Exclusive spells: Yea or nay?

[Tuzenbach]

And when I'm talking about "exclusive spells", I'm referring to the way WoTC et. al. have tried to create more "interesting" spell-casting classes by giving them spells only they can know. The Wu-Jen is an example of this.

You see, once persons who play straight wizards see these special "Wu-Jen-exclusive" spells, they tend to cry and shout "But dammit, I'm a WIZARD!!! I have every right to know those spells!!!"

Anyway, are exclusive spells good or bad for the game, why or why not?

 

[TheEvil]

No Poll?
I say Nay!
It would help if there was a rhyme or reason to it, but, taking Wu Jen as an example, plenty of the spells would work perfectly well on either the Wizard or Druid lists, but aren't, even though others are. Where is the method in their madness?

 

[Tuzenbach]

No Poll?
I say Nay!
It would help if there was a rhyme or reason to it, but, taking Wu Jen as an example, plenty of the spells would work perfectly well on either the Wizard or Druid lists, but aren't, even though others are. Where is the method in their madness?

Yeah, I didn't put a poll because I was far-more interested in the *why* aspects to people's answers.

 

[Arnwyn]

Anyway, are exclusive spells good or bad for the game, why or why not?

"For the game"? Beats the hell outta me. I only care about my game.

Yea - they're good for my particular game. Unique spells only available to some classes (and, IMC, some races) add to our campaign by differentiating the classes and races a little bit more.

Works for us.

 

[TheEvil]

Yeah, I didn't put a poll because I was far-more interested in the *why* aspects to people's answers.

Well, sure, but it would far and away satisfy my selfish curiousity!
That, and if it devolves into "Yes! No! You're stupid! No, you're stupid!", it is nice to have a general idea how people besides the extremes feel.

Part of me harkens back to the old 1st edition days when the GM had our regular characters travel to the oriental setting. The wizard got a bunch of new spells, and we always had something worth bargaining with to powerful Wujen...

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I say 'Yes'. Of course, I also like the Grim Tales approach of campaign-specific spell lists.

I think it makes for a more flavorful game. It makes each class unique in some way, leading to different and hopefully creative ways to overcome obstacles.

 

[arscott]

Exclusive Spells didn't start with the Wu-Jen, nor with Wizards. They show up in the original OD&D booklets, where the magic-user and the cleric have their own exclusive spell lists.

If you can accept the Idea that some spells may only be cast by the cleric, and others by the wizard, then why not let the Wu-Jen have its own list?

It's my understanding that the Wu-Jen is designed to be an oriental-flavored, nature-oriented, arcane spell caster. If that means that some of her spells are too nature-focused for a sorcerer/wizard, too powerful for a druid, or simply to exotic for a standard spellcaster, then so be it.

If you're playing in a campaing that allows the Wu-Jen, but let everybody else use Wu-Jen spells, then the Wu-Jen Really looses out. On the other hand, It's not an especially bad idea to let other spellcasters use some Wu-Jen spells if there are no Wu-Jen in your world. Just as it's not a bad Idea to allow alternate access to healing if your world has no clerics. Still, be mindful of the ways in which broadening the spell choices of the other classes affect their power.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I say 'Yes'. Of course, I also like the Grim Tales approach of campaign-specific spell lists.

I think it makes for a more flavorful game. It makes each class unique in some way, leading to different and hopefully creative ways to overcome obstacles.

 

[Gunton The Terrible]

For my campaign I would let the wizard have access to a Wu-Jen spell if he researched it.

I didn't like the idea of having arcane spells exist if a wizard had no access to them at all.

 

[green slime]

I'm all for seperate cultural/race based spells.

In fact, I try to create cultural based feats. Or limit certain feats to certain cultures/races.

Makes things far more interesting, I find.

Classes, PrC, feats, spells, divinities, and equipment are all limited to different cultures. All inclusive products such as Eberron, for all their good ideas (and there is lots there) do not inspire me.

otherwise there is nothing that really distinguishes a character from one area/culture/faith from another.