Using 5e Rules in 3.5 - New Players

[Zaile]

Hey Playground.

So we are starting a new campaign soon and we will be switching from 5e to 3.5. We have about half the group (3-4 players) who have ZERO experience in 3.5 and are trying to make it as easy as possible for them. The complexity of 3.5 bonuses, attacks, spells, feats, movement, etc. is infinite comparatively, so I am working on a conversion of 5e rules to simplify 3.5. There are some "fixes" in here too, but those are just ones we use anyway.

These changes will be happening in some form, please try to keep comments focused on making them the best/easiest way possible.
If I got something wrong, please correct me!
Each section will have a spoiler for the reasons if you need it. Thanks in advance!

Racial Bonuses
Each race should get a net +2 or +3 (depending on other features) to starting stats, no negatives. Anything greater than +2/3 should be determined on a +1/-1 basis. Thinking about using Tasha's rules for moving bonuses.

Spoiler: Racial Bonus Notes

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Most races this just comes down to eliminating negatives, such as elves’ -2 to Constitution or half-orc’s -2 Int and -2 Cha. Humans and half-elves get two +1s to distribute at first level. Other LA 0 races without internet ability score bonuses should get a total of +2 to distribute. Be adults, work with your DM. Anything with a level adjustment should be worked out at your table, that gets way to complicated.

Movement & Combat

• Everyone can Spring Attack and Flyby Attack. All creatures can move before and after taking their standard action as long as they have the movement left. If anything requires Spring Attack or Flyby Attack as a prerequisite, you are treated as having it. Does not grant any prerequisite feats or their benefits/bonusses.
• Extra attacks. Any creature with more than one attack from base attack bonus can make all attacks as a standard action instead of a full-round action. This includes attack abilities like Flurry of Blows that require a full-round action.
• You may use Dexterity modifier in place of Strength for attack and damage rolls with unarmed strikes, light weapons, 1-handed thrown weapons, and any other weapon with a weight of 2lbs. or less (like the whip and rapier). If anything requires the Weapon Finesse feat as a prerequisite, you count as having it.
• Ranged weapons get Dex to damage by default.
• Thrown weapons can use STR or DEX for attack and damage.

Spoiler: Movement & Combat notes

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These are all easy fixes that buff both players and enemies, may actually make some monsters more deadly, but that's OK. giving melee more freedom to build more versatile characters without having to spend 3-4 feats on movement. It also gives a one less change to keep track of if you go from 5e to 3e with newer players.

Skills

Once you gain a skill as a class skill, it is always a class skill for you.
No half-points, you must have 2 points to spend on cross-class skills.

Combined skills. If a class gives access to any of the skills, you get the combined ones.

• Acrobatics – Tumble + Balance, can use to escape grapples
• Athletics – Climb + Swim + Jump, can use to escape grapples
• Stealth – Move Silently + Hide
• Perception – Spot + Listen
• Craft + Profession for each, selected individually
• Disable device + Open lock

Use Magic Device
You still must make checks when activating an item blindly. You may spend one hour examining and learning about a magic item. Make the UMD check, you may take a 10 on the check. If you succeed, you can now use it without making a check and can teach others how to use it without a check. A member of a class that can use it without a check can teach another character how to use it without a check, such as a cleric with a cure wand or wizard showing the rogue how to use the wand of magic missiles.

Spoiler: Skills Notes

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This is to streamline checks, helps the “2+” crowd, and not get bogged down in UMD checks. As an alternative, or maybe as a rule in general, you increase all the 2+ skill classes to 4+ or just increase points per level across the board by 2.

Classes
Classes that use different stats to determine spellcasting effectiveness and bonus spells instead use one stat to determine everything. For example: Paladins and Favored Souls use Charisma, Archivists use Intelligence, and Spirit Shamans use Wisdom to determine spellcasting and bonus spells per day.

Long Recharge Abilities
X per week or longer abilities are now X per day unless they duplicate a spell of 7th level or higher.

Familiar
Classes that grant familiars instead give the "Obtain familiar" feat.

“Unarmed Strike” class features that let unarmed strikes deal lethal damage greater than 1d3 transform the unarmed strikes of the character into both a martial bludgeoning weapon and a primary natural weapon slam attack. This does not apply to the Improved Unarmed Strike feat.

Spoiler: Unarmed Strikes Notes

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This is not a direct 5e conversion, but I love monk and 3.X unarmed strikers, they need all the help they can get. This is full mechanical change, not a “counts as” or “treated as” effect. Since they are both a “martial weapon” and “natural weapon” they meet prerequisites the old version doesn’t. The martial weapon designation is to let a monk/battle dancer more easily qualify for feats and prestige classes that otherwise suck up a dip level or feat.

Turn Undead

• No change.
• OR
• Turn Undead is changed to “Channel Divinity” pool with 3+Cha mod uses. Any feat of ability that lets you turn/rebuke/destroy other types of creature uses the same pool. A channel use may also be used to deal damage to any creature you can turn in range. The damage is equal to 1d6 per class level + Charisma modifier.

Paladin

• Spellcasting stat is Charisma.
• Turn Undead as a cleric of equal level
• Remove Disease is x/day and it is on the spell list
• At 6th level, your Divine Grace feature becomes an aura with a range of 10 feet. This increases to 30 feet at 18th level.
• Lay on Hands pool = 5 times Paladin level and can use 5 points to remove one condition from the target. Does not work on curses or diseases.

Monk

• Flurry of Blows and all equivalents or replacements are standard actions.
• When making unarmed strikes or using special monk weapons, the monk may use their Dexterity modifier instead of strength on attack and damage rolls.

Ranger
Animal Companion is exactly like the Druid’s, not half.

Feats

• Sharpshooter – You may take a penalty attack rolls with a ranged or thrown weapon up to your base attack bonus to gain an equal bonus to damage. If you are wielding a two-handed ranged weapon, like a bow, you gain two bonus damage per point of penalty to attack.
• Any feat or ability that allows another ability score modifier besides strength to be used on attack rolls also lets it be used on damage rolls.
• Potent Spellcasting – Prerequisite: Spellcaster 6th level or higher. You can add your spellcasting stat modifier to damage rolls of your spells and spell-like abilities.

Multiclassing
Use fractional rules.

Each class level in a full BAB gives +1; Medium give +.75; poor give +.5. Add them together, then round down.

Saves. Base saves have a maximum of +12 until you reach character level 21. You only get the +2 from the first level of “good” progression once for each save. After that, each level of Good gets you ½ a point and each level of poor gets you 1/3, round down as usual.

Spellcasting

Spoiler: SUPER NOTE - READ FIRST

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The changes to prepared casting, metamagic, and cantrips are all to the 5e system, but multiclass casters have no easy port. These second part of this is my attempt at it, but I will likely leave the multiclass caster aspect alone. A unified 3.5 system like 5e needs a lot of testing, but on-face having one casting progression and one set of spell slots actually seems like a nerf compared to the multi-class casters I've seen in 3e.

You can use your casting stat modifier instead of strength or dexterity for spell attack rolls.

Like 5e, prepared casters can now prepare a number of spells per day equal to their level in the spellcasting class plus their casting stat modifier. If you have levels in more than one spellcasting class, you calculate spells prepared separately. You may cast any prepared spell you know using any slots of equal or higher level you have available. If you use higher level slots to cast lower level spells, it does not increase their spell level or level-dependent aspects without the Heighten Spell metamagic feat.

This would also need some tweaking on the spells known/prepared side, as Sorcerers/Favored Souls would have 15 spells known at 10th, while Wizards/Clerics/Druids would be able to prepare 10+Mod spells per day. This changes to 34 spells known and C/D/W to 20+mod at 20th. By letting sorcerers get extra spells know AND per day from high ability score, this closes the number/utility gap.

We would also remove class abilities like cleric and druid that can "sacrifice a prepared spell to cast a cure/SNA of equal or lower level," and instead require them to prepare those spells since they can cast prepared spell multiple times. They would still count as having the ability for perquisites.

Your caster level is always you total levels in a casting class.

Metamagic

A prepared caster can apply metamagic when they cast the spell, but this increases the casting time to a full-round action. Spontaneous casters do not increase casting time. Adjusted spells use higher level slots as normal.
OR
Prepared casters prepare a metamagic spell ahead of time as normal as a spell prepared for the day. You can only use spells slots of the adjusted spell level or higher level to cast it. You can also prepare a non-metamagic version (or another metamagic version), thus having two (or more) versions of the same spell prepared, such as a regular fireball (you can cast with any 3rd level+ slot) and empowered fireball (you could cast with any 5th level+ slot).
Spontaneous casters can apply any metamagic they know to a spell without increasing casting time. They do not have to prepare metamagic-boosted spell ahead of time. It uses up a spell slot of the adjusted spell level as normal.

Cantrips

• You cannot change out cantrips daily, you use the 5e rules for learning and changing.
• You may choose any cantrip from 3e or 5e. The number of cantrips known is equal to the 0-level spells per day column in the class table. Cantrips have unlimited casting and scale just like in 5e.
• If a cantrip restores hit points, it can only restore a creature to half its maximum hit points.
• For cantrips with saves: Charisma, Wisdom or Intelligence = Will; Constitution or Strength = Fort; Dexterity = Reflex.

Spoiler: Cantrip notes

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I really like 5e cantrips and the scaling system. Porting them directly into 3e seems like it could be easily done without being overpowered. See the Reserve feats for why this should work fine.

Multiclass Spell Slots

Spoiler: ALL OR NOTHING

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This is going to be ALL or NOTE of it. This could initially be more complicated than tracking 2 progressions, but once refined and understood, easier on the campaign.

Here is the fun part. This would replace 2+ caster progressions. The maximum level of spells you can learn are still limited by your levels in each class, but you add your classes together to determine your number of spell slots each day. If you have levels in a prepared caster, you prepare a number of spells per day equal to your level in that class plus casting stat modifier.

Spoiler: A Unified Progression?

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So there is a major area I need some feedback on.

3e has a bunch of different casting progression with different access to spell levels, bonus spells, and spell per day. Here are a few different ones: Wizard, Archivist, Cleric/Druid, Paladin/Ranger, Sorcerer/Favored Soul, Bard, and accelerated/independent progressions like Ur-Priest. There are few ways to consolidate this:
A. A unified casting table like 5e. I think Cleric/Druid or Archivist are the best options.
B. You follow one progression determined by the following, in order:

1. Highest level spell slots (Full caster > Bard > Duskblade > Paladin/Ranger)
2. Slowest access to each spell level (Pal/Rang > Duskblade > bard > sorcerer > Druid, Cleric, Wizard)
3. Highest number of spell slots per day (Sorcerer > Duskblade > Cleric/Druid > Wizard)

Bard, and any other base class that gets access to 6th level or higher spells counts as a full caster for determining multiclass slot progression. Half-casters like paladins, rangers and duskblades add one caster level for each two levels in the class (must have access to the spellcasting feature to add). Any bonus spell slots, such as a cleric’s domain slots, only advance with levels in that class.
Some examples: A cleric 4/sorcerer 3 would have the spell slots of a 7th level sorcerer. A paladin 5/cleric 3 would have the spell slots of a 5th level cleric. A paladin 6/ranger 6 would have the spell slots of 12th level paladin. A bard 10/Duskblade 5 would have the slots of a 12th level bard. A soecerer5/wizard4 would have the spell slots of a 9th level sorcerer. An archivist/cleric would follow the Archivist progression, but only get the bonus domain slots of their cleric level.

Prestige classes add one level to spell slot progression each time their entry says you gain “+1 to existing class.” However, prestige classes only advance one of the spellcasting classes as far as access to new spells and spell levels. If a prestige class offer’s independent progression or accelerated progression, use the casting table with the earliest access to new spell levels.