Re: D&D 3.5 - Houserules

[The Dark Power]

Written tons so I don't wanna bang on much further, but I just wanna say that any decision we make must be based on the game viewed as a whole, not on what PCs we currently happen to be using at the time. The fact that the current mage we have happens to be fairly well off in AC terms is really irrelevant.

If this change is to be made then it needs to count (and work in a fair way) for all possible PCs (and for that matter NPCs) now and in future campaigns.

[Tromador]

To be honest, this all stems from the idea of initiative and therefore turn based combat. AoO and the 5' step and so on are all klunky workarounds for the idea that one waits patiently over the course of a 10 (early editions) or 6 (current editions) second round for one's turn to act.

One is intended to imagine the flow of combat during that round gives rise to one useful opportunity, but the mechanics make it wholly turn based.

So, give that the whole combat system is essentially broken by design, it's hard to argue that addressing individual aspects which appear to be broken is valid without addressing the underlying brokenness which inspires these little workarounds.

[illumination]

5' step.

how about:

If you are not causing a threat to the attacker,

as in:

a) You are unarmed, (mages)

or

b) You are effectively unarmed by using a weapon useless to you in melee, for eg. a bow or crossbow. (archers)

You must make a concentration or a tumble check @ DC 15 to avoid an aoo when taking a '5 step out of a threatened area.

its clunky (good word) i know, but the result of that would be that mages would be less effected, where as archers would be buggered.

[illumination]

Added point to note about damage reduction. Im sure it doesnt need a debate.

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