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Proposed Handbook: THE SPELL BOOK

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Captnq:
Now that 3.x has come to a close and WotC has moved onto 5E, no further offical WotC spells for 3.5 are being created. Therefore I propose the creation of THE SPELL BOOK

Mission Statement: To create the definitive work on 3.x spells.

It is to include how they have been used and abused by DMs and Players, how each spell is viewed both RAW, RAI, and TO, and what suggestions can be made on how to use the spell in play. It will contain, every other handbook's notes on every spell. The goal, for this gargantuan undertaking is the complete write up of everything on every 3.x spell...

ONCE AND FOR ALL UNTIL THE END OF TIME.
I have begun my monumental epoch spanning task here.

I have a massive file from all the other handbooks, both here and elsewhere, including the threads from other major D&D 3.X chatboards, that has all the player comments on various spells, that I am slowly summing up into a single file that I call, THE SPELL BOOK. It has a complete list of every 3.0 and 3.5 unique spell caster list. It also has notes on all the spells. The goal is to have the definitive work on what the players think about the spells.

My Guidelines:
- The Spell must be published by WotC. (I am still up in the air about Dragon Magazine Published Spells. Don't even think about Dungeon magazine or 3rd party, as they lack even the smallest amount of WotC oversight)

- Metamagic feats can alter spells so an appendix shall be included for metamagic feats. Each spell shall have a write up about what metamagic feats work best with them, so shall all the metamagic feats have a list of prefered spells.

-As some feats that are not metamagic feats do influence spells, their shall be a second appendix for them, but they will not be in any spell write up, nor shall they have a list of prefered spells. They are included for information purposes only.

-Shadow metamagic feats suck, but shall be included because someone put metamagic on them. So as to not get any suck on any other feats, they shall be put in a seperate appendix. They shall be shunned for lack of cross game setting playability and shall never be mensioned again.

-Nothing a race, class, or other that has anything to do with spells shall be included. This is about SPELLS. What you can put a spell in, how you can modify them, and what you can do with them.

-Metamagic rods shall be included in the metamagic section. Only published by WotC rods shall be included, and don't you even think about Metamagic Twin rods, or Twin Sudden. I'm looking at YOU Serian's player.  :ahem I'm watching you.

-Each spell shall have a write up of any practical magic items. This shall include Scrolls, Wands, and Potions. It will not list wonderious items made from the spell, for that would take forever and who gives a shit?, It will not include staves, for staves are many spells in one, and if some power gamer wants to make a staff with one spell, I declare it thematically incorrect! I'm not gonna help you twink out a staff of 50 wishes, deal with it. It shall not include any 'alternate' forms for spell containment. While putting a potion in a fruit is kinda cool, I declare that there is no room in THE SPELL BOOK.

-It will not include spell effects, like that spell where you put another spell in a skull and crush it. For that is dumb.

-Oh yeah, THE SPELL BOOK must always be spelled in all caps.

-Magic items will include possible combinations that someone might actually make and use. Silly combos like the Enervate Spell/Energize Spell on any give damage spell is a waste of time, oh verily and it is so. If you wouldn't use it, it ain't going it.

-THE SPELL BOOK is dynamic and flowing. Players and DMs alike are encouraged to comment on their favorate spells, there is room for conflicting view points. Editorials shall be condensed to reflect the majority opinion and the minority opinion. Wacko opinions shall be ignored. Sorry.

-There are other sensitive topics that elect great debate. For example, Chain and Rays/Reach Spells will be treated with kid gloves. Frankly, I don't think they should work together, but some people do. This, and other taboo subjects shall be listed under WARNING: to explain that you really need a DM to Okay this one.


And I'm open to suggestions.

This is the declaration of intent and my methodology this is a multiyear project that I have been working on for a while now.

Step 1: Get complete list of all Spells and Spell Lists. Arrange in alphabetical order (Done)
Step 2: Cross reference all Spells and Spell Lists (Done)
Step 3: Read through all Boards on here, OotS, WotC, and any other Chatboard for Handbooks/discussions on spells and get all comments. (Done-Keep Action Item Open and Check for Updates)
Step 4: Organize comments in alphabetical order and add to complete listing of spells as Editor Comments (Processing)
Step 5: Fully explore all possibilties of any given spell and then post for public review (Processing)
Step 6: Move Spells from public review to THE SPELL BOOK. (Pending)
Step 7: Post Guidlines for THE SPELL BOOK and seek out public review and evaluate suggestions and requests. (Current Action Item)

sirpercival:
How are you going to handle different versions of the same spell from different books?  Only newest version, or all of them?

Captnq:

--- Quote from: sirpercival on May 05, 2012, 08:24:52 PM ---How are you going to handle different versions of the same spell from different books?  Only newest version, or all of them?

--- End quote ---

I thought about including both versions, but the book is already unwieldly as it is. So, for the sake of sanity and to streamline it for use as a reference material, it will only include the 3.5 version that is available in the latest printing. But, for the player's reference, it will include which books had a version of the spell, so if you are curious, you can go look up the older copies yourself, and if you are only playing 3.0 (for some unfathomable reason) you will know which ones had a 3.0 version.

Captnq:
Well, with no more comments I move onto the next phase

A RAW/RAI/TO version of the spell casting rules. (Dun Dun DUNNNNNNNN.... *Crash*)

So, I will post sections of the rules, encourage people to make comments about clairifications, questions, and obvious abuses, then Summarize the rules in THE SPELL BOOK.

Does anyone have any particular order by which this should be done? Or does someone know where the complete list of all updated spell rules is? And I mean from every book in one place. Prefereably with editorial and reader comments.

Unbeliever:
I haven't commented b/c I wouldn't have approached the situation this way.  I think rather than a giant book of spells, sets of spells organized around a particular theme, archetype, or goal would be both more valuable and less laborious. 

TreantMonk's guides do this to some extent, around a very loose theme, although that guide is also very optimization oriented as well. 

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