Complete Arcane - designer interview

[Psion]

The abjurer stuff sounds neat.

The warlock, I am more dubious about. It sounds like they are referring to their already out there incantation system stuffed into a D&D class, and that didn't light my fire.

 

[Cheiromancer]

True, the editing is not going to be good.

The green star adept excerpt seems to confirm this; it has a fairly serious editing error: The text says that the green star adept gets +1 caster level at every even level; the table says +1 every three levels.

Hard to believe they would post the excerpt without double-checking it.

 

[coyote6]

Yeah, I just saw the green star adept. My first reaction: bang head on desk. Fortunately, my desk is covered with stuff, so no injuries. Second reaction: hey, look, it's the warforged arcanist!

I hope the book isn't screwed up like that -- maybe the excerpt was taken from other material.

(I know, faint hope . . .)

Edit: As I correct my own typo, I wonder if WotC would correct the excerpt if notified . . .

 

[Mac Callum]

Re: Editing complaints

Editing is one reason why PDF release is great. Updates. Wizards could take their best shot at editing typos and design inconsistencies, release a PDF, get crap for a spelling mistake on pg. 123, rewrite a couple spells for clarity, and release an update by the end of week 2. Boom. Everyone has a WotC-designed rulebook gone over by 4,372 copy editors.

Yeah, yeah, I know, why pay $$$ for a book that you have to spellcheck? Well, if WotC could outsource the copy editing to the fan community, they could spend more time or less money on rule innovation. Then the books would be either cheaper or better. Not a bad trade-off, either way.

It would also be super-duper cool if a DM could insert/hyperlink in his own material into the e-rulebooks, either from other d20 publishers or homebrew, and then share it (in a copyright friendly manner) with his players. That sure would make rule-challenges easier. No more "Oh, wait, we house-ruled that, I forgot." or "What book was the spell/PrC in again?" It's all just in one place.

Ah, well. Up and out of the rabbit hole, and back to reality. Mmmm, dead tree.

 

[shilsen]

Yeah, I just saw the green star adept. My first reaction: bang head on desk. Fortunately, my desk is covered with stuff, so no injuries. Second reaction: hey, look, it's the warforged arcanist!

Your second reaction was my first reaction

 

[Remathilis]

Ok, the 19 prestige classes are....

1.) Alienist
2.) Mage of the Arcane Order
3.) Mindbender
4.) Wayfarer Guide
5.) effergy Master
6.) Green Star Adept
7.) Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
8.) Wild Mage
9.) Seeker of the Song
10.) Fatespinner
11.) Enlightened Fist
12.) Suel arcanamach
13.) Sublime Chord
14.) Argent Savant
15.) Geometer(?)
16.) master transmogrifist
17.) Acolyte of the Skin (Edit)
18.)
19.)

This list has been culled from various WotC and RPGA information. If I've missed one, let me know.

 

[MacMathan]

Heres hoping that they rework and update the elemental savant.

 

[Gez]

For comparison purposes, the PrC list in Tome & Blood is:
Acolyte of the Skin
Alienist --> CA
Arcane Trickster --> DMG
Bladesinger --> ROF, CW
Blood Magus
Candle Caster
Dragon Disciple --> DMG
Elemental Savant
Fatespinner --> CA
Mage of the Arcane Order --> CA
Mindbender --> CA
Pale Master --> LM
Spellsword --> CW
True Necromancer --> LM
Wayfarer Guide --> CA

If I'm not mistaken, it leaves Acolyte of the Skin, Blood Magus, Candle Caster, and Elemental Savant not reprinted -- and according to Rem's list above, there are still three "PrC slots" free in CA.

I can see the Candle Caster getting the boot, maybe also the Blood Magus. I think the Acolyte and the Savant will still be there, along with another "new" or "reprinted from elsewhere than T&B" PrC.

 

[Fingers Boggis]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20041104a

acolyte of the skin is in, and i for one am looking forward to see if they've made it as good mechanically as it is in terms of roleplaying ideas

Fingers

 

[Razz]

For comparison purposes, the PrC list in Tome & Blood is:
I can see the Candle Caster getting the boot, maybe also the Blood Magus. I think the Acolyte and the Savant will still be there, along with another "new" or "reprinted from elsewhere than T&B" PrC.

The boot? I hope you don't mean the prestige classes don't exist in 3.5 or do not work well in 3.5 because from the looks of it not every prestige class from 3.0 needs to be reprinted. Some can actually be used the way it was back in 3.0 with no change sor just very little changes.