AU - first impressions?

[BryonD]

Re: Ride the Lightning. I know this may not be the same thing, but over two years ago I wrote a prestige class with a similar ability by the same name. It is actually dimension door combined with lightning, but the same thing otherwise (the PrC is called the Lightning Rod, it's in my sig). *Shrug* I think it's just a coincidence. "Ride the Lightning" is a phrase I've seen other places, and the D&D conversion comes pretty easy with that name.

That may very well be it.

"Ride the lightning" is not an uncommon expression. Nor is the idea of a person transforming into lightning as a form of movement all that original. Remember: There are no original ideas.

Oh, yeah. I agree 100%.

 

[Piratecat]

Barcode, interesting interpretation. I'm not sure how much of this I'll use, and I haven't read more than half of it yet, but I went into it with almost no expectations - and I'm extremely impressed. The classes, in particular, are really fascinating to me. It might be that my expectations weren't raised; in any event, I'm very glad I bought it.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

In his defense, he made a valid comment: Psion seemed like power creep, and he said it. I think he's right that it definitely seems like power creep, but is balanced elsewhere (as explained earlier).

I think that people analyzing the rules without the ownership is a fine thing as well: the whole point of this thread is to discuss the rules with a purpose of informing others about what we think of the book.

(edit: That paragraphs misses another point I thought to make: discussing rules without the books is something that went on montecook.com for a long time: people liked a bunch of the things, but discussed, and argued about things that seemed sketchy. Obviously someone with the book is in better shape to figure out how things flow together as a whole, but that shouldn't preclude people from the discussion.)

In either case, there's no reason to make this a meta discussion about Doc Moriarty, so back to discussing spells and hero points and classes oh, boy!

Good point. Although I was more upset about flavor than power. It's nice that there are some unique psionic powers in there.

So I'm hearing:

1) [Psionic] powers don't cost a Mind Witch something extra.
2) Non-psionic spells cost a Mind Witch double if they don't want components.

If there's enough [Psionic] powers I wouldn't even bother with non-psionic spells. So ... are there "enough" of them? About how many are there, and can they fill all purposes?

 

[anonystu]

Mind witches get a basically improved psion feat for free at ninth level (it not only grants the psionic template, but allows access to all complex and exotic psion spells, while the normal psion feat would only give witches access to complex psionic feats). But, before that, they have no access to complex psionic spells, or the psionic template.

Yet, despite that 9th level power, I'm recommending that the character interested in a verrik mind witch take the psion feat at 1st level: it's a long time to wait, and there a lot of low-level good powers, and the psionic template is too neat to wait 8 levels. To give a little detail:

Psionic spells
0 level simple: contact, sense thoughts
0 level complex: telekinesis (lesser)

1st level simple: Mind stab
1st level complex: Creature Loresight, Distraction, Object Loresight

2nd level simple: none
2nd level complex: Location Loresight, Read Mind

3rd level simple: none.
3rd level complex: Clairaudience/clairvoyence

4th level simple: Telepathy
4th level complex: Modify Memory, telekinesis (greater)
4th level exotic: Inner World

There are a bunch of high level exotic psionics, but the mind witch will have witchery spellcasting (the official name for the improved psion feat-like thing they get) by then.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Okay ... but why be a verrik?

And tell me what "Inner Word" is!

This is sounding more and more positive - I'll have to scrounge and get AU. What's the $ on it? And can I order it directly from Monte Cook's site?

 

[Henry]

I purchased it, and gladly. So far, having read it in a cursory scan and not yet reading for detail, I love it, and cannot wait to get a chance to run a game with it. Everything, from the magic system to the new classes and races, is refreshing, and you really can't take anything for granted - which I like.

My worst problem, however, is that I have so much material to play with right now, that it may well be next year before I can play this game. Being in the middle of DMing a F. Realms game, and playing a variant Spelljammer setting with another DM, AND being tempted by the Savage Worlds game, I have more games than time. Sad, but true.

I really am glad for Monte, and glad it's done well so far - the grin on his face was a mile wide when he was selling it on Thursday. (I heard S&SS sold out of all their copies in THREE hours - anyone know if this is true?)

 

[Darrin Drader]

I heard S&SS sold out of all their copies in THREE hours - anyone know if this is true?

It was very much true. Fortunately I schmoozed the guys in the booth that morning and they put aside a copy for me, which I picked up at the end of the day.

Then there were a bunch more copies that showed up the next day, so the impression I got was that there weren't many people leaving the con disappointed about not being able to buy the book.

 

[Graf]

Can someone help me remember?

I distinctly recall a discussion of this exact spell (name included) on this board or one of its predesessors something like two years ago (more or less). Anyone else recall this?

Yeah. Or at least I think I remember. [the post below has what I was talking about, AND it's all spelled properly. Thanks Ray.]

As for why he's "reprinting the PHB" weelll he's trying to create a replacement for D&D. A game that's similar enough to appeal to people but changes things he thinks ought to be different. While I'm sure he'd be happy to have D&D players buy and use his stuff his goal is to have people become AU players running AU games. (Which is NOT to say that you can't play both or one is better than the other).

He's making his own game, with it's own world and rules system. People who buy his stuff will hopefully form a fan-base that allows him to maintain a strong game line and sell them suppliments, revised editions, class books, adventures, miniatures, world books and everything else you sell when you make roleplaying games.

For the D&D players it's all about the PDFs.... if he breaks things down and add's sidebars (or web articles) about the different power levels of the games to help people to integrate their games with the new material then it'll be a good contribution. With proper presentation of the new material they'll have good sales and people will get excited about the material and he'll get a lot of kudos and positive feedback. I'd also say he might ultimately lure those people who are playing FR and want lots of support like adventures and other products into the Diamond Throne world.
If, like most of the Eldric magic products, he introduces a lot of stuff and the power levels are screwy (even if the ideas are cool) and lots of people who want to use the material wind up having to work to re-write things or don't look over things carefully and have to deal with probelms it causes, then the responce will be more mixed. Kind of like it is now. While I don't really agree with Doc's way-of-speaking I have to admit that some of Monte's suppliments have consistently caused power creep problems. Which has created a bit of a bad buzz around his company and caused some people (I know anyway) to dismiss what are basically decent products with good ideas.

I realize that some people don't buy PDFs btw. I guess those people basically have to sit down and deal with the books as they are and post on the boards to figure out what's more powerful than core D&D and how to adjust things.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Yeah. Or at least I think I remember. It was a d4 lightning bolt and a monster summoning spell (all rolled into one). I think it was in the first eldric might book.

Actually that spell is called Bolt of Conjuring and it's in the Book of Eldritch Might I.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Okay ... but why be a verrik?

And tell me what "Inner Word" is!

This is sounding more and more positive - I'll have to scrounge and get AU. What's the $ on it? And can I order it directly from Monte Cook's site?

You be a verrik because you want the basics like the stat alterations, the sensory control, innate spell-like abilities, or automatic access to the complex psionic spells. You could also do it for the opportunity to take levels in "Verrik" giving you more spell-like abilities.

Inner World is a psionic spell that locks the target in a phantasmal world, preventing them from acting normally in the real world.