Questions on filling out a D&D 3.0 Ed. Character Sheet

[wolfstone]

Okay, I got a copy of the D&D 3rd Edition Player's Handbook and decided to make a few characters (a Half-Orc Ranger and a Half-Elf Wizard/Mage) and based on what I've learned from 4th Ed., I've filled out most of the sheet (the one that's in the book itself, and not an alternate version of the char sheet), but a few things are confusing and reading through the book and looking online hasn't helped me find the answers to my questions, so here goes. Please note that this is Edition 3.0, not 3.5 (not sure of the differences as I haven't researched those yet).

In the area on the back side of the sheet for Spells, there's 2 columns of check boxes for "Spell Save DC" and "Spells Per Day". How do I calculate what to put there? Also, above that is a label "Spell Save" and a box called "DC MOD"? How do I figure out what to put there?

Lastly, on the example sheet near the back of the book, in the Weapon box for the Greatsword, they list the damage as "2d6+3". I've looked the sheet over front and back and can't figure out where the extra +3 is coming from. How did they determine that the character gets an extra +3 to his damage? I've read through the battle scenario at the beginning of the combat section, but no bonuses are listed there, or on the example char. sheet. What am I missing on this?

Thanks in advance for any help given.

[Spore]

In the area on the back side of the sheet for Spells, there's 2 columns of check boxes for "Spell Save DC" and "Spells Per Day". How do I calculate what to put there? Also, above that is a label "Spell Save" and a box called "DC MOD"? How do I figure out what to put there?

Spell Save DC would be 10 + spellcasting stat bonus(Int for the Wizard) + spell level. E.g. For a 14 Int Wizard with Charm Person on 1st level I'd be 10+2+1 = 13. DC Mods are everthing like Spell Focus, your casting stat etc.



Lastly, on the example sheet near the back of the book, in the Weapon box for the Greatsword, they list the damage as "2d6+3". I've looked the sheet over front and back and can't figure out where the extra +3 is coming from. How did they determine that the character gets an extra +3 to his damage? I've read through the battle scenario at the beginning of the combat section, but no bonuses are listed there, or on the example char. sheet. What am I missing on this?

Twohanded weapons get 1.5 times the Str bonus (rounded down). If you have 14 or 15 Str, your Str Bonus is +2, so the Damage done is 2d6+3.

[wolfstone]

Spell Save DC would be 10 + spellcasting stat bonus(Int for the Wizard) + spell level. E.g. For a 14 Int Wizard with Charm Person on 1st level I'd be 10+2+1 = 13. DC Mods are everthing like Spell Focus, your casting stat etc.



Twohanded weapons get 1.5 times the Str bonus (rounded down). If you have 14 or 15 Str, your Str Bonus is +2, so the Damage done is 2d6+3.


Okay, that makes sense. I'd like to verify that I recorded this right on my character sheet... I created a Lvl. 2 Half-Orc Ranger with 2 longswords, Weapon Focus - Longsword, a base attack of 2 and a Strength modifier of 4. The rulebook says that he can behave during battle as though he had the feats Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting, so he gets reduced penalties for making 2 attacks during a single turn. So his attacks would be:

1st attack: Total Attack Bonus: 7 (-0 due to Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting), Damage: 1d8 +4

2nd attack (during same turn with offhand weapon): Total Attack Bonus: 3 (-4 for Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon fighting), Damage: 1d8+2

Is that correct?

[Pluto!]

Is that correct?
Not quite. Attacks with both hands incur -4 in penalties after TWF modifiers (the base action takes -6/-10, reduced to -6/-6 with Ambidexterity, reduced to -4/-4 with Ambidexterity and TWF).

EDIT:
Less wrong now. <_<

[wolfstone]

Not quite. Attacks with both hands incur -4 in penalties after TWF modifiers (the base action takes -6/-10, reduced to -6/-6 with Ambidexterity, reduced to -4/-4 with Ambidexterity and TWF).

EDIT:
Less wrong now. <_<

Is that because of my choice of Longswords? What if I trade down to Shortswords? Would that reduce the penalty?

[Pluto!]

Is that because of my choice of Longswords? What if I trade down to Shortswords? Would that reduce the penalty?
Yes. Actually, if you just trade one to a shortsword it would reduce both penalties, even with Weapon Focus in the mix.

Unfortunately, I don't have the 3.0 PHB, so I can't give you a page reference (I think it's at the very end of the "Combat" chapter), but from the 3.0 System Reference Document the breakdown on TWF is:

Two Weapon Fighting
If a normal character (i.e. a character without the multiattack and/or multidexterity feats) wields a second weapon (fights two handed), that character can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. Fighting in this way is very hard, however, and the character suffers a -6 penalty for regular attacks with the first hand and a -10 penalty to the attack with a other hand. A character can reduce these stiff penalties in three ways:

If a character's second weapon is light, the penalties are reduced by 2 each.
The Ambidexterity feat reduces the penalty against the second weapon by 4.
The Two-Weapon Fighting feat reduces both penalties by 2.

Right now, you have the second and third penalty reductions for -4/-4, if you switch one or both weapons down to light weapons, you reduce the penalties by a further 2 to -2/-2.

[wolfstone]

Yes. Actually, if you just trade one to a shortsword it would reduce both penalties, even with Weapon Focus in the mix.

Unfortunately, I don't have the 3.0 PHB, so I can't give you a page reference (I think it's at the very end of the "Combat" chapter), but from the 3.0 System Reference Document the breakdown on TWF is:
Right now, you have the second and third penalty reductions for -4/-4, if you switch one or both weapons down to light weapons, you reduce the penalties by a further 2 to -2/-2.

Okay, I swapped out the Longswords for Shortswords and reset the Weapon Focus to match. My stats for attacking now read:

1st attack: Total Attack Bonus: 5 (-2 due to Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting), Damage: 1d8 +4

2nd attack (during same turn with offhand weapon): Total Attack Bonus: 5 (-2 for Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon fighting), Damage: 1d8+2

Correct?

[Diarmuid]

Math sounds right now, yeah.

Of note: You can only make an attack with both weapons if you're able to take a "full attack action". If you needed to say, move 20 ft to your target, you'd only get to make a single attack and thus would not take the -2 to hit for wielding 2 weapons. That penalty only comes into play when you actually take the "extra attacks" available from two-weapon fighting.

[wolfstone]

Math sounds right now, yeah.

Of note: You can only make an attack with both weapons if you're able to take a "full attack action". If you needed to say, move 20 ft to your target, you'd only get to make a single attack and thus would not take the -2 to hit for wielding 2 weapons. That penalty only comes into play when you actually take the "extra attacks" available from two-weapon fighting.

Good to know. I'm only really playing 4th ed., but they say that 5th is more like 2nd thru 3.5, so I wanted to get familiar with how things worked back in the older editions. Sorry to see the Powers go away and wish they'd developed the later classes more before ditching that edition.

[wolfstone]

Okay, I got a copy of the D&D 3rd Edition Player's Handbook and decided to make a few characters (a Half-Orc Ranger and a Half-Elf Wizard/Mage) and based on what I've learned from 4th Ed., I've filled out most of the sheet (the one that's in the book itself, and not an alternate version of the char sheet), but a few things are confusing and reading through the book and looking online hasn't helped me find the answers to my questions, so here goes. Please note that this is Edition 3.0, not 3.5 (not sure of the differences as I haven't researched those yet).

In the area on the back side of the sheet for Spells, there's 2 columns of check boxes for "Spell Save DC" and "Spells Per Day". How do I calculate what to put there? Also, above that is a label "Spell Save" and a box called "DC MOD"? How do I figure out what to put there?

Lastly, on the example sheet near the back of the book, in the Weapon box for the Greatsword, they list the damage as "2d6+3". I've looked the sheet over front and back and can't figure out where the extra +3 is coming from. How did they determine that the character gets an extra +3 to his damage? I've read through the battle scenario at the beginning of the combat section, but no bonuses are listed there, or on the example char. sheet. What am I missing on this?

Thanks in advance for any help given.

So say I have a Level 4 Wizard character with 19 Int. would the DC Mod be 14 and the spell Save DC be the following: 0 = 14, 1 = 15 and 2 = 16? I have the character builder demo disk, but it doesn't list these and the print function doesn't work (my printer works fine, but every time I click Print, nothing happens.)

Note: I'm using a Lvl 4 character as an example.

[KillianHawkeye]

So say I have a Level 4 Wizard character with 19 Int. would the DC Mod be 14 and the spell Save DC be the following: 0 = 14, 1 = 15 and 2 = 16? I have the character builder demo disk, but it doesn't list these and the print function doesn't work (my printer works fine, but every time I click Print, nothing happens.)

Note: I'm using a Lvl 4 character as an example.

Yes. Character level doesn't have a direct effect on spell save DCs, it just gives you access to higher level spells.

Also, note that shortswords do a d6 damage, not d8.

[wolfstone]

Yes. Character level doesn't have a direct effect on spell save DCs, it just gives you access to higher level spells.

Also, note that shortswords do a d6 damage, not d8.

I recorded it correctly on my sheet, but forgot to change the damage output on this thread. :)