Spelljammer Dark Sun confirmed? Or, the mysterious case of the dissappearing Spelljammer article...

[overgeeked]

@overgeeked note that by "quality" I do not mean a quantitative scale of "good" or "bad," but rather accidental features of something like "yellow", "sour", "smooth", "funny", "sexy", "wonderous"...that sort of thing, that can't be quantified so precisely.

Really? Because...

Well, selling is one of the most objective measures of quality.

You seem to be saying exactly the opposite here.

That is actually a great example of my point: for the sort of person who likes that sort of thing, that is exactly the sort of thing that they like.

Your point is tautological?

Either way, this is pointless. Tschüss.

 

[Parmandur]

Isn't Ravinica one of the more popular MtG blocks? I assumed that's why they chose it. I don't know one thing about Ravnica so I never picked it up. I did enjoy the Theros block and debated getting the book but I had no interest in running a Greek themed game. I was hoping it would have some epic levels like 20-30 rules in it.

The Piety rules ij Theros do actually essentially make it an Epic level game, by giving more powers over the course of the game. More like Pathfinder Mythic, though.

Ravnica is by leaps and bounds Magic's most popular Setting, they have come back to it multiple times to great acclaim. That is one of the main reasons they chose that one to start with, but also because they were doing more Ravnica cards with lore worked on by...James Wyatt...just as they were considering that it would be a food idea ro follow-up the homebrew Planeshift documents with a fullyplautested book. The stars were aligned.

 

[Parmandur]

Really? Because...

You seem to be saying exactly the opposite here.

Your point is tautological?

Either way, this is pointless. Tschüss.

You miss my point: 50 Shades of Grey sells well because it objectively has qualities that appeal to many people. While the quality itself isn't measureable ("it's lff the charts on the sexy -ometer!" Said no one ever)...the sales are. Hence, an objective quantitative measure pointing towards it's qualities.

Thst was a paraphrase of Abraham Lincoln. But reality is often tautological when one really looks at it, because it is real.

 

[Yaarel]

I see Ravnica as one of many D&D settings. I dont really see the problem with it. If someone likes the setting can play it easily while using the core rulebooks, or borrow from it for an other setting. That seems ideal.

 

[Maxperson]

I'm just saying, there is nothing in the rules that requires "Arcane magic" [which isn't a rules category at all] to be "scientific."

Arcane Magic IS a rules category, it's just a really weak one like alignment which only has a few rules that interact with it. An arcane focus can only be used with arcane spells and a divine focus(holy symbol) only works with divine spells. On Athas arcane magic causes defilement. Divine magic doesn't. Those are rules that interact with arcane and divine magic categories.

 

[Parmandur]

Arcane Magic IS a rules category, it's just a really weak one like alignment which only has a few rules that interact with it. An arcane focus can only be used with arcane spells and a divine focus(holy symbol) only works with divine spells. On Athas arcane magic causes defilement. Divine magic doesn't. Those are rules that interact with arcane and divine magic categories.

Ah, not in 5E, that is hiw it worled in 3E. An Arcane focus is not a general rule, it is a specific element within certain Classes, and it is not the same between all Arcane or Divine Classes (which aren't designated as such in the rules), such as Bards or Artificers. And, some subclasses change what counts even for a Class: some Bards can use weapons or playing cards as arcane foci.

 

[Synthil]

An arcane focus can only be used with arcane spells and a divine focus(holy symbol) only works with divine spells.

If a sorcerer/cleric multiclass uses the spell Enhance Ability, which focus can they use?
Having spells that are both divine and arcane, means the distinction is meaningless. The difference between Druid spells and Cleric spells is not greater than the distinction between Druid spells and Bard spells.

 

[Yaarel]

Arcane Magic IS a rules category, it's just a really weak one like alignment which only has a few rules that interact with it. An arcane focus can only be used with arcane spells and a divine focus(holy symbol) only works with divine spells. On Athas arcane magic causes defilement. Divine magic doesn't. Those are rules that interact with arcane and divine magic categories.

Yeah, the Players Handbook discussion of the "weave" also distinguishes between arcane and divine. The distinction is without mechanics, and often vague − and even debatable such as the Bard − but it does exist.

Plus, the "psionic tag" officially exists.

The designers mention the "power sources", explicitly arcane, divine, psionic, and primal, and "others", probably including martial.

The "sources" are a powerful organizer of themes and tropes, and invite a mechanical design space for future products.

 

[Parmandur]

If a sorcerer/cleric multiclass uses the spell Enhance Ability, which focus can they use?
Having spells that are both divine and arcane, means the distinction is meaningless. The difference between Druid spells and Cleric spells is not greater than the distinction between Druid spells and Bard spells.

Yeah,Spell lists are determined by Class not "Divine" or "Arcane", and each Class has Subblasses that brreal those lists pretty hard.

That took my 3E raised brain a long time to figure out...

 

[Maxperson]

Ah, not in 5E, that is hiw it worled in 3E. An Arcane focus is not a general rule, it is a specific element within certain Classes, and it is not the same between all Arcane or Divine Classes (which aren't designated as such in the rules), such as Bards or Artificers. And, some subclasses change what counts even for a Class: some Bards can use weapons or playing cards as arcane foci.

The rules I quoted were for 5e. An arcane focus is usable ONLY for arcane spells. That not all arcane casters can use one isn't relevant. It's still a rule that interacts with the arcane magic category. Holy symbols work as a focus for divine spells. That only clerics and paladins can use them doesn't make them not a rule that interacts with the divine magic category. The 5e DMG specifically mentions in the magic section of world building that arcane magic(the category) can drain life from the world.

It's weak like alignment, but it exists in 5e.