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#1 zombiegleemax Jul 13, 2002 13:45:00

This thread is for Frequently Asked Questions, so if you have a question that you think should be added, or you see any errors, post them and we can get this whipped into shape. - friendly neighbourhood chonjurman ------------------------------------ Links to other FAQs ------------------------------------ Q: Is this FAQ "official"? A: Yes and no. WOTC does not live and die by the answers in here, but I have tried to make them as accurate a representation of the rules, and their intent, as I can. Sage advice, game designer clarification, boards debates, official FAQs, erratas and common sense/reason were all conglomerated together in my head to make this document. In the end you are the one who has to make the decision, and this document will hopefully help you to make an informed one. ------------------------------------ Q: Are the standard races in the PHB based on Tolkien's Middle Earth books? A: No. Tolkien's work was originally a major influence, but the PHB races include numerous other influences as well. Tolkien popularized the name "Orc", but fantasy fiction is filled with similar creatures, and Dwarves, Gnomes, and Elves all have strong origins in folklore & myth. Halflings were originally the closest to Tolkien's work, however... Q: Are Halflings Hobbits or Kender? A: Neither. Originally halflings were based on hobbits, but as far back as the original AD&D TSR started distancing halfings from hobbits, due in no small part to copyright issues. Halflings in 3e are similar to Kender, and are most likely based on the Dragonlance race, but 3e halflings are far less pigeon-holed than the highly distinctive kender. This also makes 3e halflings quite different from the earlier hobbit-based race of halflings. (thanks to Shogun Warrior for the last two answers) Q: Do elves ever sleep? A: Not really. They enter 4 hours of "reverie" or "trance" each night and gain the same benefits as a human resting for 8. (PHB, pg. 16) Q: So that means that my elven wizard only needs to "trance" for 4 hours a night in order to memorise spells, right? A: No. pg. 154 of the PHB (under the rest section) specifically states that a wizard must enjoy a "restful calm" for a full 8 hours before preparing spells, regardless of how much sleep they need. Q: Does a specialist wizard count as an elf's favored class (which is wizard)? A: Yes. Specialist wizards are a subset of all wizards, so they count. A gnome, however, must be a Illusion specialist in order for it to count as his favoured class. Q: Why are ability modifiers always in multiples of 2? A: Because. OK, there's a little more logic behind it than that, but that's essentially what it comes down to. They wanted to prevent people from "finessing" extra bonuses out of their magic items and stats by getting a +1 instead of a +2. i.e. they didn't want Gauntlets of Ogre Power +1 giving the same game-mechanical modifiers as Gauntlets of Ogre Power +2 to a character with a 15 STR. They fubared this anyways by making spells like Bull's Strength and Wish that allow odd-numbered bonuses. Increased stats for level advancement (4, 8, etc.) also mess with this, as does the point-buy system or any method of determining stats. In other words, it can be worked around and isn't that sound. One other alternative is to re-arrange all ability scores and instead offer bonuses on a 1:1 basis for ability scores, which wasn't done for historical reasons. So we've got the system we do because of history (which isn't the first time... nor the last). (the other option - non-linear scaling, was the source of countless headaches in 2nd ed.) Q: Why does a +2 racial STR on an ECL +0 race give a -2 to two other scores (i.e. Half-Orc)? A: Because. This time, there really isn't any good reason for it, and here are some examples that show why this doesn't hold water under scrutiny: e.g. 1: a Wiz will take a +2 INT over a +2 STR any day, making stat choices class dependent. e.g. 2: buying a 15 STR with the point-buy system costs as much as buying a 15 CHA, which it shouldn't if STR is a more "valuable" stat. e.g. 3: an item that grants a +2 to STR costs the same and is identical in every way to an item that grants +2 to CON (same problem as #2 - if STR is more "valuable", it should cost more). Q: Can I make a half-vampire? A: Not by the rules. The vampire template must be applied in its entirety (like the Lich). You can't become half-undead. Q: What are sub-races? A: In the Monster Manual, under each of the core races (except humans), there are what are dubbed "subraces" of each core race. For the most part, the subraces are balanced with the core races at ECL +0. The exceptions are noted in the FRCS (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting), and include the Drow, Druegar, Derro and Svirfneblin. Q: What are ECL and CR and how do they work? A: They stand for Effective Character Level and Challenge Rating. A detailed explanation can be found in the MM FAQ (linked at the top of this post). Q: Why doesn't anyone respond to my new cat race thread? A: Because it's been done a thousand times, and 99% of the time it's an unbalanced mess that the author is not legitimately soliciting advice on - they just want people to agree with them so that they can show the thread to their DM and bully them into allowing them to play it. Q: What is a human's favoured class? A: As per the PHB, their highest-leveled class is considered their favoured class for the purposes of determining XP penalties (and it can change as they progress in levels). Q: My DM won't let me play a half-vampire, half-dragon, half-fiend, whine, etc., etc., etc. A: I'm sorry: was there a question in there? Also - you have more than one character there: 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 = 3/2 of a character which is > 1. [ November 22, 2002, 02:53 PM: Message edited by: chonjurer ]