PnP differences

Really, really need an article introducing PnP players to the ruleset differences in DDO. For now, I'll just list off what I remember.


 * Concepts of attacks-of-opportunity, languages, literacy, grappling, darkvision, low-light vision, light-sources, and PC base speeds are all gone.
 * Spellcasters can cast nearly 8 times as many spells before resting. In relation to healing magic, this makes high hitpoints and Fortitude saves relatively less valuable.
 * Nonportable magic items which can cast Raise Dead once per day per person are scattered densely around the world.
 * Skills gone: Knowledge, Climb, Sense Motive, Disguise, Spellcraft, Craft, Escape Artist, Pickpocket, Sleight of Hands, Rope Use.
 * No composite bows built for high strength. ONLY rangers can have a strength bonus with bows.
 * Instead of animal companion and tracking, rangers get both Two-Weapon Fighting and archery combat styles.
 * All spells of the same class and level use the same material component (if they have an MC at all). Stoneskin is currently the only exception, and has its own expensive component as usual.
 * No way to damage another PC (except with rare bugs). You can detonate a Fireball on your team and yourself with no risk.  Occasional spells can impair other PCs, like Grease or any AoE blindness.
 * PCs recieve a second attack at BAB 1, instead of BAB 6. (This makes Feats which grant a second attack relatively less valuable)
 * PCs recieve +20 hp at first level, and full hit-dice thereafter. (This makes the high constitution relatively less valuable)
 * Enhancements provide a new avenue of character advancement.
 * Nobody can be disarmed. Sunder debuffs AC instead of breaking equipment.
 * Touch attacks are gone, both normal and ranged. Some spells have been given Reflex saves in their place.
 * Touch spells now have a range over 15 feet. This applies equally to helpful (Cure Light Wounds) and harmful (Shocking Grasp), making all Touch spells more powerful.
 * Characters (without the Use Magic Device skill) cannot use spell trigger items with spells they are not eligible to prepare. Thus, a Wand of Remove Curse is worthless to a level 2 Cleric.
 * Sorcerors can never unlearn a spell as they advance.
 * Clerics have no domain or identified deity.
 * Wizards have no familiar or specialization.
 * Rogues get sneak attack bonus on any enemy not attacking them, regardless of awareness. They also can Hide without cover.
 * Barbarians get Damage Reduction abilities 5 levels sooner than normal.
 * Halflings have lost their penalties of slower running speed and smaller weapon sizes. Their advantage of fitting in smaller spaces is also gone.
 * Regardless of your Swim skill, underwater combat is impossible.
 * Multiclass characters never have an XP penalty.
 * Major spells gone: Levitate, Fly, Dimension Door, Teleport, Spider-Climb, Knock, Polymorph, and almost all Diviniation and Illusion (except Detect Secret Doors and Phantasmal Killer).
 * Warforged have almost all their immunities turned into +3 on saving throws.
 * Warforged Paladins can't use Lay On Hands to Repair.
 * Shields are more powerful. They can now give +2 AC and + something DR when you push Shift (on top of benefits for having it equipped).  Thus, weapons which disallow shields are relatively more risky.
 * All weapons have just one physical damage type. Daggers can't Slash, and Morning Stars can't Pierce.
 * Coins are weightless and take up no space, while gems are low-weight and occupy nearly as much volume as platemail armor.
 * If your strength is high enough, carrying 10 Greataxes is no more cumbersome than 10 Daggers.
 * Equipping a small off-hand weapon takes much longer than equipping a two-handed weapon or tower shield- essentially, too long to be done in combat.
 * Activating Combat Expertise or just Defensive Fighting takes longer than equipping a shield, and has a greater failure rate.
 * Command and Suggestion only allow "Lay down", not any other action.
 * Flame Arrow- only allows arrows, not bolts, axes, or daggers.
 * Web has no limit on the distance of anchor points, so it can be used outdoors and will anchor against the moon. Webbed creatures can't attack.
 * Charm Person and Charm Monster are more powerful, in that the victims will fight hopeless odds for you. But they are less flexible, in that you can't give the target any other commands, and also can't end the spell early (Command Undead and the like are similar)
 * Dispel Magic has many fewer applications.
 * Low-level monsters, such as kobolds, are typically stronger but less numerous.
 * All ammunition and projectile weapons (unless Returning) are immediately destroyed with one use.
 * NPC clerics who helpfully cast Raise Dead for free cannot be convinced to provide a Remove Curse, even for payment.
 * Instead of item making saving throws against immediate breakage, they suffer progressive damage that can be repaired at any (non-tavern) vendor. Too much damage will reduce the item's max hp.
 * Touching a Black Pudding or other ooze monster does not hurt you, so you may attack with Unarmed Strikes without worry.
 * Monsters regeneration (such as on trolls) halts when they have zero hp, regardless of damage type suffered.
 * Although Silver, Cold Iron, and Byeshk weapons exist in the game, there are no monsters against which they are useful.
 * Hill, Fire, and Storm Giants move slower than PC races, instead of faster.
 * Female dwarves cannot have mustaches.
 * Weapon specific feats like Weapon Focus or Improved Critical apply to whole weapon categories (slashing, bludgeoning, piercing, thrown, ranged) and not to single weapons.
 * Tumbling gives an AC bonus during combat but you can't tumble through occupied spaces anymore.
 * Melee (not ranged) attacks have a -4 hit penalty while moving. The feat Spring Attack negates the penalty.
 * Spell points from different classes (e.g. wizard, sorceror, cleric) are drawn from one common pool.
 * The maximum rank in cross class skills isn't limited anymore.
 * The Intimidate skill is used in combat to draw the attention of an enemy.
 * The Diplomacy skill works the other way around (enemies targeting you will switch their focus to somone else).
 * Underwater combat is impossible, regardless of your Swim checks.
 * Portcullises, although see-through, are impervious to spells, arrows, and greased halflings.
 * Obstructions can be opened only one way. Some doors can be smashed, some can be picked, and some have a key laying elsewhere, but only one of those methods will work on any door.
 * Traps typically have unlimited activations. The most common trap is a "wall-mounted flamethrower", or other elemental energy projector with infinite charges.
 * In the unlikely event that a real DM allowed a party to play through a module a second time, she would change or at least reposition many threats, to keep it somewhat surprising. Repeating a mission in DDO means traps are exactly where they were before- and the few randomized monsters are extremely rare.  This makes the Spot and Listen skills relatively less valuable.
 * DDO dungeons frequently feature gates and chests which can only be opened when some certain monster dies (or set of monsters). This can be particularly annonying if you Charm the monster, and no longer can attack it.
 * Wandering monsters are not in DDO.