Re: what did you get...?
Ruavel said:
anything you care to recommend
I picked up Spells & Spellcraft, Path of Magic, and the Seafarer's Handbook. Both magic tomes are quite good, though I only have a single spellcaster in my party and he's such a traditionalist that anything that's not a translation from 2E is "lame." His loss. My NPCs are going to be all the better for it.
Spells & Spellcraft is sort of a grab bag of magical lore. If you've got a magic rich world or an abundance of spellcasters in your party, this broad focus should serve you well. My party's a little weak on the magical side, but much of the material in this book will find a home in my campaign, I have no doubt. I've only recently begun reading it (it only arrived yesterday), so I'm afraid I can't detail all the sections. But I'd already introduced the concept of leveled items in my game (items that increase in power with gold/XP expenditures) and my party, with the one exception noted above, has taken to them with great ferver. I'd imagine many players would feel the same. That section, and the section on expanding familiar choices, was very well done.
If you can at all get your hands on it, get Path of Magic. The book is phenominal, and is anything but yet another tome of spells and prestige classes. My hat is off to FFG on this one; it's perhaps the best 3E book I've seen yet. The material has the potential to add so much flavor to magic that for the first time in a long time I considered playing a wizard. It's already had a severe impact on my concept of the campaign I'm running, and I've begun tweaking areas and people the party hasn't met yet so that I can use some of the excellent ideas presented within. If Path of the Sword is anywhere as good as this, it'll be worth the wait and then some.
I'm a confirmed buy for the rest of the path books, no question about it.
As for the Seafarer's Handbook, I haven't had too much chance to use it yet, but I like what I've read quite a bit. I'm running a sea heavy campaign, so I'm sure it will come into play in short order (the acquatic combat rules are very cool, and my players already hate me for using them, even though I said months ago during character gen that swim would be an important skill). Definately a worthwhile purchase if you'll be doing anything on or under the sea.
Overall, I was so impressed with what I bought that I've now got my eye fixed on their release schedule. Draconic Lore, Necromantic Lore, and the Monster's Handbook are all must buys for me now.
Though, of course, that last bit can hardly be a recomendation, as I haven't actually read the books yet.
)...?
