Arcane Power excerpt: Cosmic Magic

[BendBars/LiftGates]

The new Arcane Power excerpt is out, and I like it. Another Cha/Str sorcerer build. The background stuff is a little wishy-washy (some stuff about "the sun, the moon, and the stars" and "the voiceless language of cycles," and the paragraph was mistakenly printed twice), but I like the build anyway.

Mostly I think it's nice to have a Str-secondary sorcerer build that isn't dragon-blooded. Dragon Magic is cool and all if you want to build a character around that concept, but otherwise it seems wrong to have all this talk of breath weapons and scales. Personally, I think Cosmic Magic will be great for people who want a savage humanoid spellslinger. Perfect for a character like Canabulum, from the Ptolus campaign setting.

 

[fissionessence]

I was personally expecting the additional builds to be Constitution- and Intelligence-based. When I saw the title 'cosmic magic', I expected it to be Intelligence. Strength doesn't make sense to me here, and I think too many classes use Strength already. Plus, didn't dragonborn sorcerers have enough with the dragon magic build made just for them?

Anyway, I like the idea of the build, and cosmic seems pretty cool. I'm having trouble imagining how that 'cosmic cycle' mechanic would work out in play, but it's at least interesting.

~

 

[adam_antio]

I was personally expecting the additional builds to be Constitution- and Intelligence-based.

~

the fact is, we have two arcane strikers; making their primary ability scores the same for one build or another (cha-int/con), would be too much redundant. For the new sorcerer builds, I wished cha/wis, in a sort of divine flavour (divine bloodline or something else), and why not, cosmic magic could fit it well.

 

[WalterKovacs]

I'm expecting that new builds probably won't introduce new secondary stats, but continue to use the existing ones. With powers that use STR as a secondary, but don't necessarily require the cosmic magic class feature, it gives more options for the dragon magic builds (and allows cosmic magic users access to the STR based sorceror powers in the PHBII). It would be interesting to have new build options, but for a build from one book to use powers from the other book is probably a better idea than to have multiple incompatible builds for classes. The book is meant to support existing classes, while introducing new secondary stats would be quite similar to creating a new class.

 

[Jhaelen]

The background stuff is a little wishy-washy (some stuff about "the sun, the moon, and the stars" and "the voiceless language of cycles," and the paragraph was mistakenly printed twice), but I like the build anyway.

Yeah, I thought the fluff was absolutely terrible. They must have been REALLY desperate to find something new for the sorcerer that isn't already covered by warlocks.

I also found it a bit amusing that they equate the movement of celestial bodies with chaos. Traditionally, it's been used as an example of orderliness!

I also didn't get the connection between the cosmos and the sorcerer's blood, which is supposed to be the source of every sorcerers power.

I'm also unsure about the mechanical aspects. Judging from this small excerpt they don't really appeal to me. No competition for the dragonblood sorcerer, imho.

 

[fissionessence]

Yeah, I thought the fluff was absolutely terrible. They must have been REALLY desperate to find something new for the sorcerer that isn't already covered by warlocks.

I loved the cosmic source fluff concept I think it's really cool.

I also found it a bit amusing that they equate the movement of celestial bodies with chaos. Traditionally, it's been used as an example of orderliness!

I got an impression of orderliness from reading it, and don't remember noticing anything about chaos. It all seemed very serene and controlled. Very cool, IMO.

~ fissionessence

 

[Jhaelen]

I got an impression of orderliness from reading it, and don't remember noticing anything about chaos. It all seemed very serene and controlled.

Well, that's kind of my point: It doesn't fit a sorcerer!

Consider the initial blurb in the article:

Because sorcerers call up spells whose source is chaos in some form, such characters have a reputation for being slightly crazed.

I.e. either the cosmos source equates to chaos or it doesn't fit the pattern.

I think it would be an excellent match for a wizard: Using astronomical or astrological calculations as a basis for spells is perfect for their scholarly approach to arcane magic.

Yet the introductory quote sounds like the sorcerer was tripping:

Colors collide and explode before my eyes.

Yeah, right, psychedelic drugs can do that to you, I've heard...

 

[Draksila]

Honestly, when I saw the title 'Cosmic Magic,' the first thing I thought of was mystic hippies. I haven't read the flavor text, but I can see it as a sorceror build if it equates to an arcane acid trip.

 

[DreamChaser]

Well, that's kind of my point: It doesn't fit a sorcerer!

Consider the initial blurb in the article:
I.e. either the cosmos source equates to chaos or it doesn't fit the pattern.

I think it would be an excellent match for a wizard: Using astronomical or astrological calculations as a basis for spells is perfect for their scholarly approach to arcane magic.

Yet the introductory quote sounds like the sorcerer was tripping:
Yeah, right, psychedelic drugs can do that to you, I've heard...

Except chaos doesn't **only** mean randomness...it means formlessness as well. It can also be used to apply to a system that is so complex that it is impossible to ascribe firm rules or patterns to it (even if as you watch you see patterns emerge).

Thus, cosmic sorcerers would take a somewhat broader view of chaos than a wild sorcerer...which I like. And born under a good or bad star is a pretty classic archetype.

Also, wizards gain their powers through study not an outside source so there is no point in ascribing source to them. Wizard builds are all about application, not origin.

DC