Including New Spells

[Speaks With Stone]

How are new spells from the various class books supposed to be included in a campaign. Wizards can find spells in spell books. Sorcerors still just pick. Okay. What about Divine casters? Do they automatically have access to the appropriate new spells? Or is there some other way they are intended to be doled out. My GM is concerned with Divine casters getting more bang out of the new spells since they automatically have access, whereas the wizard still has to pick and choose.

Is there an official method for handling this? If not, how is your GM handling this issue?

 

[pontus]

IMC any divine spell not directly belonging to the campaign has to be researched, just like any other new divine spell would. Thus, in the Forgotten Realms all clerics may use spells from Magic of Faerun with no restrictions, but have to research spells from Defenders of the Faith.

Edit: I should probably point out that if the spell is one that is especially fitting for the cleric's faith then there is a good chance that one of his brothers has already researched it long ago. It's a good idea to keep in touch with the other clerics of your faith.

 

[saupster]

In one of the campaign worlds that I play in, the DM has said that ANY spell that is not from the PHB must be researched. This goes not only for spellcasters, but also for psionics.

In the other campaign that I play in, I am allowed any spells I want from other sources besides the PHB, as long as my DM sees the spell(s) first and OK's them.

 

[Pielorinho]

In our games, we've settled on a compromise. Arcane spellcasters can take any DM-approved spell whenever they could otherwise gain a PHB spell. Divine spellcasters can add new spells to their repertoire at the same rate as a wizard.

That is, they can research a new spell at any time, and each time they gain a caster level, they can add two spells to their repertoire from an outside sourcebook.

This keeps them somewhat in check, while still allowing players to enjoy cool new toys from outside sources.

Daniel

 

[Xarlen]

How do you research a Divine spell? Isn't it sort've 'I pray, I get it'? I would think that the spells are more Deity created, and thus priests don't make the spells themselves?

 

[Speaks With Stone]

My GM just came back with his ruling on this matter and it only applies to the WoC material and not all of the other companies.

A divine caster must meditate/pray for 1 day per level of spell he wishes to learn (minimum of 1 day). At the end of this day he can make a spellcraft roll with a DC of 15 + (2 x level of spell). If you make the check, then you've got it. If you fail, then you cannot try again until you level or else embark on a quest appropriate to the spell you are trying to learn.

This doesn't make it a freebie, but also doesn't bog down the campaign forever.

 

[Skaros]

How do you research a Divine spell? Isn't it sort've 'I pray, I get it'? I would think that the spells are more Deity created, and thus priests don't make the spells themselves?

If it were that direct a line, then there would be no rituals assorted with casting divine spells...and no caster skill involved either, which there clearly is since different divine spells have different casting times, and require casters of a certain skill level.

-Skaros

 

[Moonglum]

We do this a little different as well. I force my clerics to drop a spell from his list of possibles that is 1 level higher than the spell that he wishes to use. He can no longer use this spell for the duration of his characters life, unless he removes another spell a level higher than that.

Spells from Magic of Faerun (this is a FR campaign), FR HB, & the PHB are allowed without this restriction.

 

[Valorian]

I make a list of spell that are available in my world setting from the new books, some I reserve in the case of clerics for clerics of a specific god, and some arcane spells I reserve as "rare" things that I might hand out as treasure some time in the future.

I think some spells are too ubiquitous not to be used from some of the new books. You have Bull's Strength, Endurance and Cat's Grace, but a Cleric needs to "find ?" Owl's Wisdom or Eagles Spleandor?

The Player's Handbook wanted to have as many spells with new rules but the same name as previoius editions of the rules so people could convert thier old characters (you see the same thing in the DMG w/ magic items)...

....saying what's in the player's handbook are "common" spell and you have to research everything else, to me seems sortsighted and unrealistic.

Just my 2 cents.

A similar argument could be applied to magic items. I find that the Amulet of Mighty Fists (Sword & Fist) is a necessary item for a monk character....my DM likes to throw a lot of undead and demons/devils (even at lower level, necessitating magic weapons), and I made sure it was an commonly available item (ie our druid w/ the proper feat could make it, without having to research it), because I wanted to make a monk that didn't have to fight w/ a monk weapon (mostly stylistically).

Why wasn't this item included in the DMG, maybe the designers were still debating price, or even if it was a good idea (very different from old editions of the monk), or maybe there just wasn't room with all the other items they wanted to include.

How are new spells from the various class books supposed to be included in a campaign. Wizards can find spells in spell books. Sorcerors still just pick. Okay. What about Divine casters? Do they automatically have access to the appropriate new spells? Or is there some other way they are intended to be doled out. My GM is concerned with Divine casters getting more bang out of the new spells since they automatically have access, whereas the wizard still has to pick and choose.

Is there an official method for handling this? If not, how is your GM handling this issue?