fuindordm
Adventurer
Hi folks,
I just finished reading the playtest Wizard in detail. I love retro-gaming but I have never felt the slightest pang of sadness over the loss of read magic and write in later editions.
Now, for some reason, they are back and fused into a single spell: Scribe Spell. To summarize:
In AD&D, magic-users might prepare read magic to identify scrolls, but otherwise it was just a spell to explain spellbooks. In this playtest version, it lacks even the first function.
In AD&D, it was never explained how the first wizards learned to use spells without read magic and spellbooks. In this version we have the same oddity.
I don't see any value in this approach--does anyone else?
Also, I agree with @Whizbang Dustyboots point in another thread that the spell modification and creation rules are currently ignoring the power and utility of modified spells, and might be oversimplified for the sake of fitting into a spell description.
I love that spell research is fully integrated into the class description, and Memorize Spell and Modify Spell are excellent tier 1 class abilities to make the wizard feel more wizardly. But the whole framework is a clunky throwback.
Cheers!
I just finished reading the playtest Wizard in detail. I love retro-gaming but I have never felt the slightest pang of sadness over the loss of read magic and write in later editions.
Now, for some reason, they are back and fused into a single spell: Scribe Spell. To summarize:
- Every wizard knows Scribe Spell and has it in their spellbook. It is a ritual.
- Your own spellbook is in an "unreadable cypher" thanks to Scribe Spell. The only way to read it is to cast Scribe Spell (!)
- Therefore, every wizard can read your spellbook, as long as they have their own spellbook with them.
- In a pinch, a wizard could technically prepare Scribe Spell and read another wizard's spellbook without having their own, but it still takes several hours.
In AD&D, magic-users might prepare read magic to identify scrolls, but otherwise it was just a spell to explain spellbooks. In this playtest version, it lacks even the first function.
In AD&D, it was never explained how the first wizards learned to use spells without read magic and spellbooks. In this version we have the same oddity.
I don't see any value in this approach--does anyone else?
Also, I agree with @Whizbang Dustyboots point in another thread that the spell modification and creation rules are currently ignoring the power and utility of modified spells, and might be oversimplified for the sake of fitting into a spell description.
I love that spell research is fully integrated into the class description, and Memorize Spell and Modify Spell are excellent tier 1 class abilities to make the wizard feel more wizardly. But the whole framework is a clunky throwback.
Cheers!