Complete Arcane (10 reasons)

[Silveras]

I seem to remember that being a problem with pale master (that I had to fix when I made an epic version). Did they fix that in Libris Mortis.

I think so, if you mean the various touch attacks from the undead prosthetic. The save DCs are 10 + Pale Master level + Cha modifier.

On topic...
I like Frostburn, it is pretty solid from my reading.
However, since Libris Mortis managed to cut-and-paste the Summon Undead tables without correcting them for changes in 3.5 (specifically, Skeletons and Zombies as templates) ... and since Complete Divine did the same with several spells ... I am reserving judgment on Complete Arcane until I see it.

Sudden Metamagic feats make me a little uneasy (as presented in the MhB); at least one seemed too easy to get, but that may have been adjusted in the new write-up. Certainly, the feat previewed in the last Dragon (325) seemed to be a blend of the Minis handbook version (Energy Affinity) and the Tome and Blood version (Energy Substitution).

As for the feats mentioned, well, the last couple of books have included Epic-oriented material. It would not surprise me if such feats were Epic feats in Complete Arcane, but that is just speculation.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Just feats? Or do you include special abilities and spells in that as well?

Pretty much just feats. I think it's mostly that EVERYONE has feats, and I'd like to not see feats which give monsters a far bigger boost than they give to players.

 

[MerricB]

Pretty much just feats. I think it's mostly that EVERYONE has feats, and I'd like to not see feats which give monsters a far bigger boost than they give to players.

However, I don't think that's the case for the first - magical concealment. If one PC has magical concealment, it's a lot (and monsters often have other ways around it).

I want to see the actual text and requirements of the other feat before I can evaluate it.

Besides, EVERYONE has feats, but most monsters have at most about 7 feats, with HUNDREDS of feats available.

Cheers!

 

[Li Shenron]

I hope tomorrow they are posting the "10 reasons why a player should buy CA" because this first preview doesn't impress me much. I was mostly curious about which new or revised feats and spells were going to be included, but what I hear so far sounds quite problematic...

 

[MerricB]

I hope tomorrow they are posting the "10 reasons why a player should buy CA" because this first preview doesn't impress me much. I was mostly curious about which new or revised feats and spells were going to be included, but what I hear so far sounds quite problematic...

Depends what you define as problematic.

One thing about these feats is that monsters won't have them (in general) because that the pregenerated monsters you find in the Monster Manuals have been given other feats.

Thus, the DM has to make a conscious decision to use that option against the party. This is not a problem. It's like using a Bebilith: it's a different challenge the players have to face. Presenting it as a feat just makes it available to many DMs who might not have thought of using it before.

It also makes it something they'll give to special NPCs, something to distinguish them from the normal "Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Cleave" crew.

The problem with feats always arises from player usage of them. None of the feats presented so far seems overpowered, as their power is balanced by how terribly specific they are - with the possible exception of Sudden Maximize.

However, when you consider that Sudden Maximize has the same effect as a rod of metamagic, can only be used once a day, and takes up an extremely valuable feat slot... it's not so much of a problem.

Sure, one spell works more effectively against the enemy. 60 damage instead of an average of 37. However, that's one spell in the day, of a likely total of sixteen or more spells cast in the day! Consider it a critical for the spell.

I've recently had the paucity of feat slots made apparent to me when I was creating a cleric character. I don't know if you've looked at Complete Divine, but it has some absolutely fantastic divine feats in it. Not overpowered, just very, very nice. However, to get the greatest benefit out of them I need to spend two or three feat slots - which is a huge proportion of the available feats I have.

Cheers!

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I've resisted buying the "Complete X" series, as I have the original splatbooks and my players never really utilized them much, anyway (well, that and I'm perpetually poor). But I may have to break down and get them, if only to give me new things to wish my campaigners would use (though they won't).

 

[ghettognome]

From a DM standpoint, the feat that takes away temp mag armour sounds great.
Now onto the natural armour thing, even though it's been awhile since it was mentioned, it would be nice to have a feat that allows to break through a certain point of natural armour, like up to +5 or something. A little fairness to the pc's.

 

[Tzarevitch]

I'm a little bit worried about the two other listed feats - the ones which totally ignore entire classes of spells.

A single feat to ignore all concealment granting magics?

A single feat to ignore all magically based boosts to AC, that also dispels them on a successful hit?

I'm skeptical of the first because to date there isn't even a feat which allows one to ignore the penalties of darkness.

I'm skeptical of both, because they seem like they're part of a crusade to reduce the power of magic available to the PC's, without reducing the power of monsters in a similar fashion. I don't doubt, for instance, that there will never be a feat that ignores the benefits of natural armour.

Don't you think you should wait to see what the feats actually do before you start the skepticism? They may not be as bad as you think.

Tzarevitch

 

[MerricB]

I've resisted buying the "Complete X" series, as I have the original splatbooks and my players never really utilized them much, anyway (well, that and I'm perpetually poor). But I may have to break down and get them, if only to give me new things to wish my campaigners would use (though they won't).

Heh. My players thrive on the options in the Complete series. Prestige classes and feats are big winners in my group.

In any given game, I'm unlikely to have more than a couple of feats from any one of the supplemental books, but they are definitely appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[Olive]

I've resisted buying the "Complete X" series, as I have the original splatbooks and my players never really utilized them much, anyway (well, that and I'm perpetually poor). But I may have to break down and get them, if only to give me new things to wish my campaigners would use (though they won't).

Well my players have used much more from the two complete books released so far than they ever did from the older splats.