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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2009222" data-attributes="member: 172">Spells and SpellcraftSpells and Spellcraft is the fourth of FFG's hardbound supplement style Legends & Lairs books targeted and generic d20 system fantasy, following Traps & Treachery, Mythic Races, and Seafarer's Handbook. Spells & Spellcraft provides new option for magic in such a game, useful for both players and GMs.A First LookSpells & Spellcraft is a 176 page book priced at $24.95 US. The interior typeface and leader space are a bit larger than average.The cover is blue, with the iron-shod tome look with a design similar to the previous books in the Legends & Lairs series. The front cover has a stylized scroll with a glowing rune on it inside a rune-encrusted circle, against the backdrop of a collage of some of the various pieces of artwork from the interior rendered on a parchment-like background.The interior art is black and white, and generally of good quality. Interior artists include Andy Braise (whose style you may recognize from the FFG's Dragonstar Starfarer's Handbook), Mitch Cotie, David Griffith (who you may recognize from various Mongoose titles), Eric Lofgren (FFG and Mongoose alumni) and Tyler Walpole.A Deeper LookThe book is divided into five chapters. The table of contents only lists the chapters, and not specific topics. Fortunately, there is an index.Chapter 1: SpellsAs you might expect for a book with spells in the title, there is a whole chapter devoted to new spells. The writeups are a bit more like those in the Players Handbook than in Sword & Sorcery Studios' Relics & Rituals in that they provide no flavor text, which can be good of bad depending on how much you value such things. A number of the new spells are listed for existing domains,a practice which Relics & Rituals also engages in. Unlike that book, Spells & Spellcraft at least gives you some indication on how to handle this: you can either allow the player to pick one or other of the spells and domain spells or domain spells at your discretion. That may be very obvious, but it is more guidance than Relics & Rituals gave.The selection of spells includes many combat appropriate ones. However, there is also a fair selection of noncombat and utility spells.Some example spells include:- Animate Images: Creates animated objects out of images. Similar to a "shadow conjuration" version of animate object.- Bandersnatch: Traps a sack so that someone reaching a hand in is shrunk down and trapped in the sack.- Chameleon Skin: Gives one-half concealment and +20 to hide checks. I thought the bonus was a bit high; the ring of chameleon power and robe of blending only provide +15 bonuses.- Command Construct: A powerful high-level spell that allows you to steal control of a construct. The spell does not state that it in any way bypasses a golem's normal immunity, which makes it seem a bit less powerful. It does have a modestly expensive material component, but it seems like an XP cost might have been appropriate.- Conjurer's Toolbelt: An example of the utility spells in the book, this cantrip conjures a tool of some sort.- Disruption Missile: One of a variety of spells that bolster the arcane spellcaster's ability against undead, disruption missile creates bolts of positive energy that damage undead.- Dramatic Visage: A multipurpose illusion spell, dramatic visage creates special effects around the target. This can be of use in combat, conversation (where it affects intimidation, bluff, and diplomacy checks), or performances.- Felonious Friend I and II: These two spells summon a force similar to an unseen servant that can perform various skills. Felonious Friend I can prick pockets. Felonious Friend II can disable device and open locks.- Malediction of Razors: Shoots blades of force that cause bleeding (like a wounding weapon) in addition to the base damage.- Pulsing Fireball: Similar to a fireball, except the fireball repeats every round for 5 rounds, though subsequent bursts are successively weaker.- Restore Book: Given a part of a book, restore book restores the entire volume.- Syron's Energy Armor: Undead creatures contacting the subject of the spell suffer positive energy damage.- Zone of Visibility: Creatures in the area of effect lose the effects of invisibility, hide checks, and obscuring mist. I think this spell was a little too close to invisibility purge.Overall, this is an interesting and useful selection of spells. There were a few that I would have raised a level, but no spells struck me as blatantly abusive.Chapter 2: The Craft of MagicThis chapter provides a number of resources for spellcasters. The chapter is divided into a number of topical sections.The first two sections, Arcane Libraries and Magical Research, do not expand upon the scope of the existing rules, but rather provide more detailed rules to address details that a GM might otherwise wing. These rules sections discuss the building and classification of libraries and labratories, finding books, employing experts to assist in research, and other details of libraries and laboratories.The next section, Taint and Tune, begins to nudge back the boundaries of the existing rules a little. This section provides variant rules for handling bards ("tune") and sorcerers ("taint"). The bardic magic section assumes that bards can use one of a variety of magical methods, and the bard as depicted in the d20 system core rules represents just one variant, the bard that uses music as part of their magic. New methods presented include dancing, juggling, and storytelling. Each of these has advantages and drawbacks compared to traditional bards. For example, a juggling bardic spellcaster receives a bonus with thrown weapons, but their version of spellcasting is easier to disrupt. I like the variants presented here compared with other attempts at refining the bard by d20 system publishers.The sorcerer variants build on the idea that sorcery is the result of an unusual bloodline. The standard per the book is assumed to be "faintblood", i.e., regardless of the character's heritage, the bloodline is so faint that it causes no appreciable changes from the sorcerer as described in the d20 system core rules. Characters with stronger bloodlines must select the type from dragon, fey, giant, or demon, each with their own advantages and drawbacks. For example, demon-blooded sorcerers get a minor fire or cold resistance and a +1 natural armor bonus, but receive penalties on their saving throws against aligned magic.In addition to these variants, a number of new feats are provided to help individualize your sorcerer. For example, the Bloodburn allows a character to increase the effective caster level of a spells by inflicting damage on themself.The chapter provides a brief listing of some new uses for existing skills. Overall, the expansions seem reasonable. For example, balance can be used to assist in concentration checks where precarious footing threatens to disrupt a spell. A new knowledge skill is provided, psychology.The last section of the chapter covers ceremonies and rituals. A system is provided for describing rituals and ceremonies in game terms (including such things as caster level and spellcraft DC required to perform the ceremony) , and a number of sample ceremonies are described. Many  ceremonies are tacked on to actions that did not have any prior requirements, as well as events such are weddings that have no prior treatment. The game effect of ceremonies seem vague at best, and I don't feel that the ceremonies and rituals dovetail neatly with the system in the same way that the rituals in Relics & Rituals do.Chapter 3: New Types of MagicThe third chapter throws out a bundle of new optional systems and magic items for PCs and Gms.The first new type of magic is Ward Magic. A ward basically uses the item creation rules, using the new item creation feat weave wards. Wards are basically item enchantments (using abjuration or divination spells) that are applied to locations. Wards can be activated by bearers of ward tokens, small items attuned to the ward. Low level spells can be activated by anyone attuned to the token, but higher level abilities require a spellcaster to activate.One point of curiosity regarding the weave wards feat is that it specifies an arcane spellcaster as a prerequisite. Later, it mentions divine wards (which seems reasonable.) I wonder why the feat specifies that the caster must be arcane.The second new type of magic is Choas Magic. To use chaos magic, the an arcane spellcaster must take the appropriate feat. A character with the feat may select chaos spells in place of normal spells. Chaos spells are essentially a list of normal spells assembled around a common theme. For example, the invocation of dreams is a chaos spell assembled in place of a 3rd level spell and consists of "offensive" mind-affecting spells: daze, detect thoughts, dream, nightmare, sleep, and suggestion. When cast, the spell effect that actually takes place is rolled randomly on a chart included in the book. The table selects the effect, and has a chance of causing helpful or harmful variations in the effect.Cooperative Magic is a method of casting that requires two casters to have the appropriate feat. In some ways, the cooperative effort doesn't help too much – some effects are determined by the average of the casters' levels. However, the DC is heightened and the casters may add one of a short list of metamagic feats for free. In general, I must say I preferred the combined casting approach in Sword & Sorcery Studios' Relics & Rituals.The section on religion examines a few alternate options for divine spellcasters. Perhaps most interesting is the small gods system. Small gods are creatures with CRs from 5 to 24 and with a sizable body of followers. Small gods can grant power to divine spellcasters, but the level of ability they can grant is limited by the god's CR and the number of followers. The book suggests that outsiders could be small gods, but an example shows an elemental, and I could see dragons filling this role as well. This is one of the neatest and best executed ideas in the book, and it clears the way for cults devoted to demons and dragons.Another divine spellcasting variant is the theurgist. Theurgists are clerics that are devoted to multiple deities. Theurgists can select domain spells from any domain. However, theurgists lack any domain abilities.Animists are characters who have a special relationship with various spirits in the world. A druid or cleric may become an animist priest in exchange for certain abilities, or any character may use the spirit friend feat. Characters with this ability gain a number of spiritual awareness points they can use each day; these points can be exchanged for favors from the spirits.Place Magic purports that there are two special types of places that contain arcane or divine magical power; these are referred to as nexuses and shrines respectively. The rules for these places are not hard and fast; this section merely provides examples and suggestions. For example, arcane nexuses might automatically apply metamagic feats to spells of a given school, prevent scrying, or allow casting of spells without use of a slot. A shrine might be treated as hallowed, provide bonuses to knowledge (religion) rolls, or heal followers of the deity the shrine is devoted to.Chapter 4: The Mundane Made MagicalThe fourth chapter encompasses a few topics not directly related to spellcasting: alchemy, constructs, magical materials, and familiars.The alchemy section includes a number of new alchemical items in the same vein as those presented in the players handbook. It also includes rules for alchemical mishaps and combining the use of alchemy with other skills, as well as a smattering of new metal alloys such as frost steel and moon silver.The constructs section provides a system for building constructs from scratch using any material the caster wishes. You are given a variety of base forms according to size and then tweak the attributes according to the material that it is made of. It is not as complex and accomodating as Mongoose Publishing's Constructs book is, but is easier to use.Two sample constructs are included, animated rope and rope golem, but the statistics blocks are incorrect. FFG has posted the correct statistics on their website.The magical materials chapter provides a variety of substances that can be used as components of magic items or having special properties all by themselves. For example, armor forged of silentsteel does not provide the normal penalties to move silent checks. A system is provided for finding and harvesting these items, according to the rarity and type of the material.The familiar section expands upon a spellcaster's options with familiars. Casters may take advantage of familiar types other than animals, such as elemental and constructs. Unlike WotC's Tome & Blood, there is not cost in feats to acquire these special familiars (though as a GM I would be inclined to use the T&B feat in conjunction with these rules.) Instead, there is a caster level prerequisite and other requirements to acquire such familiars.The familiar section includes a section on improving familiars. A variety of special qualities can be added to a familiar, at the cost of XP.A variety of new exotic new creatures are introduced for use as familiars. Your sorcerer or wizard can have intelligent construct spellbooks, ghostly vipers, celestial songbirds, or grassy elementals as familairs.Finally, the familiar section provides a brief system for handling NPC reactions according to the character's familiar type. Obviously, undead or parasite familiars pose a few problems when interacting with more polite society.Chapter 5: Magic ItemsThe last chapter covers magic items. It introduces three new types of items as well as a selection of new standard magic items.The first new type of item is the glyph eggs. Put simply, glyph eggs are magical grenades. Glyph eggs contain a certain spell, and unleash this spell when the egg is shattered. Essentially, this makes glyph eggs a bit like potions in that they can be used by anyone, but they typically contain area effect spells rather than personal effect spells.There is a new feat to craft glyph eggs. However, it only mentions being able to craft eggs that contain spells up to third level, though the list of available spells for glyph eggs goes up to 9th level. It turns out that a feat was omitted from the book to allow creation of higher level glyph eggs; this feat is listed in the errata on the FFG website.The second new type of item is the personal growth item. Personal growth items are items with a rich history that grows with the characters. As the character gains experience, they may spend money or experience to enhance the item. The item may acquire quirks as they grow, mitigating the cost to the character, but potentially making the items more colorful to deal with.On the surface, this is a neat idea, but I don't like some of the mechanics behind it. For example, the GM may split the character's cost in advancing the item between the listed gp and xp cost. The problem is, per the rules, that's not an even tradeoff. The "exchange rate" between gold and experience is 5:1, not 25:1 as you might guess from looking at the item creation procedures.Relics are items created by gods or outsiders that the faithful can use. Similar to personal growth items, they can be activated by the expenditure of experience. Relics are usually items of religious significance.Finally, a number of new standard items are introduced, such as oil of animation (animates an object it is applied to), rings that provide metamagic, and the grotesque mask, facestealer.ConclusionThis book is packed with ideas for use in a game. I was especially fond of the variant bards and the small gods rules. Many of the ideas and rules presented are by necessity much less detailed than those in rulebooks dedicated to the subject, but if you aren't looking for quite as detailed treatment of those topics, the fact that so many such topics are covered could make this book worth your while.As stated, there were a few places that I felt the rules treatment lack a little in the execution, such as the personal growth items. Further, I found the spells a little bland. It is likely that this book may be a little costly for the use you get out of it if you only use a few of the ideas from the book.This book should appeal to those that are looking for more details in a campaign, looking for those looking to inject a little bit of mystery into their campaign, or for those looking to add more muted magic systems to a low magic setting.-Alan D, Kohler</blockquote>

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