New campaign, Core + ONE acessory

[TheGogmagog]

So I'm DM'ing a new campaign and to keep things simple, I'm keeping it core rules (PhB, DMG prestige classes) Plus one acessory book. Complete whatever for feat and prestige class selection.

Not only for keeping it simple, I thought it would provide something special that your character can do, that not everyone else can. I suppose if I wanted to keep it simple, I could have left it core.

Well, here's my issue. Ranger says Spell Compendium, Scout well choses Complete Warrior?, Cleric says Spell Compendium, Wizard says Spell Compendium, Barbarian says undecided but probably Complete Warrior.

Wizard says, how many spells per level? I answer Two just like all wizards, and by the way not every wizard IMC has acess to the SpC. Additional SpC spells won't be available in the magic store.

Grumbles insue about it not being fair the cleric gets all the spells, the wizard gets two per level (or 4per spell level), its not a good value for him. I shrug it off at the moment with 'I favor clerics'. Later I take a closer look and see that there are A LOT of spells per level in the SpC. I'll make some concession that the SpC spells will be available but still less frequently than PH spells.

While this is Forgotten Realms, (I'm hoping) it's not the campaign that Greyhawk fans will cite in contempt... 'Another +3 flaming longsword, lets exchange them at the magic shop a ring of wizardry.'

What do you think, am I a jerk?
Is it not fair to the Wizard? Is it not fair to the noncasters, since there isn't a BFC of feats and prestige classes?
Are the SpC spells that great that you wouldn't pass them up for a non-core feat or prestige class?

 

[Rystil Arden]

It isn't fair to give the Cleric every new spell that ever comes out automatically. Make the cleric pay gold to add the spell to her list just like the Wizard does. Otherwise, in a game with all books allowed, Clerics would have like 20 times as many spells per level as the Wizard, for instance.

 

[I'm A Banana]

In my opinion, Wizards are kind of unfairly gimped in that regard anyway. I allow them to learn 2 + INT mod, and don't have them pay to have it scribed (and have copious awards in scrolls and in-game for those unique spells).

You can make it better by being generous with the wizard spells, or by limiting the new cleric spells like you'd do with the wizard (costs gp to perform the rites, and you can only discover 2 new rites per level).

But yea, giving the clerics everything and saying the wizards need to work for it probably wouldn't be fair. So either make it tougher for the clerics to get new stuff, or easier for the wizards.

 

[caudor]

You might consider changing ONE to TWO. Two accessories is not much more complicated than one accessory. A good compromise might make the DM & Players happy.

 

[blargney the second]

Add Complete Adventurer. They're adventurers, right?

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I have instituted a similar house rule for my clerics, druids and such, they get
PHB, and thsoe are considered normal spells that everyone has, and two per level of otehr spells from any source. Finally they can research, and/or find new spells like wizards do.

It works well.



I do allow sorcerors, bards and wizards to choose from any book freely though.

 

[wmasters]

If I was just adding one book, I'd look at the PHB II

 

[Cam Banks]

This is actually why I find Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved spell rarity system to be pretty clever. Simple spells vs. Complex spells makes it easy to say, "you know all of the Simple ones, and the Complex ones need research" to all classes, arcane or divine. The Simple divine spells are ones all faiths know, and the Complex divine spells are limited by individual churches (or clerics who make an effort to learn the rituals and theological underpinnings of them).

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Henry]

Piratecat had an interesting take to this: Clerics can substitute a spell on the cleric spell list, but the change is permanent, meaning they can cherry-pick spells, but the choices are still more limiting. Perhaps you should allow for the clerics one or two new spells per spell level only, to balance the two sides?

 

[Hjorimir]

Yeah, we use P-Kitty's rule and have found it works well.