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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5312022" data-attributes="member: 27780"><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xuqg6e_dragon-issue-200-the-wizards-three_videogames#.UKaKjo6Rn8s" target="_blank">The wizards three</a>It's only the 4th instalment, and this is now cemented as one of the most eagerly awaited parts of the magazine. No surprise that it's appearing here, in this epic special issue. This time, they get down to business relatively quickly, trading more spells than they've managed before in a single sitting. 9 of them are new, and I'll examine them in more detail in a minute, while one is a bit of cross-promotion for their supplements. (gotta collect 'em all!) Not that it's devoid of drama. Mordenkainen is revealed to be fully aware of Ed's presence, the Simbul makes a guest appearance, and Dalamar gets taken down a peg by the others yet again. He just can't catch a break, can he. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> No matter how powerful you get, there's always a few people even better out there. The spells are as useful as ever. Shadow bolt inflicts minor damage, plus various penalties on their actions due to pain. Since there is a shortage of good offensive 2nd level spells, this might just be the one to fill that slot. Slowspell is an interesting little metamagic effect that delays when spells take place. This can inconvenience enemies, and be used tactically to benefit your own spellcasting if you plan ahead. Acid Bolts are another basic blasty effect. Aside from the greater damage and different type, they're just a variant on magic missile, with no special effects to mark them out from the crowd. Mordenkainen's involuntary wizardry sees him dip into his personal library and once again get metamagical. Make them waste a random spell. Way to ruin the careful plans of your adversaries. Bonebind gives you another method for incapacitating undead, with the potential for comical applications as well. Just the thing for players who still hold a grudge about being aged or level drained. Bloodstars give a wizard 7 orbiting orbs that let them kick the asses of a whole party like a fully powered up ship in R-type or Gradius. Just the thing for a villain about to face a climactic battle who doesn't have any minions near to split party fire. Lightning Storm is pretty weak for it's level, with the only real selling point being the fact that it leaves you unscathed. Really, any combat spell more than twice the level of fireball should be substantially bigger or more damaging. Someone didn't roll well on their spell research attempt.  Alamanther's return lets you play mimic, casting any wizard spell you've ever seen, but don't know personally. Fill all your 9th level slots with this, and you could almost be a spontaneous spellcaster, eschewing study for mischievous improvisation. If you've made it that far, you deserve a little relaxation. Tempestcone is a more offensive variant on Ed's own Spell Engine from issue 100. How very appropriate a callback. Instead of turning them into harmless light, it absorbs any magic energy cast at you and turns it into magic missiles. Truly a godspell, letting you change the whole nature of a fight in one fell swoop. Beware fighters though, since you can't cast out of it any more than people can cast in. Looks like Ed has brought the awesome here, just as he has many times before. There may be a few balance issues, but that's standard with experimental magic, and it seems they're as often overpowered as under. Just exercise the usual caution and make sure they have to actively hunt down the rare and powerful spells on an individual basis. I wonder if he'll have anything to contribute to issue 300. Certainly seems like there's no end to his popularity at the moment, but we know how quickly that can change. Good luck.</blockquote>

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