I've got the D&D Spell Compendium- Any questions?

[Oryan77]

Does the book actually have every single spell from every single book you listed for the classes you also listed? Or is it just the most commonly used spells?

Also, does each spell identify which book or source it was originally in?

 

[MerricB]

Evokers can basically do one thing. It's not nice when a different school, first, mirrors all evocation spells and, second, does so with even less penalties. This makes the school of evocation obsolete.

Indeed.

The Orb spells don't worry me (with the exception of Orb of Force) simply because I think evocation has the edge on them. (Ranged Touch and Close range even with No SR isn't that worrisome).

Now, Vitriolic Sphere worries me somewhat. Still, an Empowered Fireball is substantially better.

To answer your question, the spells haven't yet come up in my games.

Cheers!

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

So is it just a collection of spells from previous sources? Or is there any fresh hot beef injections in the book?

I have not heard that phrase in nearly 20 years... what movie was that from?? OMG... I actually heard a woman use that phrase during... conjugalness...

Add to this the fact I just finished a liter of Bushnell's Irish Cream and had it come out my nose when I read that phrase... I hurt so bad. Fortunately, I'm too drunk to care.

But thanks for posting the update on the book. It's at the top of my Christmas wish list!

 

[Mark Hope]

I have not heard that phrase in nearly 20 years... what movie was that from??

The Breakfast Club, sporto!

Back on topic, Spell Compendium sounds like a real treat. Does anyone know when it comes on general release?

 

[Pinotage]

Sounds like a useful product to me. Thanks for the info!

Pinotage

 

[the Jester]

Humm... is there any update of reality maelstrom in there?

 

[GQuail]

Having all the spells in all of those sources in one book will dramatically increase my usage of non-core spells. I just don't enjoy flipping through a dozen sourcebooks looking for different spells. Now I won't have to.

I very much agree. I own several of the books/magazines listed as being in this collection, but having to plough through multiple books when I can't quite remember where X spell is isn't fun. Sure, I could search online: but at the game table, that's not viable.

This book seems a bigger plus to players than DMs. If I'm making up an adventure, I don't mind flicking through my collection to seek out characterful spells: but I hate having to hand across a sourcebook I'm using mid-adventure because the Druid has a spell from it, especially if I'm mid combat with a monster from self same spellbook. "Woah, we're fgoing to be ighting a Swarm-shifting Dracolich? Heavy! Somebody toss me Libris Mortis and Draconomicon... hey, how come they're by the DM? I need them"

In my game we solved this with notes for the most common non-core spells, but this book means I can have a single book all casters can hand around to supplement their spell collections. Yes, that's totally worth my money, because it's convenient. Sure, I could continue to print out errata and photocopy books with the work computers, but eventually someone is going to notice... ;-)

 

[Morgenstern]

Evokers can basically do one thing.

0-flare, light
1-floating disk
2-continual flame, Darkness, gust of wind,
3-daylight, tiny hut, wind wall
4-fire shield, resilient sphere
5-Interposing hand, sending
6-Contingency, Forceful hand
7-Grasping hand, forcecage
8,9-eh, these levela are all about damage

What one thing were you thinking of and how does this loss detract from the utlilty of the list above?

It's not nice when a different school, first, mirrors all evocation spells and, second, does so with even less penalties. This makes the school of evocation obsolete.

Pardon if I think don't any school should hold a categorical lock on something as essential to the combat-driven play environment as DAMAGE . Evokers remain the crown princes of AOE and seem to be way out in front on variety of damage for those pesky critters with resistances. If losing this handful is such a blow, then the envoker's role was built on a foundation of sand to begin with.

 

[Li Shenron]

I very much agree. I own several of the books/magazines listed as being in this collection, but having to plough through multiple books when I can't quite remember where X spell is isn't fun. Sure, I could search online: but at the game table, that's not viable.

This book seems a bigger plus to players than DMs. If I'm making up an adventure, I don't mind flicking through my collection to seek out characterful spells: but I hate having to hand across a sourcebook I'm using mid-adventure because the Druid has a spell from it, especially if I'm mid combat with a monster from self same spellbook.

You're right that it will be more useful for a player rather than a DM. There's a balance problem tho: if the player is a Cleric or Druid, allowing this book means more than doubling their spells known. Unless you introduce some house rule which I'm fairly certain that this book doesn't suggest.

 

[GQuail]

You're right that it will be more useful for a player rather than a DM. There's a balance problem tho: if the player is a Cleric or Druid, allowing this book means more than doubling their spells known. Unless you introduce some house rule which I'm fairly certain that this book doesn't suggest.

<nods> My players were mostly D&D beginners (or at least, hadn't played in ages) when my campaign started a year and a half ago, so they stuck with core rules spells to start with. But now, the Druid player has really gotten into looking up other books for relevant spells: Frostburn and Magic of Faerun have become his constant companions. :>

But, yes, it can be a problem from both a balance point of view ("how come the druid has custom spells when we're in the snow environment for free?") and just a time point of view. (It's not as bad as looking through X sourcebooks and magazines, but an extra huge book with nothing but spells is going to make spell choices take longer.)

I'd be less worried for the secondary casters like Rangers or Paladins: but for Clerics and Druids, perhaps imposing a more "themed" spell selection is the order of the day? Draconomicon spells are only available to, say, priests of dragon cults, races with draconic ties (like Kobolds) or people with Dragons in some way in their background. (Perhaps elves in your campaign setting have dragon steeds for their aristocracy, or summut.)

I saw someone post here before that they only allow spells from non-core books like the BoVD or LM if the players actually find copies of these aforementioned books. Less practical for the Spell Compendium, unless your players come across Tenser's Tertiary Tome. :>