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As with the other books in the Complete line the Complete Mage gives arcane casters a big boost in versatility and power. I believe this was needed, seeing how some other classes already have their Complete book.
Chapter one goes over the eight schools of magic and what each one does. It also covers several arch types that a mage can become by choice of spells.
Chapter two gives us 13 new features and ways to deal with traditional classes and spice them up with a dab of arcane magic. Two new types of feats are introduced: heritage and reserve. There are also more than 25 new feats for mages in this book.
Chapter three brings us 11 new prestige classes. Many of them carry a full caster progression. There is also coverage of the uses for these prestige classes. These classes need to be read over carefully; pick what you like - there may be many.
Chapter four introduces us to new spells for the casters and new invocations for the warlock. There are more than 30 new pages of spells and their descriptions.
Chapter five brings us new magic items. Some of these are rings and wands. There are also new alchemical items and rules for optional material components for spells. These could come in handy in a tight spot. I suggest players and DMs read the optional material components thoroughly before using.
Chapter six gives us some ideas for designing an arcane adventure, what types of treasure to use in these adventures. There are also new magical locations, magical "items" introduced in Dungeon Master's Guide II, some of which were interesting to this reviewer.
On a scale of one to ten, I give this book a 4.5. It has some useful information, but it's not my cup of tea. |