What Does Complete Scoundrel offer Spellthieves?

[Wik]

I was scanning through Complete Scoundrel earlier today, hoping against hope that they offered something for spellthieves. And, lo and behold, they did! In my quick search, I found two different feats designed specifically for spellthieves!

I didn't get much time to look through the book, because the game store was playing a audio tape of the first book of Lord of the Rings (goofy british voice and everything) and it was as annoying as hell, so I had to beat it. But... just how much is in this book for the spellthief enthusiast?

 

[Wik]

Does anyone even have the book yet? Anyone know where I can go to get a review? (There's not one up on EN World that I know of)

 

[Dark Psion]

The Psithief feat allows a Spellthief to steal power points equal to twice the maximum level of spell they can steal minus 1. The points can only be used to manifest a power you allready know and will fade away in one hour. You also add Knowledge (Psionics) & Psicraft to the class skills list of the Spellthief.

The Psibond Agent prestige class sample NPC is a Psion(Telepath) 5/ Spellthief 1/ Psibond Agent 6.


The Master Spellthief feat allows your Spellthief levels to stack with any Arcane spellcasting levels to detrmine maximum level of spell you can steal.

 

[Gort]

I'm really interested in the spellthief as a concept (I like rogue-mage types ). Since you're a fan, what's it like in actual play?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The Master Spellthief feat allows your Spellthief levels to stack with any Arcane spellcasting levels to detrmine maximum level of spell you can steal.

Wow, that opens things up quite a bit. Does it have rough prerequisites?

 

[szilard]

Does anyone even have the book yet? Anyone know where I can go to get a review? (There's not one up on EN World that I know of)

I quasi-reviewed it on my blog, but I don't know if what I was looking at will be of any use to you.

-Stuart

 

[Wik]

I'm really interested in the spellthief as a concept (I like rogue-mage types ). Since you're a fan, what's it like in actual play?

The spellthief is very GM-dependant, in that if you don't have a GM who is going to throw in enemies for you to steal spells from, you're screwed.

When we started playing, I had a GM who was more than happy to throw in a mage or something for me to steal spells from. And, trust me, that's a lot of fun. When you're in the middle of a big fight and you've got a color spray spell that you've never used before, you're going to be thinking in ways you're probably not used to. It's a class that NEEDS a creative player, and I like that.

Unfortunately, that same GM started using more and more "bruiser" types, and wound up not even throwing in the occasional trap for me to disarm. The last useful thing my spellthief did was rescue a few children from a fire, and that wasn't really class-related. My spells weren't entirely useful, either (I played till 6th level) - casting Shield before a fight with us was pretty much spending an action to get an AC only slightly lower than everyone else in the group.

The big downside of the spellthief that will ALWAYS be a problem is that if you're going against mages (the big enemy for the class), odds are good that you'll kill your target in the same attack that you steal his spell, which is fine mechanically, but I think ruins the flavour of the class. Also, in any particular encounter, you're only going to make one steal, and it'll take you at least two rounds to do so. Since a combat is seldom more than three rounds long, your actions look like this:

ROund 1: Get into position to steal a spell.
Round 2: Steal a spell.
Round 3: Cast spell.
Round 4: Loot the bodies.

Whereas, in that same round, the sorcerer is:

Round 1: Cast a spell.
Round 2: Cast a spell.
Round 3: Cast a spell.
Round 4: Loot the bodies.

So, yeah, the spellthief isn't entirely useful. But it *IS* fun.

 

[Wik]

Wow, that opens things up quite a bit. Does it have rough prerequisites?

I was looking at that feat, and it doesn't look like it. I know that after I saw it, I had to fight down the urge to rush home and make a spellthief/sorcerer character.

I hate to say it, but it looks like I'm going to have to break my "no more D&D books" rule and pick this sucka up on friday. I mean, as a spellthief nut, how could I not?

 

[Wik]

I quasi-reviewed it on my blog, but I don't know if what I was looking at will be of any use to you.

-Stuart

It's a nice quasi-review you have there (I liked your culture checklist!). Of course, I'm looking for specifics. Right now, all I know of are two spellthief-related feats, and a spellthief character stat block. Are there any spellthief items? spells?

 

[Nifft]

Spellthief is fantastic for doubling the number of spells your party can cast in one round. Sorcerer + Spellthief? Now you can cast two of your Sorcerer's highest level spells in round 1. Works for Clerics with Cure spells, too.

However, they really shine in a party with a Warlock and a Dragonfire Adept.

Cheers, -- N