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<blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 2748793" data-attributes="member: 2020">A comment.&nbsp;&nbsp; I played AD&amp;D for 20 years prior to 2000, then gave up the game.&nbsp; Now I'm reconsidering, and products like the Spell Compendium are one reason for that.&nbsp; Also, from what I've heard of 3.5, I am turned off.&nbsp; All this nerfing of magic turns me off.&nbsp; So I would be very unlikely to rejoin the Hobby, no?&nbsp; But, I'm considering buying the book (it's $40, which is pricy) and rejoining the Hobby.&nbsp; The Spell Compendium must have something going for it, then!&nbsp; So what's the secret?&nbsp; When you gather all the rules into one place, where everyone has a chance to access them, you give freedom and power to the players and DM alike.&nbsp; From freedom comes innovation, imagination, and creativity, because now there is a solid base of rules to base those things on, and a consistency which the players can rely on.&nbsp; Now, if the players and DM wish to add more complexity, it is easier to do so, because they already have a huge base (the Compendium) to start from.&nbsp; The more rules, and the more consistent the rules, the greater the freedom and empowerment of the players and DM alike.&nbsp; It does not matter if the spells are nerfed and I prefer the powerful 2nd edition spell versions.&nbsp; Now, I have a complete set of rules with which to make comparisons - if I want to change a 3.5 spell into it's powerful 2nd edition variant but still using the 3.5 rules, I can do so.&nbsp; For example, I can take Haste 3.5 as it is written.&nbsp; Or, I can reference it against the Haste of 3.0, or 2nd edition.&nbsp; And then I can take whichever version of Haste which suits me best.&nbsp; I can do that because I have easy access to a consistent set of rules.&nbsp; I honestly think a Compendium of Feats and a Compendium of Prestige Classes ought to be compiled.&nbsp; I'd pay the $40 for each.&nbsp; Pricy?&nbsp; Yes.&nbsp; But did it take an agonizingly monumental amount of work to produce those books by WOTC?&nbsp; Yes.&nbsp; Back in 2nd Edition, they produced the most powerful spells you could imagine (most of you would call them broken or munchkin, in today's terminology.)&nbsp; But because those spells were in obscure products, which if you were extremely lucky you actually saw in a store, much less bought, neither player nor DM had access to them.&nbsp; So, the would-be munchkinized mage, wasn't, even if the DM was all for the idea.&nbsp; And, if the player merely wanted access to some neat spell, not overpowered but very interesting and creative, he and the DM alike lost out because the spell was in an obscure product overlooked.&nbsp; The Wizard's Spell Compendium and Priest's Spell Compendium fixed that, but they came out at the end of the lifespan of 2nd edition, whereas this Compendium is coming out at the beginning of the lifespan of 3.5.&nbsp; Edena_of_Neith</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Edena_of_Neith, post: 2748793, member: 2020"] A comment. I played AD&D for 20 years prior to 2000, then gave up the game. Now I'm reconsidering, and products like the Spell Compendium are one reason for that. Also, from what I've heard of 3.5, I am turned off. All this nerfing of magic turns me off. So I would be very unlikely to rejoin the Hobby, no? But, I'm considering buying the book (it's $40, which is pricy) and rejoining the Hobby. The Spell Compendium must have something going for it, then! So what's the secret? When you gather all the rules into one place, where everyone has a chance to access them, you give freedom and power to the players and DM alike. From freedom comes innovation, imagination, and creativity, because now there is a solid base of rules to base those things on, and a consistency which the players can rely on. Now, if the players and DM wish to add more complexity, it is easier to do so, because they already have a huge base (the Compendium) to start from. The more rules, and the more consistent the rules, the greater the freedom and empowerment of the players and DM alike. It does not matter if the spells are nerfed and I prefer the powerful 2nd edition spell versions. Now, I have a complete set of rules with which to make comparisons - if I want to change a 3.5 spell into it's powerful 2nd edition variant but still using the 3.5 rules, I can do so. For example, I can take Haste 3.5 as it is written. Or, I can reference it against the Haste of 3.0, or 2nd edition. And then I can take whichever version of Haste which suits me best. I can do that because I have easy access to a consistent set of rules. I honestly think a Compendium of Feats and a Compendium of Prestige Classes ought to be compiled. I'd pay the $40 for each. Pricy? Yes. But did it take an agonizingly monumental amount of work to produce those books by WOTC? Yes. Back in 2nd Edition, they produced the most powerful spells you could imagine (most of you would call them broken or munchkin, in today's terminology.) But because those spells were in obscure products, which if you were extremely lucky you actually saw in a store, much less bought, neither player nor DM had access to them. So, the would-be munchkinized mage, wasn't, even if the DM was all for the idea. And, if the player merely wanted access to some neat spell, not overpowered but very interesting and creative, he and the DM alike lost out because the spell was in an obscure product overlooked. The Wizard's Spell Compendium and Priest's Spell Compendium fixed that, but they came out at the end of the lifespan of 2nd edition, whereas this Compendium is coming out at the beginning of the lifespan of 3.5. Edena_of_Neith [/QUOTE]

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