Just when you thought that the D&D rules were reasonably straightforward, the kind folks at Wizards of the Coast do their level best to prove you wrong. We all knew that Polymorph was a bit of a sticky wicket. But that’s the domain of Wizards, Sorcerors, and other pencil-necked twerps. The noble Fighter, Barbarian, and Rogue are still there for simple gaming pleasure, unfettered by complicated, nuanced rules, right? Wrong.

In the latest installment of their Rules of the Game series, All About Movement, we see that anybody interested in getting his character to where he needs to be amidst a pitched combat is in for some serious rules-applicaiton. Over the course of the last month and a half, we have been given six installments of rules explanations entirely limited to what should be the simple matter of moving from point A to point B, where you can hope to maybe stick +4 Holy Flaming Vorpal Greatsword C through monster D.

Read it if you have the stomach. Though it is more universally-applicable to characters of all kinds, it’s a rather thick six pages.

Continuing a series of articles explaining the minutiae of how some of the D&D rules, WotC has just recently finished up their official explaination of polymorphing. This includes the spells polymorph, baleful polymorph, and polymorph any object, alter self, shape change, and a number of class features and “special qualities” that some monsters have which have similar effects.

As a four-part series, it starts out slow. Really slow. Painfully slow. Definitions-of-terms slow. They move on to some tastier fare in the second part with almost 300 lines of text describing the Alter Self spell in painstaking detail.

The series really comes up to speed in the third part, which describes the Polymorph spell itself. It’s a little detailed. 837 lines of detail. If only for the sake of DM-sanity maintenance, this spell should probably be stricken from the game. In fairness to the author, a great deal of this mountain of text is simply a repeat of what exactly the “subtype” characteristics are. For every subtype in standard D&D 3.5. Yes, every subtype. While my eyes were glazing over and I was passing in and out of consciousness trying to read the thing I may have missed one or two. I’m pretty sure they’re all listed.

Part Four brings us a return to sanity, as multiple spells are described in short order. Relying upon an assumption that somebody would want to wade through the previous entry on Polymorph itself, it focuses more upon how Baleful Polymorph, Shape Change, Wild Shape, and Alternate Form differ from the previous spells.

This four-part Rules of the Game series brings to light the problems that the most versatile forms of magic introduce into game mechanics. Transmutation and Illusion, as schools of magic, are probably the most open to exploitation (and enjoyment) by players and DMs alike. As such they bring to light the some of the most awkward restrictions and gaping holes in the D20 ruleset. I can only hope that the next entry will be regarding such gems as Minor Image.

It looks like WotC is at it again, working hard to make my D&D articles less relevant. After all the hard work I put into my Milking the Sneak Attack article back in September, they have posted a Rule of the Game article named “All about Sneak Attack.” In it, the able and competant Skip Williams begins to demystify the Sneak Attack class ability, when it applies, when it doesn’t, and how to go about using it. So far there is only one article in what appears to be a series, but this more authoritative look at the rules authored by one of the co-creators of D&D 3.0 and published under the auspices of Wizards of the Coast will likely serve to marginalize the trickle of D&D-related search engine traffic to this site even more. Good. Keep up the good work, folks!

It looks like the fine folks at WotC have a clear understanding of what people find confusing about their ruleset. In what I must say is a far more exhaustive and clearminded article Does it Stack? they take the same look at bonuses and penalties that I took in Stacking – Types of Bonuses a year ago. They have released three installments so far, and if you don’t get the point by the end of part two, well… There’s more.

In the interest of getting the most out of a character class that received very little love in D&D v3.5, I’ve taken a look at a couple of methods for optimizing the Rogue’s best combat feature: the Sneak Attack.

As you may know, a Rogue gets bonus damage whenever he is within 30 feet of his opponent, and that opponent is “flat footed” or flanked in relation to him. There are a number of ways to acheive the “flat footed” or flanked condition. Traditionally a Rogue will sneak up on his oppenent (by means of Hide and Move Silently). Additionally, the Feint maneuver can deny an opponent his dexterity bonus (rendering him effectively flat-footed). Flanking is a simple matter of getting an ally and proper footwork. I’ll be focusing primarily upon the suprise (sneaking & hiding) aspect of the Sneak Attack.

In order to take full advantage of the Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 rules to deliver optimal damage, the Rogue will want to make as many Sneak Attacks as possible during a combat. This can be accomplished by attacking, withdrawing, hiding, stalking, and repeating as necessary, but there remains a mechanism by which a Rogue may take several attacks before his opponents get their guards up.

This is accomplished through a careful selection of feats. Both the Two-Weapon Fighting and Archery subsets of feats allow for additional attacks, but are generally thought to be non-complimentary. In the case of thrown weapons, however, both paths apply. Quick Draw, Two-Weapon Fighting, Point-blank Shot, and Rapid Shot are the primary feats for this attack-optimization scheme.

*edit on 2005-01-24: a similarly-cheesy Fighter variant for milking thrown attacks can be found at the Privateer Press Forum

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Rogues are supremely customizable, and though they certainly have some traditional roles in a D&D campaign, some serious variations are possible. Multiple Rogues with complimentary skill sets can, operating together intelligently, accomplish a great deal. The concept of the Thieves Guild goes back quite a while: a number of Rogues each with his own specialty and a number of not-so-specialized thugs that provide extra eyes, ears, hands and knives as necessary.

This week I’ll review my older Rogues – Skill Clusters listing, and elaborate a little. Very few changes were made to the class, so very few changes were made to the list.

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By incorporating a number of interesting and varied prestige classes from the 3.0 core rulebooks and supplemental literature, Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5 DMG showcases how characters can be customized and made more compelling to play as and interact with. By more compelling to play as and interact with I mean min-max, twink, and munchkinize.

Nowhere is this more telling that with the spellcasting prestige classes. Long ago when only demihumans could multiclass, it was known that sharing two classes retards growth in either of them, and that this is especially true of the spellcasting classes. Look no further than the Fighter/Mage: At an impressive 20th level, a straight Fighter/mage has 10 levels of Fighter and 10 levels of Wizard. This character would have 10d10+10d4+20*(Con Bonus) hit points, a BAB of +15, access to level 5 arcane spells, six bonus fighter feats, and two bonus metamagic feats. His base saving throw bonuses are +10 Fort / +6 Ref / +10 Will.

Bear in mind that a 20th level Wizard would have a BAB of only +10, 20d4+20*(Con Bonus) hit points, and multiple 9th level spells, of course.

But let’s look at some of the alternate “spice up your spellcaster” options available in the core rules now. A good analogue to the straight Fighter/Mage is the Eldritch Knight, described by the DMG as “studying martial and arcane arts to equal degree.” Let’s see how that really adds up, shall we? To become an Eldritch Knight, the listed prerequisites are proficiency in all martial weapons, and the ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells. That’s a 1st level fighter/ 5th level Wizard, for those of you taking notes.

Upon taking the first level of Eldritch Knight, this 7th level character has 1d10+1d6+5d4+7*(Con Bonus) hit points, a BAB of +4, casts spells as a 5th level wizard, has two bonus fighter feats, and one bonus metamagic feat. Let’s catch this fellow up with his fighter/mage buddy by adding 10 levels of Eldritch Knight and four more Wizard levels.

A Fighter 1 / Wizard 9 / Eldritch Knight 10 has 1d10+9d4+10d6+20*(Con Bonus) hit points, a BAB of +15, +12 Fort / +6 Ref / +9 Will for saves, two bonus fighter feats, and one bonus metamagic feat. He also casts spells as an 18th level wizard, giving access to mighty 9th level arcane spells such as Wish.

The Base Attack Bonuses match perfectly. The hit points favor the Fighter/Mage five to three. The saving throws are ever-so-slightly better for the Eldritch knight. The Fighter/Mage has superior access to combat feats. The Eldritch Knight can can Meteor Swarm while the Fighter/Mage is still tinkering with Wall of Force.

In the case of the Eldritch Knight, Very little has been sacrificed in spellcasting ability for some substantial martial benefits above the straight Wizard route. 50% better base attack bonus, far better hit points, and superior fortitude saving throws at the cost of two spellcaster levels of arcane firepower and three bonus metamagic feats. The advantages over a straight Fighter would appear obvious: 18 levels of spellcaster firepower in exchange for 9 bonus fighter feats seems a fair trade (have you ever seen Great Cleave put to as much use as Fireball? Neither have I). In comparison to the Fighter/Mage it isn’t quite as clear, as both spellcasting potency and a great number of Fighter feats have been sacrificed along with the all-important hit point edge of Fighters.

Clearly each has its benefits, and depending upon your character and your campaign’s story arc, you could go either way. I dare say that the Eldritch Knight has a serious advantage, but this is a matter that reasonable people can reasonably disagree on.

My core rulebooks have shown up, and I’ve had a chance to take a peek inside. Changes to the Rogue class are few and far between. The D&D intelligencia at WoTC have clearly certified my three-year-old suspicion that this was the best class in 3rd Edition D&D. Fighters received Greater Weapon Specialization, Barbarians have improvements to their damage reduction class ability. Monks have had unarmed attack bonuses simplified (one BAB to rule them all and in the darkness bind them) and special attack properties for unarmed strikes as they progress. Every spellcasting class sees significant changes to spell lists and spell descriptions.

What did the Rogues get? Pick Pockets became “Sleight of Hand” (which it has been used for by many DMs for decades), and Read Lips was rolled into the Spot skill. Outstanding. Other classes picked up new, improved saving throws, additional skill points, conjured mounts, and several prestige classes (not to leak this into the DMG, but there are a lot of arcane spellcaster prestige classes around in the core rules).

The rogue now has a mere two-point skill edge against the Ranger and Bard classes, poor hit points (Barbarian, Cleric, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, and Ranger all fare better in that department), poor saving throws (Bards, Clerics, Rangers, Paladins, and Monks have multiple “good” saving throw progressions, Rogues get only Reflexes), average attack bonus progression (right there with Monks, Clerics, and such), and neither spellcasting abilities nor bonus feats (one optional bonus feat every third level from 10th on, as in 3rd Edition).

How could this be justified? It’s all about the skill selection options and that nifty little sneak attack ability. Rogues are all about skills, and frankly you could give any other class as many skill points without coming up with as versatile and effective a skill-based character as a Rogue. Let’s see a dusty old bookworm Wizard scale a sheer masonry wall, jimmy the latch on a window, snatch everything that isn’t nailed down in a nobleman’s bedroom without him waking up, then sneak up on the guard on his way out the front door and wax him with a single dagger-stroke. If the wizard’s smart, he’ll just hire a Rogue to do it for him.

With Wizards of the Coast working hard to get us all to pick up three new core rulebooks, they’ve been trickling out details of changes for months now via Dragon Magazine and the official D&D website.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve seen their teasers for the Ranger and Druid classes in specific. These classes, along with the Bard, have been the red-headed stepchildren of the main character classes. Generally speaking, I would consider this to be right and fitting (I still think of Cleric, Fighter, Thief, and Wizard as the proper D&D character archetypes).

However, they’re making a big push to right all the perceived wrongs with the 3.0 d20 system. Rangers will have fewer hit points, more skill points, and a more useful “Favored Enemy” system. Druids will have some serious improvements to the “Wild Shape” class ability, and pick up a spontaneous-casting ability for “Summon Nature’s Ally.” In addition, Wilderness Lore and Intuit Direction have been merged into a single skill “Survival” and “Animal Empathy” has been dropped in favor of a new skill available only to Rangers & Druids that functions much like “diplomacy” but only for creatures of animal intelligence.

I’m not sold on it yet, but amongst my coworkers I’m sure I’ll be able to browse the finished product and see how it all balances out. Supposedly each of the main classes will be more fully balanced and useful, with an eye toward accentuating the distinctions of the mongrel classes of Barbarian, Bard, Druid, Monk, Paladin, and Ranger. Word is that Sorcerers (also a mongrel class IMHO) are practically unchanged apart from some reworded spell rules that also apply to Wizards.

Time will tell.

Ah, the kind of help from TSR that players and DMs alike can benefit from (as opposed to yet another book full of feats and prestige classes). TSR has started posting a series on helping you put bards to good use:

Being second best at everything makes you first best at nothing. In a party with a skull-cracking fighter, a fireball-throwing wizard, and the greatest pickpocketing rogue in three counties, finding your place in the party can be a little intimidating. Don’t let this distress you. There’s quite a few ways a bard can make his or her unique abilities felt.