Complete Arcane or Mage? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Complete Arcane or Mage? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
miragefox
04-22-07, 07:34 PM If I could only get 1 of the 2 books, which should it be?
What are the pros and cons of each book?
Seeker95
04-22-07, 07:53 PM Complete Arcane came first. Complete Mage builds on it in places -- one of the few non-core supplements that references other non-core material. I would recommend them in that order.
Voldar_Mecorthio
04-22-07, 10:10 PM If you want to hurt things with your spells, Complete Arcane. 99% of its new spells do damage, its two new classes are the Warlock (weak, made useless with Complete Mage reserve feats) and the Warmage (expert in hurting stuff with magic). Its PrCs are okay, but most are 3.0 ports and they seem... crude. (for lack of a better word) I don't recomend.

Complete mage opens with a chapter on how magic works (pure flavor, but it's kind of fun), then gives some alternate class features for various classes similar to PHBII, then gives new feats (very nice ones, including Reserve Feats. Lets you use a minor magical effect at will as long as you have a powerful spell in reserve, letting casters prolong their usefulness.) The new spells are very creative, and indescribably better than the warmage's paradice of Complete Arcane's spells chapter. There are no new Base Classes, the new PrCs are mostly hybrids (warlock+divine, warlock+arcane, spontaneous arcane+preped arcane, etc) and all seem well done. It gives guides for building arcane characters that do various stuff (blast stuff, control minds, spy, etc) The better of the two by far.

As long as your campaigns arn't hack and slashes (what complete arcane seems to be made for), get Complete Mage.
Scribbler
04-22-07, 11:46 PM Complete Mage builds on and references Complete Arcane a lot. You won't be able to use some of the material in CM if you don't get CA first.
Manic Man
04-23-07, 12:04 AM Complete Arcane. Its more generalised caster based. Complete Mage i find to be too warlock centric
ArcTan
04-23-07, 12:21 AM Complete Mage is a better book, but it assumes you have Complete Arcane.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
miragefox 04-22-07, 07:34 PM	If I could only get 1 of the 2 books, which should it be? What are the pros and cons of each book?
Seeker95 04-22-07, 07:53 PM	Complete Arcane came first. Complete Mage builds on it in places -- one of the few non-core supplements that references other non-core material. I would recommend them in that order.
Voldar_Mecorthio 04-22-07, 10:10 PM	If you want to hurt things with your spells, Complete Arcane. 99% of its new spells do damage, its two new classes are the Warlock (weak, made useless with Complete Mage reserve feats) and the Warmage (expert in hurting stuff with magic). Its PrCs are okay, but most are 3.0 ports and they seem... crude. (for lack of a better word) I don't recomend. Complete mage opens with a chapter on how magic works (pure flavor, but it's kind of fun), then gives some alternate class features for various classes similar to PHBII, then gives new feats (very nice ones, including Reserve Feats. Lets you use a minor magical effect at will as long as you have a powerful spell in reserve, letting casters prolong their usefulness.) The new spells are very creative, and indescribably better than the warmage's paradice of Complete Arcane's spells chapter. There are no new Base Classes, the new PrCs are mostly hybrids (warlock+divine, warlock+arcane, spontaneous arcane+preped arcane, etc) and all seem well done. It gives guides for building arcane characters that do various stuff (blast stuff, control minds, spy, etc) The better of the two by far. As long as your campaigns arn't hack and slashes (what complete arcane seems to be made for), get Complete Mage.
Scribbler 04-22-07, 11:46 PM	Complete Mage builds on and references Complete Arcane a lot. You won't be able to use some of the material in CM if you don't get CA first.
Manic Man 04-23-07, 12:04 AM	Complete Arcane. Its more generalised caster based. Complete Mage i find to be too warlock centric
ArcTan 04-23-07, 12:21 AM	Complete Mage is a better book, but it assumes you have Complete Arcane.