AWKWARD ZOMBIE

Serious question to all other 3.5 players: Does anybody know any classes based off of unarmed or work well with unarmed that aren't monk? I want to run an unarmed character but I'd really rather not run the worst class in the entire game :/

I haven't played 3.5 for years, but I guess fighter?
In Pathfinder, you can build a decent fist-fighter that could rival a monk. Then again, monk is a lot better in Pathfinder.
youshouldupgrade >.>

The thing is in my group we have like so much 3.5 stuff it'd be a big waste to move onto Pathfinder, honestly

if all we had was core and a few modules it'd be fine but we have almost every module that WotC released for 3.5

but yeah really the only thing you miss from not going monk is the damage boost but it is really nice to have the damage boost

Pathfinder is compatible with 3.5. Most use it to go 3.5 -> PF, but you could do it the other way.

You might have to make some power adjustments (the fist-using fighter that was mentioned above: he might have some abilities more specific to PF, which is more or less at a higher power level all across the game). But it shouldn't be that hard. And if anything, you could just look at it for ideas, and go from there to create your own thing.

Here's the Brawler, who uses not just fists, but close quarters weapons (brass knucks, spiked gauntlets, etc.) A real "guy who starts a bar fight" fighter.

And here's the Unarmed Fighter, which is more monk-flavored, but still a fighter. Also good at dirty trick maneuvers (where you're basically getting a cheap shot in, giving foes status effects for a few turns).

They're both punchy guys, but with different feels to them. Even if you don't like using PF, I feel like they could scale back down a little more easily than casters can.

Games I've been thinking up that I'd like to play: Shadowrun game based in the Marvel 2099 world
Edge of the Empire campaign
Legend of Zelda game based on Ocarina of Time I've been working out
Warehouse 13 game
Pokemon tabletop based around some of the ideas of Conquest
Physically any game because I haven't gamed in two years and my dice call to me

I was DMing a one off game, and two of my players were being surprisingly vague about their character designs. Usually they love to go into detail beforehand but this time, nothing. So the game begins and the caravan is attacked, but the players make it to the safety of the town gate, the guard of course calls down prompting introductions. the two players in question now look at each other and pull from behind their backs actual hammers. and Proclaim "I AM FALRAK THE STRONG". "AND I AM DALRAK THE STOUT" then in unison "WE HAVE COME TO PURIFY THIS LAND OF EVIL WITH THE FLAMES FROM MORADINS ETERNAL FORGE!" and they then in game and out hit their hammers together and hold the pose. they had made twin dwarf brothers, a cleric and a paladin. That game was something special.

I'm thinking about running a (premade) Dark Heresy campaign on the forum, mostly to try to DM for the first time. Would any one be interested?

So the guy who's running our game has never DMed before and it shows. I've been voted into a sort of assistant DM position. While he runs the story, I'm going to straighten up everyone's character sheets and keep an eye on the technical stuff. Basically I'm the rules lawyer now.

I like 5th edition so far, it feels like a streamlined version of 3.5.

I'm going to attempt Pathfinder with some nerds from my class. It's the DM's first time DM'ing, my first actual IRL game and every one else's first ever tapletop game, so this should be interesting.

Gonna' run an Adventure Path, or are you doing your own thing?

I can say from experience that APs are pretty good for new DMs, as they have a lot of content (with room for changes and additions). However, new players often want to do their own thing, and with a homebrew campaign it's easier for the DM to accomodate that.

Interested in hearing how it goes either way. I love hearing tabletop stories.

We got the Pathfinder Starter Set or whatever it's called.

I might just be a colossal dork but preparing character sheets for seven party members was the most fun I've had in a while.

That was pretty fun, after almost teamwiping to three skeletons somehow we wiped the floor with a young black dragon without much hassle.

Exactly how different is Pathfinder from 3.5?

It's mostly a rebalanced version of 3.5, mechanically it's pretty much exactly the same. I think it's made to be backwards compatible, so you can easily bring characters and campaigns from 3.5 over. The idea is to make sticking to a single class more advantageous and to make the core classes more interesting and varied. I haven't played either system nearly enough to make an assessment of them though.

If you google it there are some sites that list all the differences between classes I think, or you can see here for yourself.