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I have lots of RP experiance. Not only all stages of D&D, 1st through 3rd, but BESM2 and BESMD20, GURPS 2-the new 4.0, And a plethera of other tri-stat and Steve Jackson games. Also Warhammer and Warhammer 40k, all Final Fantasies, All Zelda's, and about every other franchised RPG out there. Haven't delved into any of the elder scrolls, but I hear they are good.

Overall D&D (atleast 3.0) works well in a fantasy setting, but not so much for modern stuff. Things like D20 modern are very frustrating. You need the drive feat to have access to the drive skill, but the feat itself requires 2 ranks of drive. Horrible paradox's like that run rampant in the series.

First of all, spells work differently for all of the classes. Wizards and Sorcerers and bards all have a limited amount of known spells. Sorcerers and bards are a set amount, wizards have a variable based off of the INT and can record as many spells in the Spellbook as they want. Druids and clerics have access to all spells on there list, but they have to chose which spells to have available to them when they pray. Wizards etc, do the say, its just called memorizing. Read the classes in the book carefully and see what each such, cause they all have variants.

You have a fighter and a ranger, and from what you said i gather they are lower levels. So thats like 2 fighting types already.

So I would say, pick a rougish sneaky person. A healer cleric person, or magey person.

As for stats...

The elite array is only used by me for making Monster leaders, as it decribes in the 3.5 monster manual.

Though I think the 3d6 method is only used by the most hardened elitist from 1st edition. Most everyone I know does the 4d6, drop the lowest for each stat. Also in the RPGA games, you have to use a "Point-buy" system, much like here.
The standard is I believe 24 points.
Each stat starts at 8.
raising a stat to-9-10-11-12-13-14 costs one point.
15-16 cost 2
and 17-18 costs 3 a piece.

It's complected.... but its now in my long term memory for good.

Any other D&D related questions? I'm a source of a plethora of D&D wisdom.

Ranged Attacks:
Normal Ranged attacks add your DEX mod to hit roll. Nothing is added for damage roll unless...
-Its a thrown weapon, then you use your STR mod to damage.
-It's a mighty long/short bow.

Weapon finesse:
Normally, with melee weapons, you add your STR+your BAB to your to hit roll. Then you add your STR to the Damage roll as well.

Weapon Finesse changes the formula from STR+BAB to DEX+BAB. The damage roll is unchanged.
(BAB=base attack bonus)

Saving Throws:
Anything that cannot be used as either a skill check or an attack roll is usually figured out through a saving throw. Not just spells, but also spell like abilities, supernatural abilities, etc. Like a Fort save vs a medusa's petrification, or a will save vs a illithid's mind control. Also things like poison, dehydration, and fatigue require saving throws to overcome adverse conditions.

I like to use saving throw, skill check combos. For an example, lets go back to Temple of Doom...

Running across the rope bridge would be a balance check, but when the ropes get cut and the bridge falls, now you have to make a reflex check to grab on, and a climb check to get to the top. See how that works?

Arrows
You get the arrows after the fight, and only if you activly look for them. Just by ending the fight, you can't run away and they magically appear in your backpack again....
unless you created a spell to do that...

Diagonal movement:
first diagonal move counts as normal 5 feet.
2nd is the same.
But every third one you move counts as 10 ft.
O is the character... 1,2,3 are character movement

XXX3
XX2X
X1XX
OXXX

1 = 5 ft total
2 = 10 ft total
3= a total of 20ft for that turn (so far)

Compensating low scores:
The DM can do whatever he wants. Thats why he's the DM. If a characters stats are significantly low, I would assume that the DM would raise he stats to match the rest of the group with no trouble. I doubt the party would complain... they don't want a hella weak character that they are having to protect all the time.. they already have to do that for the wizard already.

I would probably opt for a full reroll of stats so its not just raising the numbers la munchkin style, but thats my own personal feeling.

Anything else? I didn't even have to wip out my books! give me something CHALLENGING!!! O_o

OK then.... no books.. I'm at work.

First instict would be invisable stalker. Though on second thought also maybe the Gelatanis cube... but the just released that one so I'll go with Inviso stalker.


for the second one....
MUDKIP!

lol.. no.. I have no idea... and that wasn't a very good hint at all...

Perhaps its a boulgan?

sorry, the one thing i never really got into was MUDs.. I did have a friend though that played DSL (dark shattered Lands)

hmm... that one must have slipped by me...

though i did mention another great nerdy/pop icon!
The MUDKIP!!!

It mildly rings a bell... apparently it just wans't popular in my nerd circle.

"Rocks fall and you die" however, was quite prominent. We even formed the "RFYDGG" The "Rocks Fall, You Die Gaming Guild..." It even has a thread in the Chatterbox somewhere....

lol where there you go then... i guess there are somethings that different groups never pick up then...

One thing that all nerd groups have in commen though...

Monty Python quotes!

"Look! its the old man from sceen 23!"