Magic of Faerûn

[IronWolf]

Well, I have only good things to say about this pricey soft cover source book for the Forgotten Realms (my only complaints were just mentioned).

If you are a DM or PLAYER who enjoys the Forgotten Realms then this source book is a must. It has a host of great new imaginative spells for the standard cleric and wizard, as well as a few new spells for the less common prestige classes such as Assassins and Black Guards. The spell selection is varied, ranging well from 0 level up through the higher level spell areas. Some to speak of are the Eagle's Splendor (a Bull's Strength or Endurance, but for Charisma, a nify boost for the Paladins and their parties), simple spells like Launch Bolt (a zero level wiz / sor spell for those who don't have a crossbow in hand or would rather cast defensivly than provoke with their ranged weapon), or even a nifty Skill Focus cleric spell (2nd level I believe) that adds to a skill check for a duration (very handy for mages with low Spell Craft points who desperately need to add some new spells to their spellbook).

A player will also like the interesting new Prestige classes such as the War Wizard of Cormyr or the Mage Killer wizard prestige class. Even the Incantrix and the Spell Fire Weilder classes add to the unique depth of the Forgotten Realms lore and extend your database of pretige classes to choose from.

As a DM, you will appreciate the great selection of new and interesting range of magic items that you are provided. These range from religious based weapons such as a Talosian Short Spear to the just new and creative things like Armbands of Maximized Healing.

Finally, as a player and DM in the Forgotten Realms setting, you will appreciate the added detail and flushing out of the history of Magic in the beginning chapters of the book. It really details history and hints at direction of things to come for Mystra, Shar (and her Shadow Weave), and the power structure of the gods of magic pantheon (including powers such as Azuth and Valsharoon).

Overall, I recommend this product, although at first, when at the counter ready to fork over the 30 bucks for a softcover source book with a few new spells in it, I was hesitant! But after reading and using this product, I find it packed full of useful source material for the Forgotten Realms, for players and DM's alike! Enjoy!

 

[Psion]

Magic of Faerûn

The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (FRCS) for Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (3e) made quite a splash when it came out. Not only was it riding a wave of enthusiasm as Forgotten Realms fans were chomping at the bit to see their favored setting done in the 3e game, but the quality of the product received enough accolades to draw in a significant number of non-FR fans looking for a setting to play 3e in or merely looking to borrow a few items and ideas from the setting.

Magic of Faerûn marks the first supplement to the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. As the name implies, the book covers the topic of magic in the Forgotten Realms setting.

A First Look

Magic of Faerûn is a 192 page softbound book, priced at $29.95 US. The cover of the book bears the Forgotten Realms logo and has a background with a white cloth appearance similar to the FRCS book. The cover has artwork in a wrap-around format depicting some spellcasters combating or controlling some sort of demon is some sort of stone structure.

The interior has both color and black and white art. The pages have an off-yellow background that makes them appear like parchment or vellum. The artwork is of average quality; nothing caught my eye as particularly good or bad. The pictures are appropriate in context, depicting some spells or items on that page of the book.

The use of space is good. The text is densely spaced and comfortable to read. The margins are average sized and the column and line spacing is small, as it should be. There is only a one page ad, but the inside cover is not used. Overall, although this is an example of the high price-per-page product that you probably have come to expect from Wizards of the Coast, there is little of the kind of "padding" you will see from other game companies.

A Deeper Look

Magic of Faerûn is sorted into seven chapters. The chapters are Understanding Magic, Magic Variants, Practitioners of Magic, Places of Power, Spells, Magic Items, and Creatures. The table of contents also conveniently lists the sidebars scattered throughout the book. The book also has an index.

Chapter 1: Understanding Magic

The first chapter discusses the underlying history and "handwaving" explanations behind why magic is the way it is in FR. This includes the how and why of the creation of magic, the role of the deities of magic, and the terminology and principles of operation of magic. This is mostly exposition about the FR setting, and as such you will probably find it more useful if you actually plan on running games in the Forgotten Realms that if you are here to pillage. However, it could be interesting reading even if you aren't a fan of FR, and may provide inspiration about how to handle things in your own game.

Chapter 2: Magic Variants

The second chapter discusses various techniques of using magic and some unique magical phenomenon. Some of the sections, namely the sections of elemental magic and elven high magic, are largely fluff with little practical use. The remainder of the chapter speaks of different magic techniques in the realms and includes gem magic, mageduels, moonfire, rune magic, spellfire, and spellpools.

Perhaps the most interesting of these is the mageduels. At the very least it seems to me to be the most attractive "crunchy bit" in the chapter for those looking to import material into their own campaign to use. The mageduel rules allow mages to set up a non-lethal combat via magic, similar in concept to the certamin in the Ars Magica game. There were also rules like this in the AD&D 2nd edition DM's Option: High Level Campaigns book, but I think they do a better job with the version in Magic of Faerûn.

Chapter 3: Practitioners of Magic

The third chapter is the first extensively "crunchy" chapter that those looking to pillage rules material will flip to immediately. It contains information on skills, feats, and prestige classes regarding or using magic in the FR setting.

The skills section is pleasantly devoid of new skills. It was apparently the 3e designers' intention for the start that feats be the primary means of expansion of the game. Magic of Faerûn has not deviated from that policy as many third party D20 System vendors have done. What the skills section does do is enumerate the DCs and appropriate skills to create or otherwise deal with items addressed elsewhere in the book.

The feats section has a rather nice selection of new feats, primarily targeted at spell-casting characters. Unfortunately for those looking to plunder, some of the feats reference feats in the FRCS (e.g. Reactive Counterspell has Improved Counterspell in FRCS as a requirement.) Also, those who already have the Tome & Blood supplement will find many of the feats repeated from that book, such as Eschew Materials and Energy Substitution.

The most controversial feat will probably be the Spellfire Wielder feat. Have fun with that one, guys and girls! At least they spell out the feat requires the approval of the DM, but doubtlessly some FR purists will insist that spellfire is a limited phenomenon.

The prestige class section reintroduces some FR classics like Incantatrix and Mystic Wanderer, some classical figures such as Alchemists and Artificers, some realms specific concepts like Harper Priests and Mages, and some realms specific tweaks of stuff you have already seen like the Guild Mage of Waterdeep (which closely resembles the Mage of the Order Arcane in Tome & Blood.)

In the past I have not been bothered by the extent of duplication of material in WotC products--the habit of reproducing feats and other game mechanical pieces where needed keeps you from having to own a library of material just to use a given published adventure or supplement. However, there is a limit to what you can reprint before you begin to seriously impugn the value of the book for those customers who have faithfully purchased many other items. Magic of Faerûn pushes the limit on that score.

Chapter 4: Places of Power

This chapter is much more likely to appeal to DMs more than players. It details unique and magical locations, and provides some guidelines for using some of these locales in the game. The types of locations described include mystic maelstroms, fey mounds, fey crossroads, monasteries, shrines, and circles. Some of these--like mythals--only seem to be travelogues with very little practical information for running those in the game. Others, like Fey Crossroads, have fully fleshed out rules for use and would make interesting imports into other campaigns. Some locations provided are fully fleshed out settings for adventures, such as the mage fairs and a fully mapped bard's college.

In addition to specific locales, the book discusses organization concerned with magic and the magic item trade.

Chapter 5: Spells

The spells chapter consumes a major part of the book, and is quite possibly its strongest inclusion. The rather anemic spells chapter in Tome & Blood left something to be desired. Even so, there are some repeats from Defenders of the Faith.

The spells chapter contains spells for and expands the spell lists of the core classes as well as Assassins and Blackguards, as well as FR specific classes. Though a great many spells have a combat specific focus, many of them are 3e updates of old spells from the FR setting. Overall have a greater breadth and depth than those presented thus far in the WotC classbooks. The spells chapter is fertile ground for utilization in other campaign settings, and very few of the spells are FR specific.

Chapter 6: Magic Items

As with the spells chapter, many of the items presented herein are updates of items for second edition, especially items from the FR setting such as Netherese blast scepters, Bracers of the Blinding Strike*, Everbright swords, spellblades, Naga crowns, and the Crown of Horns. Many others, however, seem to be new FR items building on the 3e vision of the setting, or extrapolations on the 3e basis (such as Acidic and Screaming weapon enchantments to complement the existing Shocking, Flaming, and Frost weapons.)

As with the spells chapter, those looking to import material into their own campaign world will find the magic item chapter to be fertile territory. The only major drawback is that in addition to unique items and the new enchantments, it does waste a little space devoted to some formula weapons and armors that you could have made with the new and existing enchantments.

* - The astute and well informed will note that though these are well-known for being in the FR Drow of the Underdark accessory, they really appeared in the AD&D game before Drizzt was a twinkling in Salvatore's eye.

Chapter 7: Creatures

Like the previous chapters, this chapter contains 3e updates for many creatures from previous editions in the game (and like the earlier chapters, some of these creatures weren't originally beholden to FR, like the spectator.) This includes some templates, like the spectral mage and the highly FR-specific magister.

I was actually sort of surprised to see the spectral mage appear here. The prevailing reason for the approach to monsters in 3e was that you wouldn't have to create minor variants to existing creatures. I figured that spectral mage would safely fall under the ghost template. Alas, the authors of Magic of Faerûn apparently feel different.

Generally speaking though, the creatures chapter has far less to offer for non-FR fans than prior chapters did.

Conclusions

This may be a good purchase if you want to add some new elements of magic to your game. I like the prestige classes in Tome and Blood better, but some of the ones here are worthwhile. Where the book truly shines is the meaty spell and magic item selections.

The biggest mars of the book are the price tag and the reprinted material. A more reasonable costing book with more original material would have easily been on par with the value of books like Relics & Rituals. Still, I think that FR players will find the book indispensable, and non-FR players will find a lot more "exportable" material here than there was in the costlier FRCS book.

 

[GamerMan12]

The spells in this book fill in the gaps that exist in the core set of spells, for that reason alone it is well worth getting this book. I don't DM a Forgotten Realm's world but do use this book.
It is a must for Wizards as it covers protecting spellbooks and additional magical items and magical abilities for weapons and armor. In fact, it covers things that, I would argue should have
been in the core rulebooks.

GM12

 

[KDLadage]

updated on 22-NOV-02

Although most of the FR:MoF is excellent, there are a few places where it falls flat. Namely, the areas on magical variation are all non-playable fluff that adds nothing to the game at all. The section on Mage-duels, although interesting, was not really what it should have been (in my opinion). It is not even, really, playable

In the end, what you have is a great collection of interesting and well thought out spells and a few prestige classes (that, again, fall short of DMG standards). Although the book is a bit pricey, it is a good deal given the amount of material that is still very usable within the covers...

A good solid buy. Even if you are not going to be playing in the Forgotten Realms...

 

[Messageboard Golem]

Magic of Faerûn

The authoritative guide to magic in the Forgotten Realms.
Magic of Faerûn is the ideal product for Forgotten Realms and D&D players wanting to add new magic to their campaigns. Readers will learn about the Weave and how spellcasters in the Realms manipulate the Weave's power to help them cast spells. They'll also learn how to create magic-wielding characters, monsters, and items for the Forgotten Realms or any D&D game.

 

[Lazybones]

Magic of Faerun has a lot going for it: background info, new prestige classes, a ton of new spells, new magic items, and even a few new monsters. The book follows the precedent set by the FRCS of including a wealth of information for the Realms DM to pick and choose from.

I feel that the book was an excellent value, but I had a few problems with specific areas. Some of the prestige classes seemed a little gratuitous, and some (the mage killer comes to mind) didn't really seem to have much to them given their potential. Some of the spell descriptions weren't entirely clear to me, and will no doubt spawn numerous threads on the ENWorld boards (or letters to the Sage). For example, the spell "Hunter's Mercy" seems to contain a contradiction in the descriptive text. And the illustrations... ah, the illustrations. This is my own opinion, of course, but the illustrations in MoF are AWFUL. Most are apparently from the same artist, done in an abstract style that doesn't even seem to get the perspective of the human form down correctly in many cases. The pictures of the Incantrix, Crypt Spawn, and Reverse Arrows spell are particularly bad, but there are many examples.

Still, I can recommend MoF to the Realms afficionado, although someone using another setting might want to wait until their local bookstore has a sale before picking up a copy.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

First, let me start out with saying that I'm reviewing this product first and foremost for what it is: "A FR Sourcebook of Magic" and not as a "Sourcebook about Magic" even though this tome certainly is both. There is no doubt that this book looses value if viewed as a generic product and/or without the FRCS. Just remember - all books carrying the FR logo REQUIRE the FRCS IN ADDITION to the 3 core rulebooks. If you buy it on any other merits than that, you shouldn't be complaining if you feel you don't get the full bang for your buck. On to the real review....

The Tome of Magic feel...

When I first finished reading Magic of Faerûn, I was left with a strange feeling in my gut - one I recognised as being the same I had when I first read the 2E Tome of Magic. Anyone who's familiar with that product will know what a great compliment that would be to any product. Let's look into the meat of the book:

Introduction and Chapter 1: Understanding Magic

Magic of Faerûn - beautifully and originally illustrated from back to back and printed on wonderful glossy paper - starts out with an entertaining introduction by Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun. We are then swirled through a 7 page guide to understanding the nature of Faerûnian magic. This includes detailed info on the gods and goddesses of Magic (especially Mystryl/Mystra/Midnight), the Fall of Netheril, the Art and the Power (Arcane and Divine) as well as the Weave, the Shadow Weave, Wild Magic, and Dead Magic. All in all - this material expands nicely on that in the FRCS and brings much more flavour to the DnD magic system (so much that I use it in any DnD campaign I run).

Chapter 2: Magic Variants

This chapter continues to expand on some of the concepts from the FRCS - adding flavour with short paragraphs of prose and introducing us in detail to the various forms and practices of magic:

Elemental Magic: Not quite what one could hope for - but still an interesting description on how your philosophical perception of magic shapes your art. It does offer nice an easy suggestions on how to introduce elementalists without creating new PrCs....

Elven High Magic: This is only touched briefly upon as Elven High Magic is due to be described in the upcoming Epic Level Handbook.

Gem Magic: Gem magic offers a versatile and very quick way of affixing spells to items through the use of the Attune Gem feat.

The Mageduel: Definitely my favourite part of this chapter - Mageduels offer a simple and fast-paced way for competing spellcasters to go head-to-head without necessarily killing each other in the proces. The structure also allows for much longer and more tactical battles than would normally be possible. This is one concept you got to love....

Moonfire: This is the low-point of the chapter. It's not useless - just not particularly interesting either. Moonfire is nothing but a holy salve granted to select follower's of Selûne that can be used in the creation of various special "moon" themed magic items.

Rune Magic: Is included only for the sake of completeness and is fully described in the FRCS.

Spellfire: Finally! Clear rules for Spellfire (yes - I know they were presented in Volo's Guide to All Things Magical) - the rules resemble the old 2E quite a bit but the real gem is that you now have clear rules on how to implement it in your games. Magic of Faerûn expands quite a bit on Spellfire in the later chapters - see below...

Spellpools: This essential concept finally gives wizards a reason to band together in guilds. Very plainly described: Spellpools allow the wizard to cast spells he hasn't memorised (he just needs to keep a spell slot of the equivalent level open) by drawing on the energy of the guild's spellpool. This incurs a debt, however, that the wizard needs to repay (in the form of spells cast into the spellpool). This debt does not have to be repaid immediately and the wizards can pay ahead. This concept makes a wizard's guild a formidable opponent if they can draw upon a heavily charged spellpool.

Chapter 3: Practitioners of Magic

In this chapter the meat of the book really begins. New uses and DCs for existing skills are introduced as well as a few feats. Spellfire Wielder is surely an interesting addition for every DM with the nerve (or audacity) to allow such as character into my campaign.
What then follows is a large section of inspiring PrCs. The Gnome Artificer revives the "tinker gnome" concept from 2E (in a well-done fashion I may add), Guild Wizards take advantage of spellpools, Harper Mages and Priests add further to the growing list of PrCs for that organisation, and the Incantatrix specialises in metamagic feats. We then get the Mage-killer - a fairly simple - but conceptually essential PrC that should prepare head-aches for quite a few wizards I imagine. The Master Alchemist - likewise conceptually essential - is a master of potion brewing and while I doubt many players will choose it, it makes a great NPC class. The Mystic Wanderer is a witch-like PrCs with lots of flavourful powers dealing with enchantments, potions and gem magic (this class may need to be scaled down a bit!). The chapter then rounds off with first the Spelldancer - a short PrCs very suited for Elves and Fey, the long-awaited Spellfire Channeler that finally allows us to customise and describe Spellfire wielders in a balanced customisable way and the War Wizards of Cormyr, a short and essential class for any FR player and DM (and which will be of great use as martial wizards from warrior cultures as well).

Chapter 4: Places of Power

This great chapter introduces us to a variety of magical sites such as Mystic Maelstroms, Fey Mounds, Mythals, Druidic Circles, Monasteries, Bard Colleges, Mage Fairs and many more. This material is of great use in most campaigns and includes detailed maps, statistics and other nifty game mechanics like the Mage Fair Events Table.
Lots of great adventures is destined to spring from this chapter.

Chapter 5: Spells

This chapter - the main part of the book - treats us with almost 70 pages of spells (in comparison the PHB had a little less than 120 pages of spells). There's a too wide variety of spells to describe in any detail here - suffice it to say that it is VERY unlikely that you'll find nothing to love in this chapter. There are many deity specific spells (as it should be) and old favourites like Ball Lightning, Blackstaff, Black Blade of Disaster, Combust, Mass Teleport and Simbul's Spell Trigger.
You'll find many great new spells such as Drown, Fiendform, Energy Transformation Field and Infestation of Maggots as well.
This chapter alone should be massively useful in most any campaign and the spell list clearly beats the one's in Tome and Blood (with miles) and Relics and Rituals (with a goal of two ).

Chapter 6: Magic Items

Another useful expansion to the ever growing list of magical items and weapon and armor qualities. Even more so - you've got to love a chapter that has Berserker Blades and Cormyrean Goblintrashers. The best feature is probably that the tables included in this chapter expand upon those in the DMG - making them much easier to integrate and use if you like to roll for random magic items (and who doesn't?).
In addition - we are introduced to magical spellbooks - which wizard wouldn't like a Levitating Major Resistent Dragonhide Spellbook. Finally we get a host of new magical materials ranging from a variety of gems to strange metals and woods.
This chapter is really an essential add-on to the equivalent chapter in the DMG.

Chapter 7: Creatures

A few really nice creatures here. The Spectator returns along with the Scalamagdrion (an anti-magic dragon!). In addition to these two monsters we get three new templates: the Cryptspawn (undead creatures created by the Undeath after Death spell), The Magister (The wizard chosen to by the deities of magic to encourge ever-wider use of magic) and the good ol' Spectral Mage (a wizard given unlife through magic) a nice variation on the ghost theme.

Conclusion

If you love magic, you shouldn't be missing this book. It's a fabulous work that adds tremendously to any campaign. As far as I am concerned Magic of Faerûn is the current leader of the Magical Sourcebook pack (closely followed by the BoEMI and II, well ahead of Relics and Rituals and far ahead of Tome and Blood). Spells and Spellcraft from FFG and Bastion Press's Spells and Magic are the next to explore this field - they have their work cut out ....

-Zarrock

 

[Archer]

"When I first finished reading Magic of Faerûn, I was left with a strange feeling in my gut - one I recognised as being the same I had when I first read the 2E Tome of Magic. Anyone who's familiar with that product will know what a great compliment that would be to any product."

This is the only part of the review I disagree with 100% and its not even about the reviewed product. I actually pulled out my Tome of Magic and looked at it again and its is nothing but drivel compared to today's products. I don't particularly remember in being good back in the day either.

I think that you do NOT need to have FRCS to use this book but it does help. Almost all the material is able to stand on its own.

Everything else is dead on.

 

[Hardhead]

A very good magic supplement. It has some cool prestige class, like the Gnomic Tinker, some great new spells, and some cool magic items. Fun for the whole family.

Unlike the FRCS, this *is* mostly usable in any campaign and the amount of setting-specific stuff is kept to a minimum.

I actually have to agree with the reviewer that gave it a 1. It's not a FR book, really. It's a generic book on magic with a bit of the Realms thrown in. I'm one of the people he mentions that wouldn't know the Realms if I were clubbed over the head with it and his major complaints are lost on me. Elhona has no clerics? Harziguka (or whatever) can't be shaped into armor? News to me.

Unlike him, though, I consider this somewhat of a good thing, because I want a generic book, not a FR one. So hey. Maybe the message is: if you want an FR book, this one sucks. If you don't, then it's good.

It's probably ironic or something.


- Z a c h

 

[Numion]

Yeah, I'll second that. I consider Magic of Faerun to be a better Tome & Blood than Tome and Blood itself!