Opinions welcomed: Book of All Spells

[paragondragon]

Don't know how you guys feel about this book, but I think alot of the spells in it are well overpowering. And I have this one example that I want to here some other DMs responses on it and see what you guys think. Alright, I can't recall the spell at the moment, but it's a low level one, like 0 or 1, that will draw weapons to the caster in the area. It's a real silly spell because the save is so low that it's pretty easy to make for most characters, though a bad roll is a bad roll. This player, an elven lich wizard incantrix, is the main min-maxer in the party. Anyways, he utilized that spell along with about 200 daggers and telekinesis to basically generate like 200 attacks on the target and then draw the daggers right back to him to do it again. I'd overcome him, but I had to use Simbul Skeletal Deliquence on them, which he protested, saying wouldn't effect him because he was undead. I didn't see how this was so, being DM and to continue the game dismissed it. I still don't see how. Another example of over power for spells is the 3rd level Mystic Fulcrum. The same player used it to cast persistent Mindblank on the whole party because of some feat he'd found that turns personal spells into touch spells...so I had to put a level cap on that spell. Anyways, I prefer not to use that book if at all possible, but since we're a democratic party and not the dictatorship that I always push for, I'm forced to endure it's presence game after game...so that's that and we all enjoy a good spat especially when a black eye or bloody nose is the result...like the ritual of blood that have in the Andes mountain to give blood to the gods so that they'll bring the rains...yeah, blood for rain. Kind of like blood for oil.

 

[Caeleddin]

Use only the core books and the SRD


The simplest solution. I find the splat books to cater more for munchkins than anyone else. If they don't add anything new (like how the Psionic Handbook does), then it is usually a bad idea to allow it in. There is no need to make your spellcasters any more powerful than they already are.

 

[Crothian]

well, first start not allowing people to min max or be munchkins. That will solve many problems right there. You'd be amazed how fun the non core books can be with people who don't abuse them.

 

[Caeleddin]

Headache No. 1: Define munchkins.

 

[Crothian]

Headache No. 1: Define munchkins.

that like game balance is for each group to define and be comforitble with

 

[Caeleddin]

Not if your group consist of RP newbies and RP munchkins. For example, compare a straight Dwarven Barbarian with Cleave, Power Attack and WF(waraxe) and a Brd/Ftr/Brb 5/2/1 with Str 18 and Combat Reflexes, Expertise, EWP Spike Chain, Disarm, etc.


The RP newbie won't know munchkin from Adam. Until a few sessions down the track and they realise the Bard is far more effective in combat than the Barb. By then, it would be too late to change, isn't it?

 

[Bront]

Generaly, Basic Books, Campaign setting, and any approved material is all that should be allowed. The splat books are nice, and sometimes have something very interesting, but you should always keep balance in consideration before allowing anything non-standard in your campaign, especialy if it's from several different sources.

Easy way to fix him... have a sun priest turn him using their destroy power. Or have several just keep turning him. He want's to be undead, that's what he gets.

 

[Caeleddin]

Rebuke would be pretty funny too. Especially if they command him to CDG himself. Lich template is like 5-8 LA, so this is not inconcievable.

 

[Crothian]

Not if your group consist of RP newbies and RP munchkins. For example, compare a straight Dwarven Barbarian with Cleave, Power Attack and WF(waraxe) and a Brd/Ftr/Brb 5/2/1 with Str 18 and Combat Reflexes, Expertise, EWP Spike Chain, Disarm, etc.

The RP newbie won't know munchkin from Adam. Until a few sessions down the track and they realise the Bard is far more effective in combat than the Barb. By then, it would be too late to change, isn't it?

No, it is not too late to make the one character change his or just scrap the current game and start over. THe choices might not please everyone but presumily the current situation isn't pleaseing everyone either. And that character described isn't so much a munckin as heavily min maxed.

 

[Crothian]

Generaly, Basic Books, Campaign setting, and any approved material is all that should be allowed. The splat books are nice, and sometimes have something very interesting, but you should always keep balance in consideration before allowing anything non-standard in your campaign, especialy if it's from several different sources.

But a good DM can use many sources and keep the balance. The only way to be able to do that is learn, and learning usually means making mistakes along the way. So, I would suggest slowly introducing nerw material to the game and not blindling disallow all sorts of books on the premise they might cause problems.