Morten Helles wrote:

>I have just purchased "Player's Option: Spells & Magic" and I must say
>that I cannot recommend that product enough. I haven't read anything
>that good since the BR Campaign Setting came out. And guess who is
>designer behind this incredible supplement book: RICH BAKER, our guru of
>Birthright!
>

First, I must say, DITTO!!! The best rules book TSR has put out in a
long time.

Now to some content:

>* Channellers who draw their magical energy from their inner hidden
>sources, getting tired as they continue spell casting (reminded of
>Raistlin?)

When running Channeling as a magic system AND paying strict
adherance to fatigue, IMO, makes the mage even a less liked class amongst
players. I like the system myself, but as DM, I've found that if using a
published product where the villian is a mage and the author was thoughtful
enough to provide how the NPC reacts to attacks, you can basically throw it
out. If you were to follow the strategy as printed the NPC would kill himself by
casting spells one right after the other.

What I have found is that villians now tend to be either Lords (fighters)
with mage assistants or priests with cults or sects.

>* Warlocks and witches who draw their magical energy from evil fiends
>and demons (reminded of Ravenloft and the Sword Mage?),
>
If any PC wants to use the witches kit from the CWH this is the
system they play under. The power checks seem almost lifted from
Ravenloft.

>* Defilers and preservers who draw their powers from their surroundings,
>possibly corrupting it (reminded of Darksun?), and
>
Druids and evil mages use these systems.

>* Alienists and summoners who draw their magical power from their
>increasingly insane knowledge of how the universe really works (reminded
>of Lovecraft?).

Necromancers - this fits so well with the Complete Necromancers
Handbook it's scary.

The magic systems for priests are just as well thought out, obviously
the default I use is Ritual Prayer.

Other items of note about PO:S&M, the spheres for druids and priests
have been thought out better. There have been some spell changes between
spheres.

With the advent of Crusaders (a priest that fights using a fighter's
THAC0 and progression), the multi-class of fighter/cleric has disappeared
from my campaigns. Plus for those that want to play holy warriors without
being a paladin, this ones for you.

Keith Horsfield
Member Team OS/2
"To a person with a hammer, everything looks like a nail"
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