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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5350249" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine Issue 205: May 1994part 2/6Getting back to nature: Oooh, an extensive semiofficial rules revision in the magazine. We haven't had many of those since Gary left. Jon Pickens starts picking apart the cleric and druid spell lists, with a little help from Skip. Druids have lost some of their important 1e spells due to the choice of spheres they were put in. Meanwhile, generalist clerics look grossly overpowered compared to wizards, and most speciality priests. And a couple of the spheres are pretty much useless as is, particularly Astral. So he sets about majorly rejigging the sphere lists. All needs quite a few more, like Dispel magic. Elemental stuff gets a serious reworking, as do creation, charm and divination. The difference between guardian and protection is discussed. Necromancy and healing likewise get a discussion on the awkwardness caused by the positioning of certain spells, and how it affects clerics trying to do their job. Summoning and sun also need a bit of filling in. This all seems pretty well thought out. Course, ironically, it makes both clerics and druids more powerful as well, which isn't such a great idea. But as long as people think of them as support classes, they'll continue to not use them to their full game overtaking potential. This is one I'd be particularly interested in hearing actual play reports on what happened when applied. Arcane lore: Jon Pickens continues to draw upon the past and try and tune up the divine spell lists. If this was a bit more innovative, it'd be pretty close to a classic special feature. Even as it is, it's pretty useful, deliberately concentrating on the less used spheres. Seal of Destiny shields the recipient from any divinations that would determine their future. This is less fiat limited than it would initially seem, but still varies widely in usefulness based on your campaign style. Alter Luck gives you rerolls, as is standard for luck effects. You'll still need at least a moderate amount of real world luck for this to be useful then. <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" /> Windbearer is an interesting variation on levitation that'll let a whole party go up an awkward shaft. Careful getting off. Set a whole bunch of these in your lair for fun zeldaesque puzzles. Calm Winds is a bit of limited weather control for those clerics who aren't high enough level for the full package. Typical that you would get the dull stuff before the interesting like weather summoning. Clean Air is also a lifesaver, but not very impressive. Still, if it keeps you from being railroaded into module A4, you're going to be pretty happy you picked it that day. This is the joy of having lots of new spells to select from supplements. Conjure Air Elemental is one of your basic symmetry fillers. Not really worth mentioning. Whirlwind is the air equivalent of earthquake, your basic 7th level elemental devastator. Clerics may take a bit longer to get the AoE spells, but they certainly don't lack them. Precipitation is from Unearthed Arcana. Another minor weather effect making it drizzle a bit, it's been changed a bit due to the lack of segments in 2nd ed, and the rules on what it actually does mechanically are a bit clearer. A typical 2nd ed revision then, for good and bad.  Cloudburst is also a rescued UA scrappy. It gets pretty much the same treatment. Enjoy raining on people's parades. Tsunami is a second bit of elemental symmetry. Whatever elemental god you serve, you'll be able to kick ass righteously at high levels. Not that that's a great surprise if you've been picking up Dark Sun or Al-Qadim stuff. Animate Statue is lower level and less versatile than animate object, but may actually be better as a combat spell. After all, it'll probably last longer than a combat, and immunity to nonmagical weapons counts for quite a lot. Course, there is the issue of finding a nonmagical statue in a dungeon. <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" /> Perhaps you should bring your own in your pack and enlarge them when needed. Lesser & Greater Guardian Seal keep various supernatural creatures out, as you would expect. Basically just an extended customisable protection from evil, it shows why the guardian sphere is underfilled. You need a more sadistic imagination for nasty triggered effects like Symbol has my dear. Imbue Purpose answers the question of what spell you need to make weapons with extra plusses against specific creatures. It's reasonably kick-ass and customisable, as you would expect, but rather expensive. Better get investing to make it permanent if you want to save in the long run. Inner Sanctum is your basic scrying and teleportation blocker, albeit rather high level. Another one you can profit highly from making permanent, possibly for other people as well, as this kind of thing is much in demand by the rich and diabolical. Ancient Curse is from Oriental Adventures. It not only <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />s you over, but your descendants as well. One that certainly hasn't been nerfed in the slightest. Shield of the Archons is a high level spell deflector of so-so power for it's level. It will be reprinted soon in planes of law, making it all the more official. Good to see this article got drawn upon as well as drawing upon. Makes it feel more like a proper thread of history. Warmth gives nonelementalists shielding against cold effects. There's more than one route and reason to get an effect, especially where gods of odd portfolios are involved. Sunburst splats undead and dazzles everyone else. Another one that would go into common use in the future. This is proving to be a pretty influential article actually.Crown of Brilliance is another one that would become common knowledge among Archons in Planes of Law and get a whole bunch of various power variants as well. So with both familiar faces from the past, and soon to be familiar faces in the future, this article is both useful and full of nostalgia. A pleasure to be reminded of, really. Rifts gets a sourcebook making gods playable too! Now everyone'll want to play them. Man, that guy has a lot of arms.</blockquote>

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