Differences Between 3.5 and AE

From AkashicRecord

Races
Dracha Faen Giant Litorian Mojh Sibeccai Verrik
Classes
Akashic Champion Greenbond Mage Blade Magister Oathsworn Ritual Warrior Runethane Totem Warrior Unfettered Warmain Witch
Weapons & Armors
Martial Melee Simple Melee Simple Ranged Light Armor Medium Armor Heavy Armor
Related projects

Listed here are some differences between the Arcana Evolved and the D&D 3.5 rulesets. This thread on Monte's OYT forums is the starting point of this page. Not while strictly a part of the Arcana Evolved SRD, it is useful in this context.

[edit] Concepts

• There is no alignment in AE. An action is judged by its own merits as 'good' or 'bad' and this judgement will also depend on perspective.

• A truename is the name of a person's soul. It is required for most resurrection magic, curses, healing magic such as Restoration, and some other spells. One cannot compel someone to reveal his own or another character's truename by any means, mundane or magical. When a character dies, he can choose to lose his Truename and become Unbound. He loses his first ceremonial feat and gains a talent instead. This decision cannot be reversed. A character who has died and been raised 6 times automatically loses his truename and gains a generic one which anyone who wishes to can automatically know. This character cannot become unbound.

• The original AU design diaries are still an insightful, quick way to get the subtle feel of AU/AE. Go here and scroll down to the bottom of the list, then work your way up.

• There are no penalties for multiclassing, and races do not have favoured classes.

[edit] Spellcasting

• A spell slot can be broken down to make two lesser spell slots (one 4th-level spell slot can make 2 level 3 spell slots) or can be woven with two more of the same level to make a spell of one higher level (three 4th-level spell slots can be woven to make one 5th-level spell slot).

• No mithral. Which means that any spellcaster who cares about spell failure chances can't make them easier by wearing mithral armor.

• Magic items are made completely differently. The spells used also modify the base price.

• Using the Concentration skill to cast a spell defensively is a roll against the opponent's attack bonus (or 10, whichever is greater) plus the spell level.

[edit] Feats

Not all 3.5 feats are in AE, and some of them work differently. Of course, AE has some cool new feats that don't exist in standard D&D.

• TWF is slightly different:

So for example with a longsword/shortsword and the TWF in 3.5 you would have a -2/-2 to attacks. In AE with just the ONE TWF feat, its +0/-4, meaning you suffer no penalties on the normal attack. Now, there is an ambidexterity feat in AE, that reduces the penalties all the way to +0/+0, that's right, you can have TWF without penalty in AE.

• The Improved Critical feat works (stacks) with the Keen magical weapon ability. It is possible for a skilled wielder to threaten on a roll of 12-20 with a keen scimitar.

• All characters get one more feat than in D&D. If you have a Truename, it's a ceremonial feat. If you do not have a truename, it's a Talent or regular feat.

• Weapon Specialization is no longer a fighter-only feat. It is a ceremonial feat any character can purchase if he or she qualifies.

• Exotic weapons do not require one feat per weapon, but instead grant access to a group of weapons with each feat.

• Power Attack damage doesn't change based on relative weapon size.

• Ceremonial feats are feats that grant magical abilities. These abilities are suppressed in anti-magic fields just like other magical abilities. Ceremonial feats require a Truename and the character must pay a cost for the ceremony.

• Twice in a character's career he may exchange a feat. At level 10 and level 20 he can pay a cost and perform a ceremony to exchange one of his feats for another.

[edit] Skills

Some skills have been merged and others work differently

• Move Silently and Hide are rolled into a single skill, Sneak. Sneak is still opposed by Listen or Spot, whichever is most appropriate.

• Using the Search skill to find traps is no longer only for one class. Any class can use Search to find traps as a rogue could in 3.5.

• Influencing attitudes via Diplomacy is modified by the target's Hit Die, removing the static DCs of 3.x.

• Escape artist works differently. When you use it to escape out of a grapple, you "ignore" all size modifiers to the grapple check. So far example, a huge creature normally gets a +8 bonus to his grapple checks. If you use escape artist, he no longer gets this bonus...making it a much more attractive option to compensate for those big critters.

• The tumble mechanics are different. Its now your tumble check versus an opponents attack roll to tumble without suffering AOOs. Also, in 3.5, if you attempt to tumble through an opponent and fail you get stopped. In AE, even if you fail you get past him, you just take the AOO.

• Using the Concentration skill to cast a spell defensively is a roll against the opponent's attack bonus (or 10, whichever is greater) plus the spell level.

[edit] Combat

• One is not 'dying' at 0 hit points. One is 'disabled'. Disabled and Dying scores depend on your constitution.

[edit] AoO

• Sprytes are tiny but still threaten a 5-foot space.

• Standing up from prone does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity.

• In 3.5, any degree of cover on behalf of your opponent prevents you from making an AoO against him. AE still uses the old 3.0 rule where having only 1/4 cover won't help you against AoO's.

• In grapple, you may only use a weapon one size smaller than you instead of just a light weapon.

[edit] Weapons

• Weapons have a parry modifier. This is added to your AC when using the fighting defensively or total defense action.

• Claw attacks are weapon attacks. Fighting with two claws is treated the same as fighting with two weapons. Claws are 'light' weapons for the purposes of two-weapon fighting penalties. Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting reduce these penalties.

• Bites are weapon attacks. They are considered 'light weapons'. Using a bite grants an extra attack, but all attacks suffer a -2 penalty. If the character makes a bite attack when fighting with two weapons or with a double weapon, the penalty is a -4 instead. Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting do not reduce these penalties.

[edit] Stuff about weapon size that need to be clarified :

• Weapon sizes are done in the 3.0 manner, not the 3.5 manner. Neither of which appear to be the actual size of the object (i.e., a greatsword is probably at most the size of a man, so should be a medium object).

• Sprytes are Tiny, and Tiny is the smallest weapon size. Therefore, no light weapons exist (by default) for sprytes. Fortunately, Weapon Finesse makes an exception allowing them to use it with any Tiny weapon. Though I'm guessing that they will be relying on Escape Artist in grapples.

• Not all light weapons are a size category smaller than you-take Devanian bastard swords, for instance. The relevant passage is on page 151 of AE:

   Quote:If the weapon’s size is one or two categories smaller than the character’s own size, then the weapon is light for him.

Don't assume the converse. Nothing is stated about one-handed weapons that become light changing size categories. The fact that they are specifically light, however, affects damage if wielded two-handed and TWF penalties, among other things (these use light weapons, not weapons a size smaller, as the appropriate flag).