For one thing the 3.5 books were so much more beautiful and inspirational than any of the 5e books. They felt like ancient tomes of knowledge. The 5e books feel like Sears catalogues.
@@Nexusofgeek True, some of the art in 5e is beautiful. Imo, I don't think it holds a candle to that old school dense text, designer yellowed pages and overall old tome design. I think that's when D&D book design peaked. It does however, make 5e MUCH easier to read and find something in and I prefer its simplicity for running games these days.
Anything is better to read than the 2E triple columns and the odd blue ink clip art. I wish we could have had an evolution of the oddball line art of 1E but I do appreciate the full color art in the later editions even if it doesn’t have the classic feel of Elmore et al.
Above and beyond prestige classes there are Racial Substitution Classes, where specific class abilities at levels 1,3,5 are substituted for Racial specific abilities ( Elven Paladins get a War Unicorn mount instead of a horse, they have a ranged smite instead of a melee smite etc...) Also weird alternative "bloodline levels" where you forgo certain benefits for gaining a level and gain special abilities. Even racial "Paragons" which represent the most ideal example of whatever race... A Paragon Elf was almost like the Basic Edition Dungeons and Dragons "Elf" class with innate spell casting A Paragon Drow had full on the abilities of a 1rst Edition Unearthed Arcana Drow basically 3.5 got deep into custom specs for your character...
there were a lot of things about 3e that i really liked and i would probably still use a lot of them with 5e if i were a DM now. the ones you mentioned, plus Magic Item Creation feats, are top of the list. i think the best homebrew D&D is the one you frankenstein from all the editions.
Great video Dave, this look back is really cool. I started in the Hobby with AD&D 2nd edition but really cut my teeth as a DM with 3rd and 3.5. Thank you for the nostalgia.
I still run a 3.5 campaign with prestige classes. They’re 18-19th level now. There’s a mystic therge in there too. Plus I’m playing in a 3.5 campaign with all kinds of prestige classes and crazy races. I still play a 5e game too. 3.5 is my favorite edition. Good stuff
I don't understand why people keep comparing prestige classes to archetypes. They are VERY DIFFERENT. You had to work to achieve a prestige classes, it was a goal to get it, and sometimes they were really malleable, like the same prestige class could be taken by whichever class could fulfill the requirements, sometimes with no limitations. Some other times they were very strict, you were really looking and doing research and finding the best way to tailor your character for a prestige class. 5e is boring in comparison, like, most of the time i already know what I'm ending up doing starting from level 1. It takes off all the fun of building a character. Also, some archetypes where already present in 3.5, like the schools for a wizard or the clerics domains. Also, prestige classes could be stakable, like, you could have two or three withoout consequences. Now instead, if you want to personalize, you have to multiclass. I feel like they want to go towards videogames. (still, i like very much much the easier mechanics of the game. I just don't like the standardization of the characters).
It looks like they are trying to go towards games. The way they have this set up just seems so boring. I remember pouring over books to find the perfect combo for my Barbarian, how many levels of fighter to get extra feats. Should I go into exotic weapon master for the flexibility of a Bastard sword doing 2x power attack dmg no matter how I swung it, and when swung in two hands I get 2x my strength!?
I love prestige classes, some only had 5 levels, some had 10, you could just do " a level here or a level there" like how about a fighter that can apply their dex,cha,int,wis on top of their strength to their damage bonus? You can... Love your Ranger but now the forest Goddess wants you to be a "Nature Paladin"? Well there are options...
Some prestige classes you had to - nor nearly had to multi class for. And they largely made them not require that in 5e. Eldritch Knight, Arcane trickster, and arcane archer as examples. I love prestige classes, but I get the point of subclasses. If you just wanted to make a character - 5e is easier. 3.5 has many more options. And 3.5 prestige classes are probably peak flavor for world building.
For one thing the 3.5 books were so much more beautiful and inspirational than any of the 5e books. They felt like ancient tomes of knowledge. The 5e books feel like Sears catalogues.
I actually own both but I think that there are some 5e books and art that is simply gorgeous
@@Nexusofgeek True, some of the art in 5e is beautiful. Imo, I don't think it holds a candle to that old school dense text, designer yellowed pages and overall old tome design. I think that's when D&D book design peaked. It does however, make 5e MUCH easier to read and find something in and I prefer its simplicity for running games these days.
Anything is better to read than the 2E triple columns and the odd blue ink clip art. I wish we could have had an evolution of the oddball line art of 1E but I do appreciate the full color art in the later editions even if it doesn’t have the classic feel of Elmore et al.
@@russellharrell2747 I disagree I think of a lot of great art pieces in 2e DMG and PHB
@@Nexusofgeek oh there were some great color art in those books but the text and the line art was…wanting.
Above and beyond prestige classes there are Racial Substitution Classes, where specific class abilities at levels 1,3,5 are substituted for Racial specific abilities ( Elven Paladins get a War Unicorn mount instead of a horse, they have a ranged smite instead of a melee smite etc...)
Also weird alternative "bloodline levels" where you forgo certain benefits for gaining a level and gain special abilities.
Even racial "Paragons" which represent the most ideal example of whatever race...
A Paragon Elf was almost like the Basic Edition Dungeons and Dragons "Elf" class with innate spell casting
A Paragon Drow had full on the abilities of a 1rst Edition Unearthed Arcana Drow basically
3.5 got deep into custom specs for your character...
there were a lot of things about 3e that i really liked and i would probably still use a lot of them with 5e if i were a DM now. the ones you mentioned, plus Magic Item Creation feats, are top of the list. i think the best homebrew D&D is the one you frankenstein from all the editions.
Great video Dave, this look back is really cool. I started in the Hobby with AD&D 2nd edition but really cut my teeth as a DM with 3rd and 3.5. Thank you for the nostalgia.
I still run a 3.5 campaign with prestige classes. They’re 18-19th level now. There’s a mystic therge in there too. Plus I’m playing in a 3.5 campaign with all kinds of prestige classes and crazy races.
I still play a 5e game too.
3.5 is my favorite edition.
Good stuff
The Adept has roots in the 1e DMG. Maybe earlier, but I cannot speak for OD&D.
Noble is a class in the dragonlance setting book.
Look at the great things lost to the modern game!
I don't understand why people keep comparing prestige classes to archetypes. They are VERY DIFFERENT. You had to work to achieve a prestige classes, it was a goal to get it, and sometimes they were really malleable, like the same prestige class could be taken by whichever class could fulfill the requirements, sometimes with no limitations. Some other times they were very strict, you were really looking and doing research and finding the best way to tailor your character for a prestige class. 5e is boring in comparison, like, most of the time i already know what I'm ending up doing starting from level 1. It takes off all the fun of building a character. Also, some archetypes where already present in 3.5, like the schools for a wizard or the clerics domains. Also, prestige classes could be stakable, like, you could have two or three withoout consequences. Now instead, if you want to personalize, you have to multiclass. I feel like they want to go towards videogames. (still, i like very much much the easier mechanics of the game. I just don't like the standardization of the characters).
It looks like they are trying to go towards games. The way they have this set up just seems so boring. I remember pouring over books to find the perfect combo for my Barbarian, how many levels of fighter to get extra feats. Should I go into exotic weapon master for the flexibility of a Bastard sword doing 2x power attack dmg no matter how I swung it, and when swung in two hands I get 2x my strength!?
I love prestige classes, some only had 5 levels, some had 10, you could just do " a level here or a level there" like how about a fighter that can apply their dex,cha,int,wis on top of their strength to their damage bonus?
You can...
Love your Ranger but now the forest Goddess wants you to be a "Nature Paladin"? Well there are options...
Some prestige classes you had to - nor nearly had to multi class for. And they largely made them not require that in 5e. Eldritch Knight, Arcane trickster, and arcane archer as examples. I love prestige classes, but I get the point of subclasses. If you just wanted to make a character - 5e is easier. 3.5 has many more options. And 3.5 prestige classes are probably peak flavor for world building.