Path of Magic, anyone?
- Thread starter Ham_Slaad
- Start date
Psion
Adventurer
Well, it's now listed at the ENWorld online store!
http://www.enworld.rpgshop.com/default.php?cPath=1_260&PHPSESSID=15ca8b5554c3d3169d25f525cd6783ab
http://www.enworld.rpgshop.com/default.php?cPath=1_260&PHPSESSID=15ca8b5554c3d3169d25f525cd6783ab
JoeGKushner
Adventurer
Games Plus, the local shop, also has this book in stock.
Apok
First Post
A (very) brief overview of Path of Magic.
Chapter 1: The Spellcasting Classes
This chapter dives right into the PrC's that we all know and love (or despise). There are nine new prestige classes, the Arcane Negotiator, Chanter, Force Weaver, Grand Diva, Jester, Ring Sage, Spellbinder, Summoner and Swamp Witch. Each has information about a specific order which goes with the PrC that the DM can use or ignore at his leisure.
Afterwards, the book has 10 Legendary Classes which funciton in the same manner as those in Path of the Sword. The Legendary Classes are Death Lord, Elemental Lord, Infiltrator, Landwalker, Maestro, Oracle, Puppetmaster, Puzzlemaster, Traveller and Wizard King. There are also four new Variant Classes, which are 20 level "core" classes which are different takes on spellcasters. There are the Arcane Engineer, Arsenalist, Mind Weaver and Sun Mage.
Chapter 2: New Feats
I'd say the name of this chapter is rather self-explanatory, yes? With a total of 36 new feats, this is a pretty beefy chapter for the spellcasting inclined. Most of the feats seem to be very useful, but there are some that seem either better than existing feats that do similiar things (Additional Spell) and at least one or two that I don't think deserve Feat status (Spell Effects). This section also has a feat or two that are great for Bards, though some of them hinge on the use of new rules for Bards presented later on in the book.
Chapter 3: Bards - Performances of Power
At long last! A book for Bards that we can be proud of! Seriously, I haven't been this excited since BoEMII. This chapter is all about Bards and includes new ways for them to utitlze their Performance ability in conjunction with spell slots to aid their allies and hinder their enemies. Also introduced are three new types of Bardic performance "styles," Chanting, Instrument and Dance. My singluar gripe is that the book assumes the standard Bardic performance is done solely through singing and requires certain feats presented in Chapter 2 to access the Chanting, Instrumental, and Dance abilities. I would have been inclined to simply lump all of these into a single category and call them "Extra Bardic Music Abilities" without having to cost the poor, feat-strapped bard more feats for these things. It is, however, an easy fix and the new Performances are great. The last chapter talks about Bardic Troupes and the use of a magical Spellpool from which many bards may draw energy from when casting.
Chapter Four: The Spellcaster's World
This chapter has lots of information pertinent to spellcasting players, including Tower construction and various Guilds. A little dry, but alot of the ideas included in the Tower section are very cool. Most players will be interested in the Magical Traditions, which function in the same way as the Fighting Schools from Path of the Sword. There are seven Traditions with ten lessons of advancement. Each one has it's own particular flavor; one school deals alot with storms and weather effects, another with time and chronomancy.
Chapter 5: Items of Power
The final chapter of the book talks about, well, Items of Power. Not magical items, per se, though there is a section about Eldritch Staffs, a new kind of magical item. Mostly, the chapter talks about storing power into items and drawing upon them for later use. The most talked about method is empowering objects (rings, potions and talismans) with energy and drawing upon them to empower Metamagic Feats without increasing the actual spell slot. There is also a large section about Fonts of Power, or places where magical energy is prevalent and spellcasting power can be drawn from there.
So, overall I'd say that FFG has triumphed once again in creating Path of Magic. Although I do admit that the book seems to be a tad Sorcerer-Light, since there was little direct reference to those of sorcerous power, I am ecstatic about the treatment of Bards presented in this book. Wizards, of course, get more than their fair share of power.
Chapter 1: The Spellcasting Classes
This chapter dives right into the PrC's that we all know and love (or despise). There are nine new prestige classes, the Arcane Negotiator, Chanter, Force Weaver, Grand Diva, Jester, Ring Sage, Spellbinder, Summoner and Swamp Witch. Each has information about a specific order which goes with the PrC that the DM can use or ignore at his leisure.
Afterwards, the book has 10 Legendary Classes which funciton in the same manner as those in Path of the Sword. The Legendary Classes are Death Lord, Elemental Lord, Infiltrator, Landwalker, Maestro, Oracle, Puppetmaster, Puzzlemaster, Traveller and Wizard King. There are also four new Variant Classes, which are 20 level "core" classes which are different takes on spellcasters. There are the Arcane Engineer, Arsenalist, Mind Weaver and Sun Mage.
Chapter 2: New Feats
I'd say the name of this chapter is rather self-explanatory, yes? With a total of 36 new feats, this is a pretty beefy chapter for the spellcasting inclined. Most of the feats seem to be very useful, but there are some that seem either better than existing feats that do similiar things (Additional Spell) and at least one or two that I don't think deserve Feat status (Spell Effects). This section also has a feat or two that are great for Bards, though some of them hinge on the use of new rules for Bards presented later on in the book.
Chapter 3: Bards - Performances of Power
At long last! A book for Bards that we can be proud of! Seriously, I haven't been this excited since BoEMII. This chapter is all about Bards and includes new ways for them to utitlze their Performance ability in conjunction with spell slots to aid their allies and hinder their enemies. Also introduced are three new types of Bardic performance "styles," Chanting, Instrument and Dance. My singluar gripe is that the book assumes the standard Bardic performance is done solely through singing and requires certain feats presented in Chapter 2 to access the Chanting, Instrumental, and Dance abilities. I would have been inclined to simply lump all of these into a single category and call them "Extra Bardic Music Abilities" without having to cost the poor, feat-strapped bard more feats for these things. It is, however, an easy fix and the new Performances are great. The last chapter talks about Bardic Troupes and the use of a magical Spellpool from which many bards may draw energy from when casting.
Chapter Four: The Spellcaster's World
This chapter has lots of information pertinent to spellcasting players, including Tower construction and various Guilds. A little dry, but alot of the ideas included in the Tower section are very cool. Most players will be interested in the Magical Traditions, which function in the same way as the Fighting Schools from Path of the Sword. There are seven Traditions with ten lessons of advancement. Each one has it's own particular flavor; one school deals alot with storms and weather effects, another with time and chronomancy.
Chapter 5: Items of Power
The final chapter of the book talks about, well, Items of Power. Not magical items, per se, though there is a section about Eldritch Staffs, a new kind of magical item. Mostly, the chapter talks about storing power into items and drawing upon them for later use. The most talked about method is empowering objects (rings, potions and talismans) with energy and drawing upon them to empower Metamagic Feats without increasing the actual spell slot. There is also a large section about Fonts of Power, or places where magical energy is prevalent and spellcasting power can be drawn from there.
So, overall I'd say that FFG has triumphed once again in creating Path of Magic. Although I do admit that the book seems to be a tad Sorcerer-Light, since there was little direct reference to those of sorcerous power, I am ecstatic about the treatment of Bards presented in this book. Wizards, of course, get more than their fair share of power.
drnuncheon
Explorer
How much overlap is there with Spells & Spellcraft? That book had some alternate bardic and sorcerous magic styles, and I'm curious of the PoM stuff is more of the same.
J
J
I'm glad people are digging the stuff on bards. I haven't read the completed information, but I really enjoyed writing the performances of power stuff and am sure Wil only made it better. I think it gives bards a really useful specialty that their parties will find extremely handy.
Sam
Sam
Tsyr
Explorer
I'm actualy a bit dissapointed, from that preview... I had hoped they would have things like in Path of the Sword... "schools" of magic with new rules and stuff... not just prestige classes and feats.
I'll give it a look, of course, and maybe if the stuff is really good, but I already own every other D20 magic book to date, I'm not sure if there is going to be much in here i need.
I'll give it a look, of course, and maybe if the stuff is really good, but I already own every other D20 magic book to date, I'm not sure if there is going to be much in here i need.
Apok
First Post
Tsyr said:
Actually, they do have schools of magic like the fighting schools in Path of the Sword, they are just called Traditions. I believe I mentioned that in my extremely small and limited overview.
Most of the new rules went to Bards, really, which delights me but I know that's not everyone's bag.
drnuncheon:
I assume you are referring to the different types of Sorcerous Blood and such from Spells & Spellcraft? There isn't anything like that in Path of Magic, nor are there any new spells. The two books almost seem to deliberately not overlap in most areas, since what one has the other doesn't. Hmmm... perhaps this is some ploy of FFG's to get us to buy more of their books. Cunning bastiches!
Sam:
Once again, I must bask in the aura of your Coolness.
The Performances of Power section was what I have been looking for to give Bards that extra leg-up, and the flavor is just wonderful. Can't wait for the Quint. PsyWar and Psion!
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