Complete Arcane - What's in it!!

[beaver1024]

Yeah, but if you were an evil supervillain nerd ....

Would the evil super villain nerd be running Linux with plans of world domination through the Internet? *snort*

 

[ARandomGod]

Re: Spellpool -- in both T&B and CA (and whatever book the Waterdeep version appeared in, too, IIRC), a mage can't draw more total levels of spells from the Spellpool per day than half their caster level. So, the Wiz6/MotAO4 can draw up to 5 levels of spells per day -- five 1st level, 1 5th, a 2nd & a 3rd, or whatever.

Now, in T&B, a spellcaster could dump spells in the Spellpool ahead of time, and thus run up a Spellpool "credit". In CA, you aren't allowed to build up credit, and they specify the time limit between drawing on the Spellpool and paying back the debt (IIRC, a day per class level) -- past that, and you lose access to the Spellpool until you're paid up. Run a debt for more than a year, and you're kicked out.

Well, obviously the way to go there is to play a T&BMotA, and never a BAMotA.

MmmMm. Letters.

 

[Lodow MoBo]

There are new rules in Complete Adventurer; one particular rule is titled "Mastering a Foreign Spellbook" -- take one week +1 day/spell, and make a Spellcraft check (DC 25+highest level spell), and you master that spellbook -- you know all the spells in it, you don't have to copy them into another book (if you do, it's presumably the same as copying from your book -- half cost), and you can prepare from that book without any problems.

Standard PHB Spellcraft rule:
Learn a Spell from a spellbook or scroll :dc15 + spell level (8 hours)
Prepare a Spell from a borrowed spell book : dc 15 + spell level (no extra time)

Any 6th lvl wizard should handle this by taking 10
9 ranks + 3 int +10 = 22

 

[Gez]

The "spellbook mastering" rule was also in Magic of Faerûn.

In it, it took one tenday (FR weeks are tenday, and lasts for, what a surprise, ten days) +1 day per spell. The spellcraft DC is the same (25+highest spell level). It seems the rule hasn't changed, except for the change from one tenday to one week.

Incidentally, in the same book is the Guild Wizard of Waterdeep, the other Spellpool class. The biggest difference between MoF spellpool and T&B spellpool as written was the Spell Availability rule. "The percentage chance that a desired spell is available in any given 24-hour period is equal to 65% minus 5% per level of the spell." T&B was later errated to use this rule as well.

Does the CA version of spellpool use still that rule?

Finally, if you aren't allowed anymore to build spellpool credit, then how can the magical reservoir even be filled? Imagine a bank from where you -- or anyone else in the world -- could only borrow money (in coins and banknotes), and repay your debt the same way (with 0 interest rate). You would not be able to borrow any money, for the bank's coffers would be empty. No one having ever been allowed to put in a credit, there would be no cash to borrow at all. Not now, not ever.

 

[Li Shenron]

Finally, if you aren't allowed anymore to build spellpool credit, then how can the magical reservoir even be filled? Imagine a bank from where you -- or anyone else in the world -- could only borrow money (in coins and banknotes), and repay your debt the same way (with 0 interest rate). You would not be able to borrow any money, for the bank's coffers would be empty. No one having ever been allowed to put in a credit, there would be no cash to borrow at all. Not now, not ever.

Mmm... good point!

There must be someone else in the Arcane Order who fills the spellpool beforehand.

 

[MerricB]

There's probably a big crystal in the Arcane Guild infused with spell patterns and energy, from which the spells are drawn.

Cheers!

 

[hong]

Finally, if you aren't allowed anymore to build spellpool credit, then how can the magical reservoir even be filled?

Offstage.


Hong "it's all done with mirrors" Ooi

 

[Saeviomagy]

Standard PHB Spellcraft rule:
Learn a Spell from a spellbook or scroll :dc15 + spell level (8 hours)
Prepare a Spell from a borrowed spell book : dc 15 + spell level (no extra time)

Any 6th lvl wizard should handle this by taking 10
9 ranks + 3 int +10 = 22

Just a note. The second rule (preparing from a borrowed spellbook) only applies to spells which you've already scribed into your own spellbook. It sucks, and it's nonsensical, but there it is.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Where's that rule, Saev?

 

[MDSnowman]

Not bad, I think I'll actually like this one.

Oh yeah and anyone who thinks half the Prestige Classes in Complete Warrior were new better pick up some back issues of Dragon. The total lack of new things in a book that big was one of the big let downs to me.