Can anyone explain the purpose of this wonderous item?

[Sejs]

In exchange for 120 levels worth of spell pool debt, which would have to be repaid as you go (an 8th level caster can only have a total of 24 levels of spellpool debt at any given time), meaning that, in exchange for the "versatility" of casting one different spell per day, you have to give up the qeuivalent of another 4th level spell slot on an almost daily basis.

It's been my experience that Spell Pool debt is incredibly easy to pay off. One day of downtime (overland travel through a safe area, someone else doing item creation, annual meeting on an AO campus, someone having to heal up naturally due to no party healer, etc) and you can swing your debt from max-negative to a bit into the positive. With a couple of days of downtime.. say a week or so, you can build up quite a large positive Spell Pool balance.

Edit/Additional: Which is a good idea to do as part of your pre-adventure preperations if you know ahead of time that you'll be going out adventuring soon. Know you and your stalwart companions will be going out to the Ruins of the Library of Krandeer to find the Fabled Bookmark of Sublime Reading Comprehension next week? Well, while you're getting supplies squared away, stocking up on material components, and calling friends to tower-sit for you - just shunt all your spells into the pool each morning. Not like you plan on using them anyway.

 

[Storm Raven]

It's been my experience that Spell Pool debt is incredibly easy to pay off. One day of downtime (overland travel through a safe area, someone else doing item creation, annual meeting on an AO campus, someone having to heal up naturally due to no party healer, etc) and you can swing your debt from max-negative to a bit into the positive. With a couple of days of downtime.. say a week or so, you can build up quite a large positive Spell Pool balance.

The problem isn't that it is hard to pay off. The problem is that it is costly. In exhancge for casting a "versatile" spell every day, you give up the equivalent of another spell slot on a daily basis. That's not cheap.

Your solution assumes that you can schedule downtime. It also assumes that you are not disturbed during down time.

Edit/Additional: Which is a good idea to do as part of your pre-adventure preperations if you know ahead of time that you'll be going out adventuring soon. Know you and your stalwart companions will be going out to the Ruins of the Library of Krandeer to find the Fabled Bookmark of Sublime Reading Comprehension next week? Well, while you're getting supplies squared away, stocking up on material components, and calling friends to tower-sit for you - just shunt all your spells into the pool each morning. Not like you plan on using them anyway.

Sure, and when your enemy shows up to fight you at the time of his choosing, just after you have dumped all of your daily spells into the spellpool, you'll be compeltely screwed. (Not unreasonable given the existence of scrying, transportaton magic, and a host of other eavesdroppong and mobility options). Any wizard who runs himself out of spells voluntarily is engaging in some pretty foolish behavior that will likely get him killed before too long.

 

[Zhure]

Um, exactly what does "since the item has so many interpretations (two) I decided to cut to the chase and ban it from my game" mean if not that the many intepretations caused you to decide to get rid of it? I think you may not have meant to say what you actually said.
[/b]

The part that says "I decided to cut to the chase."

So, you didn't come up with an alternative you could live with, but just nixed it? That seems to be quite a limited view.

A limited view it may be, but an ad hominem attack it isn't. If I saw a logical, insightful, thought out response as to a better version of the BBB lying about anywhere, I might lend credence to the 'limited view' argument, but since I've not seen one, banning works best in my game.

-edit- format

 

[Storm Raven]

The part that says "I decided to cut to the chase."

I do not believe that phrase means what you think it means.

A limited view it may be, but an ad hominem attack it isn't. If I saw a logical, insightful, thought out response as to a better version of the BBB lying about anywhere, I might lend credence to the 'limited view' argument, but since I've not seen one, banning works best in my game.

Use the BBB as suggested by Monte, the individual who decided that the text should be as it is presented in the DMG, using the interpretation that he has said he intended to support when he used that language. It hasn't broken or damaged any game that I have seen use the item in that manner. All of the yelling and screaming by those who assert it is a broken item seems not to be backed up by anything other than pure speculations as to the effects of its existence.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I know, but that leap of illogic does us all injustice. While I acknowledge Monte as being the primary author of this edition of the rules, that magic item description is virtually unchanged from earlier editions when there weren't any other kinds of arcane casters (bards used the same scribing rules as magic-users pre-3e).

Banning this particular item was based on the premise that sorcerers and wizards are balanced. If the BBB does reduce the cost of scribing, there should be a way for sorcerers to learn new spells or a similar mechanic, because that's one of the balancing points between the two classes. Since no such item exists, I banned the BBB.


Greg

Before 3e came out I was on the wizard boards constantly. After hearing about the sorcerer, I said WTF, how does that balance with the wizard. The answer was basically STFU, you don't know all the bits but if you did you'd know wizards easily can learn all the spells, my wizard knows 30+ 1st , 2nd and 3rd level spells.

I honestly don't think they intended the cost to be as prohibitive as it is, and it isn't a balancing point IMO. Its a special effect of the wizards style of casting spells. he scribes things, he has a cool tome, it just makes sense that there is a cost. They throw down a cost without thnking about it too much, and bang there we are.

If they really wanted the cost to be this prohibitive they wouldn't come up with ways around it like BBB, or after FR spellbook capture.

 

[Zhure]

I do not believe that phrase means what you think it means.

I've explained my meaning and clarified it a lot. Since you don't get it, you should move on. I should've used a four-point ellipsis in my original statement, but I thought that might take too much an explanation. Turns out it would've probably required just as much of one.

Use the BBB as suggested by Monte, the individual who decided that the text should be as it is presented in the DMG, using the interpretation that he has said he intended to support when he used that language. It hasn't broken or damaged any game that I have seen use the item in that manner. All of the yelling and screaming by those who assert it is a broken item seems not to be backed up by anything other than pure speculations as to the effects of its existence.

Monte's opinion is well and good, I've seen it, I've considered it and weighed it and found it wanting. No one is yelling and screaming. Just because you don't see it as being broken or damaged in any game you've been in while cute as anecdotal evidence means nothing in this context. Blind acceptance of the rules as written does no one any good. Citing designers intent has been done to death. I know what Monte intended and I don't care.

I've stated my reasons for disallowing it. Since you're not the game police and won't kick down my door for disallowing what I've shown to be an unbalanced item in my campaigns, I'm satisfied with my stance of banning Boccob's Blessed Book for the reasons I've already outlined. By the exact same line of reasoning, I do not allow Absorbing Shields in my campaigns either. Since I am not the game police, I won't be kicking in your door if you allow them in your campaign.

Greg

 

[Zhure]

Cut to the chase:
Meaning
Get to the point - leaving out unnecessary preamble.
Origin
Many early films ended in chase sequences preceded by obligatory, and often dull, storylines.


* * *
Thanks for making me spell it out. We all enjoy the dull storyline.

 

[Sejs]

Your solution assumes that you can schedule downtime. It also assumes that you are not disturbed during down time.

Oh yep - definitly. If you're doing something where you can't find a way to get a couple days of quiet, safe, you-time at some point every now and again, then you're doing something wrong. And given how there's those annual campus check-in requirements, another PrC may be a better choice.

Sure, and when your enemy shows up to fight you at the time of his choosing, just after you have dumped all of your daily spells into the spellpool, you'll be compeltely screwed.

Learn not leave enemies that can do things like that alive, then forget about them. And invest in some anti-scrying protections and dimentional anchor your sanctum with a Hallow or Unhallow.

^_^

 

[Storm Raven]

Oh yep - definitly. If you're doing something where you can't find a way to get a couple days of quiet, safe, you-time at some point every now and again, then you're doing something wrong. And given how there's those annual campus check-in requirements, another PrC may be a better choice.

(1) Having enemies makes life dangerous. Adventurers usually accumulate enemies like honey attracts flies. "Quiet, safe, you-time" should be a rarity for an adventurer, and a rarity that he has a hard time scheduling.
(1) All of the other members of the campus may not have your best interests at heart. You may or may not be safe when you are at the academy. Most of the other wizards don't expend their full complement of spells all the time, but keep some in reserve for surprises.

Learn not leave enemies that can do things like that alive, then forget about them. And invest in some anti-scrying protections and dimentional anchor your sanctum with a Hallow or Unhallow.

Oh, of course. Kill all enemies at all times works, if you can do it. This theory is also only useful if you are not, for example, dealing with an organization of opponents that may seek revenge. To use a very quintessential example, suppose your Forgotten Realms character were to annoy the Zhentarim by foiling their plans a time or two. Are you able to kill all of their wizards and clerics so that they cannot later come after you? I thought not. So that part of your argument is silly and inconsequential.

Anti-scrying protections are only as effective on occassion. A moderate level caster (i.e. one high enough level to cast scrying) has a reasonable chence of overcoming things like an amulet of proof against detection and scrying on a regular basis. All he needs to do is roll a "12" on his level check to overcome that, not too unlikely.

Hallow is a cleric spell. Please explain how this is going to be a good spell for a wizard to use to protect himself? Further, there is little to prevent the assainalt from teleporting into an area outside the hallowed area and walking in. He has his full complement of spells, you, apparently, do not. At that point, whether you have a hallow in place or not, your are likely very, very dead.