Player's Guide to Wizards, Bards, & Sorcerers

[Barastrondo]

Otherwise, glad to see somebody finally include a monkey...

What's the world without monkey familiars after all.

"We named the monkey Jack."

 

[Kichwas]

Um, no offense, Arcady, but I wasn't talking to you. I see how it may have looked that way, but that wasn't honestly directed at you.

Oh! Sorry about that. I didn't notice anyone else on the page I was reading saying much review wise, so I jumped the assumption there. Looks like I was somewhat hasty and less than proper...

It's a great book by the way, but you folks might want to consider errating that one monster in the Creature Collection, when used as a familiar.

The list of familiars was very welcome by the way, and I plan to swap out the familiars in the upcoming scenerio I run with some of the new entries just to throw an angle on my players.



A section on Sorcerers only was VERY welcome by the way, something I've been demanding since I picked up my 3.0 PHB a few days after it came out and said to myself "now there's a good concept, but they need to -do- something with it."

Looking forward to the Druid and Cleric book.

Trickstergod: The Scythe Falcon is a cery short entry in this book, and conceptually it makes for a great familiar. The problem isn't with this book, but more with the monster in the creature collection being a lot nastier than it probably ought to be. In a DMs hands it can be controlled and used properly -but players have a knack for finding exploits in things, and this critter has a big one. If not for that one attack it would make a perfect familair both stat and concept wise.

 

[Nightfall]

So in other words Arcady is saying "Don't let the falcon ruin your fun!"

*Btw I personally am I glad for Scion feats AND other stuff in this book...just wish I had it !!*

Ethan,

Does the monkey do tricks?

 

[Nightfall]

And just as a side note Arc, did they include Lighting Falcon as a Familiar? Cause I think they should.

 

[Kichwas]

No, they didn't.

Here's a list of the new familiars:

Badger
Hookwing
Monkey
Ratroo
Scythe Falcon
Sentry Crow
Tanil's Fox
Viper (Tiny)
Vrail


Small sized (requires feat and minimum level)
Dire Rat
Dog
Dog, Albadian Battle
Eagle
Ice Weasel
Miser Jackel
Viper (Small)

Medium sized (requires same feast and a higher minimum level)
Baboon
Bear, Black
Boar
Crocodile
Dire Bat
Dog, Dwarf Hound
Giant Lizard
Leopard (Or other hunting cat)
Plaguecat
Viper (Medium)
Wolf
Wolverine

 

[tmaaas]

Just got it last night . . .

Just got the PG to WS&B last night.

I skimmed the Bard and Sorcerer sections (no wizard in my group at the moment). I like the emphasis on role-playing/flavor vs. crunch power-ups. Some great stuff for both sorcerers and bards.

Not that I don't like the crunch. Some personal highlights:

• The "Pied Piper" feat for bards (allows them to have a familiar, who can help with their performances).
• The "Shift Focus" feat (turns personal 'you' spells to touch spells). Hadn't seen this one before.
• The extra bardic music abilities (gain by taking a feat).
• The flavor of the scion feats.

Only complaint I have is how expensive the scion feats are. I know I would think not twice, but three times before taking one. Incredible flavor, but a very high cost for only a modest return.

--tmaaas

 

[Nightfall]

Td,

Depends on if you want to be a Blessed of Mesos or not.

Btw thanks for the list Arc.

 

[Trickstergod]

Wait.

So, the inclusion of a single, optional animal as a familiar puts the entirety of the guide under suspicion.

Damn, brother. Reading gaming books must be quite a chore for you.

Well, crunch-wise, yes. With that mention that the familiar also adds something to the character, I can only think, "Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy," which is my general opinion on Scarred Lands crunch material. If it hadn't been a consistent theme, that I still see cropping up often enough, sure, it'd be a bit much for one little familiar to make me wary of the book, but as is, it just acts as a confirmation that it's another book where I can't trust the crunch.

Although, in all fairness, the fluff's always been good - the sizable stack of Scarred Lands books I own, in light of my criticism, attests to that. But it still makes me sigh when I feel I can't readily trust the crunch material out of a book I just bought.

Besides, if I'm not going to criticize, who is?

In fact, my response wasn't intended to be confrontational, though I can see how it may have come across as snarky. I just find hyperbole kind of humorous.

Apologies if I offended.

None taken. I'm a confrontational individual, anyway. Doesn't help that my philosophy on conversation is that disagreement is the key. I'm certain I've offended people at least a few times, so take it in stride when (horror beyond horrors) someone returns my "snarkiness." Heh.

My own apologies if I've offended, which I can imagine is something I border on doing often enough.

Trickstergod: The Scythe Falcon is a cery short entry in this book, and conceptually it makes for a great familiar. The problem isn't with this book, but more with the monster in the creature collection being a lot nastier than it probably ought to be. In a DMs hands it can be controlled and used properly -but players have a knack for finding exploits in things, and this critter has a big one. If not for that one attack it would make a perfect familair both stat and concept wise.

Oh, I certainly don't argue with the concept of it. Just that I think a bit more thought could have been put into allowing it as a familiar, when it is quite clearly a step above all the familiars in the Player's Handbook, being the flying, semi-vorpal beastie it is.

 

[Nightfall]

Well hopefully the PG: Rangers and Rogues will have the balance you've been looking for you.

 

[Trickstergod]

Well hopefully the PG: Rangers and Rogues will have the balance you've been looking for you.

Oh, I'm not saying that the Wizards guide doesn't - one semi-vorpal familiar of DOOM does not an unbalanced book make. Just that it doesn't help, either.

I'll eventually get around to browsing through it, at some point (probably at Bardos, err, Borders, as they have those nice seats to curl up in), and base my decision off of that. Just that there's a reason I don't pre-order.

Actually, come to think of it, I believe a friend bought it recently...ha. I'll have to check on that, then get to the borrowing once he's done.