Complete Mage - Is it out yet?

[Felon]

So, to answer my own question about the warmage's 3rd-level adaptive learning, there are two new 1st-level evocation spells. One is basically a variant of faerie fire, causing creatures within a small radius to radiate torchlight and inflicting minor damage on sun-susceptable creatures. The other fires a jet of steam of steam at opponents within a small line, inflicting 1d4/level. Both are nominally better than any other 1st-level evoc spells the warmage could adapt from either Spell Compendium or PHB II.

In general, seems like a large chunk of the spells are geared towards the higher levels. Typically I only pay attention to levels 1-4, with anything over 6 being considered fairly unattainable.

I'd say the feats are the best section, followed by the prestige classes, followed by the mage archetype advice, then the spells and magic items pull up the rear.

The section on mage archetypes is pretty insightful. It actually quantifies the types of mages that I despise in a typical game--in particular, the "strategist", whose brilliant strategy is generally to find those cheeseball conjuration spells that essentially ruin opponents' ability to maneuver, and typically offer no save or spell resistance to ignore the effects. I also liked how they were pretty honest about certain spells just being flat-out better than most others of the same level, like greater invisibility.

 

[Driddle]

I suppose using the fourth-ranking definition of a word is not technically incorrect, but it's certainly much less precise than using the word that means exactly what was intended, rather than a hybrid of its meaning and its antonym.

Bravo! BRA-VO!!! ((insert applauding icon here))

 

[Felon]

I notice that the duskblade is mentioned in passing in a few places, but they don't get any new spells. Wondery why?

 

[Particle_Man]

I also liked how they were pretty honest about certain just being flat-out better than most others of the same level, like greater invisibility.

That said, they introduced a 4th level spell that is flat out worse. It lets you go invisible once, but only after you make a successful attack. As opposed to, you know, having greater invisibility, which would allow you to attack again and again without losing invisibility, and does not require a successful attack to activate.

And my transmuting Hexblade did not get much of a boost. One transmutation spell (animate weapon) which has a will save (object) but I have to touch the weapon in question. But lots of illusion spells (which is odd, since the Hexblade does not get Spell Focus (Illusion) or its Greater cousin on their list of bonus feats.

 

[Particle_Man]

I notice that the duskblade is mentioned in passing in a few places, but they don't get any new spells. Wondery why?

PHB II classes are too new, is my guess. The first four completes have been out for a while.

 

[Pants]

I ordered Complete Mage yesterday from buy.com. Got a package today, opened it up and found out they had sent me the D&D Basic Game. :\

At least it only took them a day to send me the wrong item

 

[Psion]

I ordered Complete Mage yesterday from buy.com. Got a package today, opened it up and found out they had sent me the D&D Basic Game. :\

At least it only took them a day to send me the wrong item

Ruh-roh, Raggy!

I ordered D20 Dark Matter, Dragon Magic, and Spacecraft 2100AD-2200AD from Buy.

Did I just play the lottery?

 

[Felon]

PHB II classes are too new, is my guess. The first four completes have been out for a while.

Well, as I said, they're not so new that they didn't get mentioned in several places. It's not like deciding what to put on their spell list is hard. It's rather formulaic, actually.

Wonder how long before we get duskblades issuing the same complaints as warlocks do today about their shortage of invocations?

 

[Pants]

Ruh-roh, Raggy!

I ordered D20 Dark Matter, Dragon Magic, and Spacecraft 2100AD-2200AD from Buy.

Did I just play the lottery?

Heh, I've never had a problem with them before until now.

EDIT: Well, it seems like the buy.com webpage is completely broken. This does not bode well.

 

[Nyeshet]

I ordered mine from Amazon on Sat night, and I received it on Wednesday. Not quite as swift, but at least it was the right item!

Actually, I have had trouble (once) with Amazon in the past. I ordered "Life in the Undergrowth" - a David Attenborough series on insects - and I received "Final Destination 3" instead. The case and DVD looked like what I ordered, but what was recorded on it . . . They were nice enough to swiftly replace it and emailed a label so I could ship the incorrect DVD back to them for free.

Getting back to thread-relavent material, does anyone else think that a Wizard (evoker) 3 / Master Specialist (evoker) 10 / Elemental Savant (acid or lightning) 4 / Archmage 3 could be quite a potent blaster? Especially if you use the Evoker alternate class feature in UA that removes the familiar in exchange for a +1 to caster level for a single energy type? Even without the Archmage levels, this would be a 17th level blaster with some remarkable power behind their spells, I think.