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Playtesters At Work: In case you were wondering what kind of impact playtesters can have on 3rd Edition, here is an example of playtester feedback and the resulting changes to the rules document. What you're seeing here is the "before" and "after" versions of the rules. Sandwiched in between is the excerpt from the playtesters' report that helped convince us to make the change. 
11/26/99 From the playtest document: The basic movement rate in combat for an unencumbered human was given as 60 feet per round (six seconds). A character could choose to run, which doubles his or her movement rate to 120 feet per round. Observation from John Grose's playtest group: "The movement rates seem a bit off. "You have characters in combat who move (fast walk or light jog) at 6.82 mph and run (all-out sprint) at 13.64 mph." (This observation was accompanied by some real-world acts and figures, all of which added up to the conclusion that 60 feet per round is way too fast for a walking movement rate.) From the revised rules: The basic tactical movement rate for an unencumbered human is now given as 30 feet per round. A character can choose to hustle, which doubles his or her movement rate to 60 feet per round. A character can also choose to run, which raises his or her movement rate to three times the basic rate if the character is wearing heavy armor or four times the basic rate if the character is wearing light, medium, or no armor.
11/19/99 From the playtest document: Casting a spell during combat provokes an attack of opportunity from an enemy if that enemy is near enough to threaten the casting character. If the attack of opportunity hits, then the caster must succeed at a Concentration skill check in order to avoid having the casting disrupted and losing the spell. John Grose's group was one of several playtest groups that was uncomfortable with how these rules put a wizard at risk. But John Grose's group was the only one that came up with the following suggestion. Observation from John Grose's playtest group: "Maybe there could be a skill called Combat Casting, to see if you can get a spell off without drawing an attack of opportunity." From the revised rules: The rules now include a feat called Combat Casting, which any spellcasting character can have as early as 1st level if he or she desires to have it. A character who is capable of this feat gets a +4 bonus to any Concentration skill checks that are required while the character is casting a spell. (There's more to it than that, but the central point is that Combat Casting might not have come into existence if John's group hadn't brought it up.)
11/12/99 From the playtest document: The 1st-level wizard spell magic missile was changed from the 2nd Edition AD&D version in two big ways: Targets of the spell were allowed a saving throw to take only half damage, and the damage from each missile was set at 1d6+1 points. Observation from John Grose's playtest group: "We (the group) don't like the way the saving throw works on Magic Missile. In fact, many of us believe the Magic Missile from 2nd Edition is the way it should stay-no save, always hits, more appropriate damage." From the revised rules: The old magic missile is back: No saving throw, damage per missile set at 1d4+1, just as it was in the 2nd Edition rules.
11/05/99 From the playtest document: [excerpted from the description of a wizard's familiar:] A wizard of levels 1-3 can summon a familiar that has an Intelligence of 4. When the familiar is touching the wizard or within arm's length, the wizard receives a +1 bonus to Reflex saving throws in certain situations, as well as Listen and Spot skill checks. (No rules were provided for special abilities possessed by certain types of familiars.) Observation from John Grose's playtest group: "At low levels, the familiar offers the wizard or sorcerer no benefits save those normally provided by a mundane animal companion and a measly saving throw bonus. The saving throw bonus is entirely negligible. Yeah, a familiar can fetch small things or run errands, but that's what Prestidigitation and Unseen Servant are for. And let's face it, familiars aren't much better than trained animals at this level." From the revised rules: Familiars got a major revamping in the updated version of the rules. A wizard of levels 1-2 can summon a familiar that has an Intelligence of 6. While his or her familiar is within arm's reach, the wizard gains the benefit of the feat Alertness (in place of the saving throw bonus). Most types of familiars bestow a particular benefit on the wizard, depending on their nature; for instance, having a cat familiar gives a wizard a +2 bonus on all Move Silently skill checks. The revised rules go into much more detail than the earlier rules did about what familiars are capable of and how they benefit their masters.
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