Complete Mage ToC

[Glyfair]

I'm glad they don't have a lot of warlock support, that is the stuff that has limited use. It only works with one class where the feats and prestige classes can work with multiple base classes.

I agree. I love the warlock as a class. However, I think it would be a mistake of focus a good percentage of this book on things that only that class can use. A few prestige classes designed to work well with the warlock would be great. A few prestige classes requiring warlock level isn't great.

If there was a lot of focus on the warlock in the Complete Mage, it would feel like the amount of space in the Complete Arcane focused on just the Wu Jen (how many Wu Jen only spells were there?)

 

[Presto2112]

I'm glad they don't have a lot of warlock support, that is the stuff that has limited use. It only works with one class where the feats and prestige classes can work with multiple base classes.

But on a personal note, it's the arcane class that I like the absolute best, so I'd like to see a bit more to it.

It appears I might just have to make some up myself. Which wouldn't be too bad I guess.

 

[Nyeshet]

(how many Wu Jen only spells were there?)

46 spells - about 6.9% of the book.

While I can understand not overloading on Warlock material, 3-4 more pages would not mean all that much. Perhaps a couple pages describing variant Warlocks for different ancestries, and a couple more pages describing ancestry specific incantations that can be taken by the Warlock. Out of ~160 pages the Warlock seems to be getting about 3, maybe 4 - about 2% of the book. Increasing that to 3% or even 4% would not be all that much, I think.

 

[Nightfall]

Nye,

It's not a dragon shaman so much as a Warlock variant with breath weapon power along with other 'normal' Warlock type powers.

 

[frankthedm]

Impresive feat selection, but i do suspect they are again trying to make the mistake of allowing the Sorcerer to use the Quicken Metamagic Feat. I am curious on the A Wizard Describes Preparing a Spell sidebar.

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
What’s in this Book.4
What You Need to Play.4
1: Fundamentals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
The Nature of Magic.5
Wielding Magic.6
Arcane Magic.6
Arcane Versus Divine.6
Arcane Versus Innate.7
Spell Schools.8
School Specialization.8
Abjuration.9
Conjuration.9
Divination.9
Enchantment.10
Evocation.10
Illusion.11
Necromancy.12
Transmutation.12
Arcane Archetypes.13
Blaster.13
Booster.15
Controller.16
Generalist.18
Necromaster.20
Sniper.22
Spy .23
Strategist.25
Summoner.26
Warrior.28
Filling the Gap.30
2: Character Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Alternative Class Features.31
Arcane Hunter.32
Arcane Stunt.32
Armored Mage.32
Curse Breaker.33
Divine Counterspell.33
Divine Magician.33
Elemental Companion.33
Focused Specialist.34
Soulwarp Strike.34
Spell Reflection.35
Spell Sense.35
Spellbreaker Song.35
Stalwart Sorcerer.35
Feats.36
Heritage Feats.36
Reserve Feats.36
Tactical Feats.37
Feat Descriptions.37
Acidic Splatter 37
Alacritous Cogitation.37
Aquatic Breath 39
Battlecaster Defense 39
Battlecaster Offense 40
Blade of Force 40
Borne Aloft 40
Captivating Melody.40
Clap of Thunder 40
Cloudy Conjuration.40
Clutch of Earth 40
Dazzling Illusion.41
Defending Spirit.41
Delay Potion.41
Dimensional Jaunt 41
Dimensional Reach 41
Drowning Glance 41
Elemental Adept.42
Energy Abjuration.42
Energy Gestalt 42
Face-Changer 42
Favored Magic Foe.42
Fearsome Necromancy.42
Fey Heritage 43
Fey Legacy 43
Fey Power 43
Fey Presence 43
Fey Skin 43
Fiendish Heritage 43
Fiendish Legacy 43
Fiendish Power 43
Fiendish Presence 43
Fiendish Resistance 43
Fiery Burst 43
Hasty Spirit.44
Hurricane Breath 44
Insightful Divination.44
Invisible Needle 44
Magic Device Attunement.44
Magic Disruption 44
Magic Sensitive 44
Master of Undeath.44
Melodic Casting.44
Metamagic School Focus.45
Metamagic Spell Trigger.45
Metamagic Vigor 45
Minor Shapeshift 45
Mystic Backlash 45
Piercing Evocation.46
Ranged Recall.46
Rapid Metamagic.46
Residual Magic 46
Retributive Spell 47
Shadow Veil 47
Sickening Grasp 47
Somatic Weaponry.47
Storm Bolt 47
Summon Elemental 47
Sunlight Eyes 48
Touch of Distraction 48
Toughening Transmutation.48
Unsettling Enchantment.48
Vengeful Spirit.48
Wind-Guided Arrows 48
Winter’s Blast 48
3: Prestige Classes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Abjurant Champion.50
Eldritch Disciple.53
Eldritch Theurge.57
Enlightened Spirit.60
Holy Scourge.64
Lyric Thaumaturge.67
Master Specialist.70
Nightmare Spinner.74
Ultimate Magus.77
Unseen Seer.81
Wild Soul.84
4: Spells and Invocations. . . . . . . . . . .89
Spell Lists.89
New Assassin Spells.89
New Bard Spells.90
New Cleric Spells.90
New Druid Spells.91
New Hexblade Spells.92
New Paladin Spell.92
New Ranger Spells.92
New Sorcerer/Wizard Spells.92
New Wu Jen Spells.94
Spell Descriptions.95
New Warlock Invocations.122
Invocation Descriptions.123
5: Arcane Items. 125
Magic Items.125
Rings.126
Rods.127
Staffs.130
Wondrous Items.132
Alchemical Items.134
Optional Material Components.135
6: Arcane Adventures. . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
What Are Arcane Adventures?.137
Arcane Adventure Themes.137
One Hundred Adventure Ideas.138
Magical Locations as Treasure.141
Placing Magical Locations.142
Nature of Magical Locations.142
Location Descriptions.142
Bigby’s Tomb.143
Boccob’s Reading Room.145
Boneyard.146
Cloudseat.147
Crypt of Wee Jas.148
Dragonsblood Pool.149
Eternal Vortex.150
Metamagic Storm.151
Rainbow Falls.152
Shieldstone Cavern.153
Soulheart Pool.154
Vale of Smoke and Fog.155
Worldmeet Glade.156
Sidebars
Swift and Immediate Actions.4
Arcane Groups.30
A Wizard Describes Preparing a Spell.34
Using Reserve Feats.36
A Rogue Survives a Phantasmal Strangler Spell.46
The Polymorph Subschool.91
Behind the Curtain: Magical Locations as Treasure.141
Bigby’s Slapping Hand.144

 

[JEL]

I for one, love new base classes. They're always a great source of inspiration for settings. That said, I can live without having a new one in every book. I'll probably be getting this book; it looks interesting.

 

[Thurbane]

I can't access the ToC from my current location - is there any love for Vancian casters? Or do they just get more pushed even further to the sidelines, ready for their dump in 4E?

[edit]Looking at Frank's post above, can't see anything specific, but willing to wager the new feats and PrCs give Vancian the royal screwjob yet again.[/edit]

 

[Aus_Snow]

is there any love for Vancian casters? Or do they just get more pushed even further to the sidelines, ready for their dump in 4E?

. . .

I'm not quite sure that I can see where you're coming from here. Could you elaborate, please?

[. . .] willing to wager the new feats and PrCs give Vancian the royal screwjob yet again.

Uh, OK. Again, I'm not clear on how a book devoted primarily to the 'Vancian' spellcasting classes can go towards giving 'Vancian' "the royal [. . .]".

Anyone?

 

[frankthedm]

I can't access the ToC from my current location - is there any love for Vancian casters? Or do they just get more pushed even further to the sidelines, ready for their dump in 4E?

[edit]Looking at Frank's post above, can't see anything specific, but willing to wager the new feats and PrCs give Vancian the royal screwjob yet again.[/edit]

"A Wizard Describes Preparing a Spell" page 34 sounds like something that might explain Vancian casting to those who don't get it. Sadly other than skullcaving, nothing will explain Vancian casting to those who don't want to get it.

 

[Psion]

Hmm, I had heard that Dragon Fire Adept was a variant of the Dragon Shaman (or vice versa), with the auras traded out for some other abilities. Does it gain incantations, then? Or perhaps have an eldritch blast? Or perhaps its Eldritch blast is replaced with an ever more damaging breath weapon attack? (perhaps 1d6 at second level, and 10d6 at 20th level?)

Yes, it's more of a warlock variant and has incantations.

It makes a lot more sense to me than the Dragon Shaman, which seems to be a case of "dragony abilities out of nowhere."