Difference between D&D 3e and 3.5

[Space Insect]

So I got the D&D 3e core rulebooks for a really cheap price, but I want to use the splat books from 3.5 with them as well. What's the difference between the two that I need to worry about?

 

[Tripicus]

There aren't going to be any base mechanic issues, as in there's not much in fundamental game rules being changed (i'm having trouble thinking of things related to outside miniature combat).

3.5E is a rebalancing of everything from skills to spells across the board. Naturally, some things are unaffected, but you'll notice some skills and feats have disappeared, while becoming merged with another. A number of class skills and their uses have changed, e.g. the Cleric healing spell substitution was introduced IIRC. Also a number of spells were added along with a number of them being changed.

Look for the change summary from WotC, and I think if you use the SRD with that you'll be able to patch what's in the PHB easily enough. I don't think the monster changes were that drastic to warrant devoting effort to it.

 

[Azrael the cat]

The main difficulty you'll have is recovering from the fugue state caused by the shock of realising that bards are now really useful beyond story-roleplay, and are even the backbone of many of the overpowered munchkin builds. Bards not being absolutely shit and having to get fed story utility by the DM as a form of class welfare? That's not the DnD I remember!

 

[Havoc]

Damage Reduction was changed, which is a kinda game changer.

 

[Melan]

The changes between 3.0 and 3.5 are individually small, but taken together, they transform the game substantially. Overall, 3.0 still holds on to AD&D's legacy of high randomness, while 3.5 is a conscious step towards a highly balanced, highly codified ruleset that vastly increases predictability by stripping the system of most of its random elements and GM fiat. The result is a particular kind of experience which is inherently more "safe", but also has less of D&D's open-ended, free-wheeling charm.

 

[nikolokolus]

The changes between 3.0 and 3.5 are individually small, but taken together, they transform the game substantially. Overall, 3.0 still holds on to AD&D's legacy of high randomness, while 3.5 is a conscious step towards a highly balanced, highly codified ruleset that vastly increases predictability by stripping the system of most of its random elements and GM fiat. The result is a particular kind of experience which is inherently more "safe", but also has less of D&D's open-ended, free-wheeling charm.

In other words it sucks.

 

[Mustawd]

3.5 already sounds pretty balanced. So was 4.0 just even more balanced and MMO-ified?

I don't play PnP, so I'm just going by what I've heard.

 

[Space Insect]

4.0 was literally an mmo. 3.5 still used a traditional Vancian spell system and the classes actually did different things.

 

[Night Goat]

3.5 already sounds pretty balanced. So was 4.0 just even more balanced and MMO-ified?

I don't play PnP, so I'm just going by what I've heard.

3.5 is very far from balanced. They should've just admitted that it's a game about spellcasters and had everyone else be NPC classes. I'm sure the developers spent a lot of time shoved into lockers as kids, because that's the only explanation for how opposed they were to "jock" classes having nice things.

4e's cure was worse than the disease though. They "fixed" the problem of some classes not being able to do anything cool by making it so that no one could.

 

[Andhaira]

@OP The changes are very minimal. You likely won't even notice. The class to get the most game affecting change was Druid, which can now spontaneously cast summon natures ally.

 

[Raziel]

The major difference is that 3.5 has like 100+ supplemental books, even more material when you include the Dragon magazine.

It's a munchkin's paradise.

edit: actually, two things I remember that changed the game somewhat. 3.5 introduced swift actions, and crit modifiers don't stack anymore(can't have keen+improved crit, etc.)

 

[SuperSonicGd]

Wow... people still play 3.5? I'm no fan of this 5e craze, but I figured everyone either stuck with the sound mechanics of 4th or just went onto Pathfinder like an adult. If I did play 3.5 I'd insist D&D Wiki content and Tome of Battle/Expanded Psionics be used as those were by far the most balanced and fun supplemental materials which would go on the pave the future of Dungeons&Dragons from thereon.