Spell compendium - Yay or nay?

[Soepvork]

I was considering buying the SC, but I was wondering if it was worht it or just a waste my money. I don't have any of the Complete books, but we have most of them in my group...

[Dhavaer]

If you ever wish to play a caster, this book is for you. 'Caster' in this context is anyone who can cast spells, not just Cleric/Druid/Sor/Wiz.

[Saph]

I like it. It's a lot more convenient to have the spells in one book than to page through half a dozen trying to remember where greater mage armour was originally printed. Plus some of the spells are updated.

I'd say it's worth it if you play spellcasting characters heavily.

- Saph

[Emperor Tippy]

I like it. It's a lot more convenient to have the spells in one book than to page through half a dozen trying to remember where greater mage armour was originally printed. Plus some of the spells are updated.

I'd say it's worth it if you play spellcasting characters heavily.

- Saph

Its one of the best books that I have ever used in 3.5. Its so good that if I didn't already have a copy I would actually pay for it.

[Morty]

Totally worth it. Of course, you have to filter good spells from junk and crap, but you have to do that with core and all splatbooks anyway. It's a must-have for everyone who likes to play casters.

[EagleWiz]

Well if you play noncasters dont get it. A ranger dosent need it, a palladan dosent need it, a bard..... well maby. Sorcerer/Cleric/Druid/Wizard Needs it. Just for the lightning arc spell.

[ArmorArmadillo]

Bottom Line: It's exactly what's promised; lots and lots of new spells.
Generally the first and most often thing I open when I'm building any character who casts spells.

And this isn't just for cheese casters: the greater options really helps you create a flavorful sor/wiz/druid spell list.

[Suzaku]

Now can Rhino Charge and Smite Evil stack?

[Yvian]

Yea. A must have for every spell caster, and fewer books to break your back. If I am looking at core +, that would be one of the books.

[PinkysBrain]

Now can Rhino Charge and Smite Evil stack?

Sure, all flat damage bonuses are multiplied ... only bonus damage dice are not.

[Dark_Wind]

Now can Rhino Charge and Smite Evil stack?

Yes, our Pally does it all the time.

I love the SpC. It's a must have for full casters, and even the half casters get quite a few neat spells that actually makes their spellcasting somewhat worth it.

[Piccamo]

Well if you play noncasters dont get it. A ranger dosent need it, a palladan dosent need it, a bard..... well maby. Sorcerer/Cleric/Druid/Wizard Needs it. Just for the lightning arc spell.

There are good spells for ranger and paladin as well. It turns their casting from a useless annoying bit of extra book-keeping to being somewhat helpful sometimes.

[TSGames]

Yay.
I dislike 10 character limits with great intensity.

[ken-do-nim]

Just remember that there are spells in there that are unbalanced. But that's no different from the Player's Handbook. There may be a tad more though. I haven't meticulously gone through it.

[Dark_Wind]

Just remember that there are spells in there that are unbalanced. But that's no different from the Player's Handbook. There may be a tad more though. I haven't meticulously gone through it.

Wraithstrike and energy transformation field come to mind immediately.

On the whole, though, there isn't too much cheese.

[ken-do-nim]

Wraithstrike and energy transformation field come to mind immediately.

On the whole, though, there isn't too much cheese.

Mass resist energy at only level 3 for clerics comes to mind, as do most of the new ray spells. Most glaring might be ray of stupidity. Intelligence damage, yay! So pretty much any encounter with a monster of type animal is ... over. Then there's ray of dizziness. Any monster who relies on multiple attacks, like say ... a dragon ... is out of luck. There's also some new clerical 4th level spell moon something or other that can do ridiculous amounts of strength damage.

I can't wait to check out energy transformation field!

[Dark_Wind]

Mass resist energy at only level 3 for clerics comes to mind, as do most of the new ray spells. Most glaring might be ray of stupidity. Intelligence damage, yay! So pretty much any encounter with a monster of type animal is ... over. Then there's ray of dizziness. Any monster who relies on multiple attacks, like say ... a dragon ... is out of luck. There's also some new clerical 4th level spell moon something or other that can do ridiculous amounts of strength damage.

Ack, I forgot about ray of stupidity/ It's an auto-kill vs. animals (goodbye dinasaur encounter).

[Fax Celestis]

I thought Ray of Stupidity was a penalty and therefore couldn't reduce below 1?

[Emperor Tippy]

One of the most powerful spells in D&D is in that book. The 9th level wizard spell programmed amnesia. With it you can take over the entire world in about 2 weeks without anyone realizing it. Even the people who do exactly what you want them to.

[ken-do-nim]

I thought Ray of Stupidity was a penalty and therefore couldn't reduce below 1?

Negative; it's int damage.

One of the most powerful spells in D&D is in that book. The 9th level wizard spell programmed amnesia. With it you can take over the entire world in about 2 weeks without anyone realizing it. Even the people who do exactly what you want them to.

Ooh, I'll check that one out too tonight.

[Dark_Wind]

One of the most powerful spells in D&D is in that book. The 9th level wizard spell programmed amnesia. With it you can take over the entire world in about 2 weeks without anyone realizing it. Even the people who do exactly what you want them to.

You think that's bad? Check out mindrape from the BoVD.

[The Glyphstone]

Wraithstrike isn't really that broken. It's powerful, but it's also only really useful for gishes (cause it's personal range), and they have issues of their own. The brokenness comes when you make, say, an item of continuous wraithstrike - and then you might as well add continuous True Strike too, because you're already abusing the rules.

[The_Snark]

You think that's bad? Check out mindrape from the BoVD.

Yeah. Not only do you know their entire life history now, you can rewrite it to better suit you. Or just leave them insane. And it's a standard action to cast. The only disadvantage is that you can't set a trigger like with Programmed Amnesia.

Assay Spell Resistance and Owl's Insight have problems too. Overall, though, it's a handy book, even for paladins and rangers.

[Emperor Tippy]

I let people make all the items of continuous true strike that they want. It only activates once.

The broken item is the use activated item of truestrike.

[Dark_Wind]

Assay Spell Resistance and Owl's Insight have problems too.

The way I see it, if Druid's can get a crazy high insight bonus to their primary casting stat, then Wizards should, too. It's only fair. I want my +10 insight to INT spell! [/Wizard Bias]

Honestly, though, the book really is good, even if it has a couple of overpowered spells. What book doesn't, after all?

[Emperor Tippy]

You think that's bad? Check out mindrape from the BoVD.

The only advantage to mindrape is the standard action. Otherwise Programmed Amnesia is better.

It gives you total access to their mind and you can add multiple "builds" at once each wit ha different triggering condition. So you rebuild a guy from the ground up to think he is a spy working for you and has been his whole life. Make him a true zealot who will do whatever you say (easily done). Now make what is essentially a copy of his current mind but remove the part about you editing him. Leave this as a self updating regular build, it in effect backs up his mind. Key this build to a different triggering condition


Now use a permanent telepathic bond with him. Whenever you want something send the triggering word and he si all the sudden the loyal zealot who does whatever you want. Then send the other triggering condition which restores him to normal.

Its like giving a guy multipel personality disorder and having the regular personality not know about the one that does whatever you want.

[Cruiser1]

One of the most powerful (or most broken, depending on your viewpoint ) spells in the Spell Compendium is Revivify, a 5th level Cleric spell that let's you True Resurrect someone (i.e. no XP loss) for only 1000 gold. The only limitation is that it must be cast within one round of the person's death, but most of the time the Cleric can get to a fallen companion within one round. Note this means a Wizard 13 can True Ressurect for just 300 XP by casting Limited Wish and duplicating Revivify (you don't even have to pay 1000 gold there, because Limited Wish covers any material component worth 1000 gold or under).

If it's been more than a round since your ally's death, you can still True Ressurect them for 1000 gold. Wait until the battle's over, and cast Revenance, a 4th level Cleric spell, which temporarily True Ressurects them for free. Wait next to them until that spell wears off and they die again, and then immediately cast Revivify to bring them back permanently. Of course, a Wizard can do this too, by also duplicating Revenance with Limited Wish.

[Aotrs Commander]

I definately say yay. Not having to cart round all the Completes, Libris Mortis and the Draconomicon is worth it just for that.

(Y'know, unless you were theoretically daft enough to write a conversion of Dragon Mountain and include at least one of virtually every base class and use most of the feats or something).

[Viscount Einstrauss]

I'm not much of a caster player, but I've found it to be very effective while DMing when creating caster enemies. My caster players (all of them, not just the full guys) likewise love it. This is certainly up there with some of the more legendary supplements in 3.5.

As to programmed amnesia and mindrape- I have both books and a player (wizard) that's been salivating at using these in later levels. I'm just lucky that there's actually a second evil player in the group (cleric) that opposes him merely because both are too arrogant to ever team up. Though I feel very sorry for the other six players who picked good alignments...

[Suzaku]

Sure, all flat damage bonuses are multiplied ... only bonus damage dice are not.

Yes, our Pally does it all the time.

I love the SpC. It's a must have for full casters, and even the half casters get quite a few neat spells that actually makes their spellcasting somewhat worth it.

I guess it's my fault for not stating it was rhetorical question -_-'.