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Old 02-05-2003, 04:12 PM   #2
Timber Loftis
40th Level Warrior
 

Join Date: July 11, 2002
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 11,916
Well, looks like you got the "teaser" box, which only encourages you to buy the basic tomes you need to play the game: Player's Handbook (a must), Dungeon Master's Guid (nearly a must), and Monter Manuals (if you'd like to have monsters pre-made so you don't have to design your own).

Yes, resting helps - the PHB tells you that you gain (IIRC) your CON bonus in HPs for 8 hours sleep (1 minimum), and re-memorize spells (Cleric & Mage).

Mages choose spells like in BG from their spellbooks. Clerics are not limited that way and can cast whatever they fancy, so long as overall limits on spellcasting aren't surpassed.

Character creation has many options but works similar to BG - you certainly need the PHB.

Wandering Monsters are random encounters.

Yes, each weapon has a chance to "crit" on a specified die roll, usually a natural 20 and sometimes also a natural 19. If you get a "crit chance" you roll to hit again - a hit resulting in a "critical" strike. Each weapon has its own "crit" modifier, the most common being X2 damage.

IIRC, in 3rd Ed. the only saves to worry about are Reflex, Fortitude and... erm... one other that I forget. These are on the front center of the character sheet and are: (Ability Modifier) + (Class/level modifier) + other skill-based or feat-based modifiers.

To Hit and Damage rolls are cumulative -- that is, affected (possibly) by all teh things you mention. This is similar to BG too. You may not realize elves are +1 To Hit with Bows and Longswords, but BG factors it in.
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