Complete arcane, good new info-worth while? or beating dead horse,worthless?

[ivocaliban]

CA does this... a little as most of the stuff is geared towards arcane spellcasters.

I realize that the back of the book states "useful for all classes," but is it really so odd that a book called Complete Arcane would favor arcane classes? Complete Warrior contains the Hexblade class and three prestige classes with arcane spells (Bladesinger, Rage Mage, Spellsword) and a handful of feats useful to arcane spellcasters (though only three come to mind: Arcane Strike, Improved Familiar and Improved Toughness) while the Complete Arcane offers the Green Star Adept (with a decent BAB and numerous special abilities to make them excellent combatants) as well as a dozen feats that can be taken by anyone, spellcaster or not.

It's clear that neither book is divided evenly among all eleven base classes (and certainly not the six new ones presented in these two volumes), but I think that has more to do with the nature of the beast. When you introduce three arcane base classes you have to provide them with spells and feats that make them viable...whereas with warrior classes it's mainly based on feats and special abilities from prestige classes.

So does the Complete Arcane lean towards arcane classes? Absolutely, just as the Complete Warrior leans towards melee and ranged combat classes. One can always argue over which book leans further this way or that, but regardless of the marketing ploys (such as the use of the word Complete) you shouldn't pick up the Complete Warrior if you're looking for Druid spells or the Complete Arcane if you're looking for Fighter feats.

As mentioned above, the true joy of the Complete series is having all four volumes. Or having none of them, if you're of that inclination.

 

[Li Shenron]

I realize that the back of the book states "useful for all classes," but is it really so odd that a book called Complete Arcane would favor arcane classes?

First of all, if a book is useful for 3 classes, you shouldn't put "useful for all classes" on its cover, otherwise it's an advertising fraud.
What would you say if you bought, let's say, a battery which says "works with every electrical device" and then you try it and it works well with your old walkman only, and when put into your cd player or anything else it works but moves incredibly slow?
It was not mandatory to write that sentence under the title. Clearly it's difficult to argue that the stuff in the book is really useless for non-arcane casters, since they can always take one level in wizard/sorcerer and the stuff is suddenly useful.

Anyway, I don't have the book, so it may indeed have lots of stuff for characters without wiz/sor levels. Stuff like feats/equipment which defend against magic, or which give minor arcane abilities to non-casters for example. Prestige classes which grant arcane spellcasting without requiring arcane spellcasting in the first place. If there is this sort of stuff in CArc, then it's really a book for everyone. Is there?

 

[ivocaliban]

First of all, if a book is useful for 3 classes, you shouldn't put "useful for all classes" on its cover, otherwise it's an advertising fraud.
What would you say if you bought, let's say, a battery which says "works with every electrical device" and then you try it and it works well with your old walkman only, and when put into your cd player or anything else it works but moves incredibly slow?
It was not mandatory to write that sentence under the title. Clearly it's difficult to argue that the stuff in the book is really useless for non-arcane casters, since they can always take one level in wizard/sorcerer and the stuff is suddenly useful.

Anyway, I don't have the book, so it may indeed have lots of stuff for characters without wiz/sor levels. Stuff like feats/equipment which defend against magic, or which give minor arcane abilities to non-casters for example. Prestige classes which grant arcane spellcasting without requiring arcane spellcasting in the first place. If there is this sort of stuff in CArc, then it's really a book for everyone. Is there?

Acolyte of the Skin (PrC): Possible for Bards, Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers and Wizards
Alienist (PrC): Possible for Bards, Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers and Wizards
Elemental Savant (PrC): Possible for Bards, Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers and Wizards
Enlightened Fist (PrC): Designed for Monks multi-classed with Bards, Sorcerers or Wizards
Green Star Adept (PrC): Also works well for Monks multi-classed with arcane classes
Suel Arcanamach (PrC): Ideal for multi-classed Bards, Fighters, Monks, Rangers or Rogues.
Wayfarer Guide (PrC): Possible for Clerics with Travel domain, Sorcerers and Wizards.

The following feats provide any character (regardless of class) with three low-level spell like abilities once per day (similar in concept to Gnome spell-like abilities):

Communicator
Insightful
Necropolis Born
Night Haunt
Soul of the North
Spell Hand

These feats provide bonuses to resisting and combating spellcasters:

Mage Slayer
Pierce Magical Concealment
Pierce Magical Protection

Add to this a number of metamagic feats which could be used for divine casters; feats like Wandstrike (useful for Rogues who have Use Magic Device); new spells for Assassins, Clerics, Druids, and Rangers; new armor and weapon special abilities (some specifically for combating spellcasters) and a handful of new monsters...and I think Complete Arcane is useful for all classes. It's absolutely true that it's more useful for arcane classes, but (again) given the title that seems completely natural.

Few hardline Wizards or Sorcerers are going to find anything absolutely necessary for them in Complete Warrior (with the exception to the universally wonderful Improved Toughness feat). The Complete series is really about two things: character options and making multi-classing both feasible and appealing.

 

[Darmanicus]

I like the book, it has some great feats, (born of three thunders), and PrC's, (elemental savant), as well as the Warlock class which I'd love to try out.

I like the Wu-Jen class although I'm surprised the class doesn't have an air element representation but has metal and wood?

Sure it doesn't allow you to munchkin out every class but are you really that surprised?

It might not 'work' for every player but it does very much fit the description of 'useful'.

Personally I'd buy it......oh hang on......I already did!

D out.

 

[HellHound]

I agree with Ivocaliban on this - the book is useful to many other classes than the arcane casters.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

How many times/day can a Warlock use the Eldritch Blast ability?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Theoretically infinite, but really limited to 14,400, which is the number of 6-second increments in a day (24 hours * 60 minutes per hour * 10 rounds per minute).

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

RE : Warlock's eldritch blast ability

Wow, unlimited uses/day? Does it come out as balanced as written? Would it be fun to play, or does it come off as a "one trick pony"? Seems pretty one-dimentional...

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

RE : Warlock's eldritch blast ability

Wow, unlimited uses/day? Does it come out as balanced as written? Would it be fun to play, or does it come off as a "one trick pony"? Seems pretty one-dimentional...

A Warlock is basically a Sorceror +++.

Wizards have access to a theoretically infinite number of spells, but can only cast them a few times each day.

Sorcerors have access to many fewer spells, but can cast them many more times per day.

Warlocks have access to almost no spells (actually, they're spell-like abilities), but can cast them a theoretically infinite number of times per day.

Basically, an Eldritch Blast is a magical bow shot. A warlock can't ever shoot more than once per turn. He can learn to improve it (adding extra effects, affecting multiple targets), but each "trick" takes up one of his spells known.

From what I've heard, it works pretty well.

 

[Crothian]

but it is very combat oriented, so the more outside of combat the game is the less useful he becomes.