PF/3.5 Hybrid

[TiaC]

If you were to hybridize 3.5 and Pathfinder what would you take from each?
This is with regards to general rules not just things like races, classes, and feats.

Personally, I like Pathfinder's racial customization so that you can make your race do what you want.

[Psyren]

From 3.5: melee feats and any races/classes that weren't already updated. (In general, these would be increased in power to keep up with the ones that were.) Some classes would become archetypes, e.g. Swashbuckler would become either a Fighter or Rogue archetype, and DFA would probably become a Warlock archetype.

From PF - just about everything else. Races, spells, items, other feats, progression tracks, point buy etc.

[Joshinthemosh]

Skills skills, skills, skills, skills. I really think Pathfinder hit the nail on the head with their skill section. It made all characters be able to do more regardless. Point buy, feats(oh the feats), ALL melee classes(3.5 substitution levels available of course) and Sorcerers. They are just so much cooler than 3.5

[Wonton]

One thing I've wanted to experiment with is getting some of the 3.5 "Skill Synergy" system in PF. Because of the condensed skill list (down to about 34 from about 44), it might be a little unbalanced since 8+Int or 6+Int characters would quickly get bonuses to SO MANY skills. But it's definitely something I'm fondly reminded of every time I play 3.5.

Otherwise, yeah, pretty much what Psyren said. I'll also add in Spell Compendium as an honorable mention - IIRC there was nothing game-breaking in there ("Orb of X" spells made other damage spells obsolete, but that's an easy fix) and more options is always fun as long as they're balanced.

P.S. Also, the spells in Complete Mage were some of the most interesting ones WotC ever printed. You could tell how much their game designers had learned between 2003 and 2007.

[shizukanashi]

I am currently running a Pathfinder campaign, but I only have the core book so I am using a lot of 3.5 material (namely the monster manual) Everything in Pathfinder is superior. Characters are stronger, so I have to upgrade the CR a little bit and I learned to calculate CMB and CMD in my head pretty quickly. Other than that I am not having to much trouble.

[Wonton]

I am currently running a Pathfinder campaign, but I only have the core book so I am using a lot of 3.5 material (namely the monster manual) Everything in Pathfinder is superior. Characters are stronger, so I have to upgrade the CR a little bit and I learned to calculate CMB and CMD in my head pretty quickly. Other than that I am not having to much trouble.

Yes, I believe it is mentioned in the PF Bestiary that converting 3.5 monsters to PF "as is" should drop their CR by about 1 to account for the tougher characters facing them.

[Larkas]

When considering doing something like what you want to do, it is always useful to have this (http://paizo.com/products/btpy89m6?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Conversion-Guide) in hand.

With that in mind, these are the things that I think Pathfinder made right:
- CMB and CMD
- Races
- Classes (but see below)
- Spells
- Skills
- Feats (again, see below)
- Rate of feats attainment
- Favored class bonus (the original +1 HP or +1 skill point, not the unbalanced ones that came after that)

That said, Pathfinder severely fumbled on melee feats. However, IMHO, I think that the way to fix this is to hybridize 3.5 and PF, not simply adopt 3.5 feats. These are the fixes I am considering for an upcoming game:


Deadly Aim (Combat)

You can make exceptionally deadly ranged attacks by pinpointing a foe's weak spot, at the expense of making the attack less likely to succeed.

Prerequisites: Dex 13, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: You can choose to gain a bonus on all ranged damage rolls. If you do, you take a penalty on all ranged attack rolls equal to half that bonus, rounded up. That bonus may not exceed your base attack bonus. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.



Power Attack (Combat)

You can make exceptionally deadly melee attacks by sacrificing accuracy for strength.

Prerequisites: Str 13, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: You can choose to gain a bonus on all melee damage rolls. If you do, you take a penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks equal to half that bonus, rounded up. That bonus may not exceed your base attack bonus. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.



Improved Bull Rush (Combat)

You are skilled at pushing your foes around, and your bull rush attacks throw enemies off balance.

Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a bull rush combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to bull rush a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to bull rush you. Whenever you bull rush an opponent, his movement provokes attacks of opportunity from all of your allies (but not you).

Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a bull rush combat maneuver. Creatures moved by bull rush do not provoke attacks of opportunity.



Improved Disarm (Combat)

You are skilled at knocking weapons far from a foe's grasp.

Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise.

Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a disarm combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to disarm a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to disarm you. Whenever you successfully disarm an opponent, the weapon lands 15 feet away from its previous wielder, in a random direction.

Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a disarm combat maneuver. Disarmed weapons and gear land at the feet of the disarmed creature.



Improved Feint (Combat)

You are skilled at fooling your opponents in combat.

Prerequisites: Int 13, Combat Expertise.

Benefit: You can make a Bluff check to feint in combat as a move action. Whenever you use feint to cause an opponent to lose his Dexterity bonus, he loses that bonus until the beginning of your next turn, in addition to losing his Dexterity bonus against your next attack.

Normal: Feinting in combat is a standard action. A creature you feint loses its Dexterity bonus against your next attack.



Improved Grapple (Combat)

You are skilled at grappling opponents, and maintaining a grapple is second nature to you.

Prerequisite: Dex 13, Improved Unarmed Strike.

Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a grapple combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to grapple a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to grapple you. Once you have grappled a creature, maintaining the grapple is a move action. This feat allows you to make two grapple checks each round (to move, harm, or pin your opponent), but you are not required to make two checks. You only need to succeed at one of these checks to maintain the grapple.

Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a grapple combat maneuver. Maintaining a grapple is a standard action.



Improved Overrun (Combat)

You are skilled at running down your foes, and enemies must dive to avoid your dangerous move.

Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing an overrun combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to overrrun a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to overrun you. Targets of your overrun attempt may not chose to avoid you. Whenever you overrun opponents, they provoke attacks of opportunity if they are knocked prone by your overrun.

Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when performing an overrun combat maneuver. Creatures knocked prone by your overrun do not provoke an attack of opportunity.



Improved Sunder (Combat)

You are skilled at damaging your foes' weapons and armor. Your devastating strikes cleave through weapons and armor and into their wielders, damaging both item and wielder alike in a single terrific strike.

Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a sunder combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to sunder an item. You also receive a +4 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to sunder your gear. Whenever you sunder to destroy a weapon, shield, or suit of armor, any excess damage is applied to the item's wielder. No damage is transferred if you decide to leave the item with 1 hit point.

Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a sunder combat maneuver.



Improved Trip (Combat)

You are skilled at sending your opponents to the ground, and you can make free attacks on foes that you knock down.

Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise.

Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a trip combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to trip a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to trip you. Whenever you successfully trip an opponent, you may immediately make a melee attack against that opponent as if you hadn’t used your attack for the trip attempt.

Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a trip combat maneuver. Making a trip attempt uses up your attack for the turn.
As you can see, I followed the Pathfinder "intent", but went with something closer to the way 3.5 accomplished things by merging the "Improved" and "Greater" feats, without using the old feats directly. YMMV, but this seems like a reasonable buff to melee types. Simply using the 3.5 version of the feats, however, works too.

Another specific thing that I think PF got somewhat wrong, IMHO, was bardic music. That was an unwarranted nerf to the Bard. You can both use 3.5's system, or simply say that the bardic music's effect lasts for 3 rounds after the performance stops (5 might be a bit too much, since Bards will never run out of uses using PF system then), and that you can start a new music without cancelling the effects of the old one. Myself, I use the 3.5 system and am done with it.

Now, aside from the overlapping stuff, just use 3.5 material, no adaptation needed. In this I include all the other spells, ACFs, feats, classes... Aside from races, anyways, though you can use ARG's guidelines to bring them up to par with PF's races.