Complete Arcane - What's in it!!

[Saeviomagy]

Where's that rule, Saev?

"A wizard can use a borrowed spellbook to prepare a spell she already knows and has recorded in her own spellbook, but preparation success is not assured. First, the wizard must decipher the writing in the book (see Arcane Magical Writings, above)."

The key phrase is that you can use the rule to prepare a spell you already know and have recorded in your own spellbook.

This is present in the SRD.

If someone wants to check an actual PHB, great. I'd be really relieved to find that this rule is in error.

 

[shilsen]

"A wizard can use a borrowed spellbook to prepare a spell she already knows and has recorded in her own spellbook, but preparation success is not assured. First, the wizard must decipher the writing in the book (see Arcane Magical Writings, above)."

The key phrase is that you can use the rule to prepare a spell you already know and have recorded in your own spellbook.

This is present in the SRD.

If someone wants to check an actual PHB, great. I'd be really relieved to find that this rule is in error.

No difference in the PHB. That's how it works.

 

[MerricB]

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.

Well, I see the Complete series as being mainly a compilation of material. It also represents a big revision of material, and that's something I want - the classes in Dragon magazine are rarely as polished as those that appear in the Complete books.

CA fixed up a lot of PrC from Tome & Blood - which was very ragged round the edges.

Cheers!

 

[Pants]

CA fixed up a lot of PrC from Tome & Blood - which was very ragged round the edges.

Cheers!

Indeed, though, I still really like it.

 

[Li Shenron]

By the way, is it true that the CArc also has monsters???

Does anyone else feel like WotC is recently trying to publish books which contain both player's and master's material?

In a way, it makes sense to arrange books by subject (arcane stuff -> Complete Arcane ; cold stuff -> Frostburn ; undead stuff -> Libris Mortis) so that one can buy a single book which focuses on a specific theme to improve/strengthen that theme in their games.

OTOH, it's also a clever way to increase sales, IMO. However I liked how previous books were either more player-oriented or DM-oriented. For me, the fact that players weren't (sometimes) going to have the same books as the DM, meant that the DM was somewhat safer...

 

[shilsen]

OTOH, it's also a clever way to increase sales, IMO. However I liked how previous books were either more player-oriented or DM-oriented. For me, the fact that players weren't (sometimes) going to have the same books as the DM, meant that the DM was somewhat safer...

No, no - you're missing all the fun possibilities! For example, this is what usually happens when DM and players both have access to the same book, which has DM-oriented and player-oriented material.

Step 1: DM tells players, "Remember, just because the book says things work in a particular way doesn't mean it works that way in my campaign".

Step 2: PCs encounter something which the players have read about in the book.

Step 3: Players struggle briefly to forget their OOC knowledge and remember Step 1.

Step 4: Players fail their Will saves, have their PCs act on OOC knowledge, and find out that the DM didn't lie in Step 1, as the PCs suffer horrible, flaming destruction.

Step 5: DM sleeps happily at night, cooing to himself in his sleep.

See - fun all around

 

[Li Shenron]

No, no - you're missing all the fun possibilities! For example, this is what usually happens when DM and players both have access to the same book, which has DM-oriented and player-oriented material.

Step 1: DM tells players, "Remember, just because the book says things work in a particular way doesn't mean it works that way in my campaign".

Aha! That explains why so many "stupid DM!" threads recently

 

[Staffan]

By the way, is it true that the CArc also has monsters???

A few, yes. These are mostly monsters related to the other stuff in the book.

Effigy Creature - template that makes a clockwork construct version of a monster (there's a PrC devoted to these).
Elemental Grue - 3 HD evil elementals.
Elemental Monolith - REALLY big (Gargantuan, 36 HD) elementals (There's a 9th level spell that summons one).
Pseudonatural Creature - template for Creatures From Beyond (used with Alienists).
Spellstitched Creature - template for magically boosted undead.

Haven't read enough to know if the grues and spellstitched are directly related to anything else in the book.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Well, I see the Complete series as being mainly a compilation of material. It also represents a big revision of material, and that's something I want - the classes in Dragon magazine are rarely as polished as those that appear in the Complete books.

CA fixed up a lot of PrC from Tome & Blood - which was very ragged round the edges.

Cheers!

I see a dead horse that needs tenderising. Yeah it would of been great if they had fixed up the feats as well like delay spell.

 

[MerricB]

I see a dead horse that needs tenderising. Yeah it would of been great if they had fixed up the feats as well like delay spell.

I'm sure they look at the feats... it just that they didn't agree with your idea on the balancing of the feat.

Cheers!