so, now), you can choose one of two combat styles: archery combat or two-weapon combat.

If you choose archery combat, you get the Rapid Shot feat, regardless of its requirements.  Rapid Shot allows you to take a full round action (so you can't move more than 5 feet), and shoot two shots.  Each shot is made at -2 of your full attack bonus.  So, for you, if you have a +6 bonus to your shot, you can take two shots instead at +4 bonuses. 

If you select two-weapon combat, you can get Two-Weapon Fighting as a bonus feat regardless of its requirements.  Two-Weapon Fighting allows you to reduce your penalties for attacking with both weapons in a combat by -6 for your offhand and -2 for your main hand.  Normally, if you choose to attack with both weapons in a turn, you take them at a -10 penalty in the offhand, and a -6 in the main hand.  With this feat, those penalties are -4 and -4 respectively.  If your offhand is light (one size smaller than you, like a dagger), the penalty is only -2 and -2.

Rangers get an animal companion (like Naya's owl) at level 4. 

Sorcerer (Kale/Drew) - As far as I could see, there weren't any sorcerer changes; however, you can now access the Improved Familiar feat and summon a wider array of familiars, like fire bats and the like.

There is a wide selection of new feats available for everyone to choose.  At level 3, everyone gets a new feat, so you'll want to look!  Similarly, I believe there are also a few new spells in 3.5...

Looking forward to our next meeting.  See you then and happy gaming!

- Matt the DM