Tenser's Mage Spells

[Hallen]

I'm playing a Mage in Angband v3.0.9b and recently got my first copy of Tenser's Transformations. I've not played a Mage in a long time so I don't know if this is a recent change or was done long ago, but I was shocked to see the spells inside.

4 illegible spells
Greater Recharging
Elemental Brand

Tenser's used to be arguably the most important spell book. Now it's reduced to something I don't think I'll even bother carrying around with me.

Is this a bug or a feature?

[zaimoni]

I'm playing a Mage in Angband v3.0.9b and recently got my first copy of Tenser's Transformations. I've not played a Mage in a long time so I don't know if this is a recent change or was done long ago, but I was shocked to see the spells inside.

4 illegible spells
Greater Recharging
Elemental Brand

Tenser's used to be arguably the most important spell book. Now it's reduced to something I don't think I'll even bother carrying around with me.

Is this a bug or a feature?

The damage was done long ago (V3.0.0).

[Narvius]

What are the four illegible spells?

[Mangojuice]

What are the four illegible spells?

Heroism, Berserker, Enchant Armor, and Enchant Weapon.

[Narvius]

...and why would they be removed? They don't seem overly powerful.

[Elsairon]

They aren't removed, just not available for the mage class.

[Hallen]

Oh well

So what you end up with is a spell book that's pointless for a mage to bother carrying around. I'd be better off leaving it in my house and saving on weight.

That feels wrong to me. Maybe my play style is different from everyone else's but i don't use bows and arrows when I'm playing a mage (beyond the first few levels, anyway). I thought that perhaps a mage should cast spells instead. And recharging? I can see some slight use for it very occasionally but no more than that.

I can understand some movement of spells between books, and some reorganisation of spells in general, but this seems like the reorganisation has gone a little too far.

[Narvius]

They aren't removed, just not available for the mage class.

Yeah, I'm smart enough to know that. "Removed" is just shorter and I thought everyone would know what I mean. Still, what's the reason?

[zaimoni]

Yeah, I'm smart enough to know that. "Removed" is just shorter and I thought everyone would know what I mean. Still, what's the reason?

Part of the intent of the JLE patch was to make mages play like AD&D mages (combat wimps that use spells), rather than like Tolkien mages (which seem also to be combat monsters). Which sort of misses the point that Tenser codifies what a combat mage does in 1st ed AD&D (thus the name of the book).

It was a lot more obvious that Globe of Invulnerability was game-breaking, than that crossbows/bows in general were close to game-breaking.

[Narvius]

Will they be returned in the upcoming version?

[Pete Mack]

Greater Recharge is sometimes worth carrying the book for, alone. If you have Staves of Magi, Healing, or Dispel, or the more powerful wands, carrying the book is better than carrying a stack of scrolls. (I think the scrolls cast at cl 40 equiv, so the book is better at cl 41.)

Of course, if you don't use magic devices, this advice doesn't hold.

[Estie]

I much prefer to have all the good ranger (and/or rogue) spells in one book and the mage ones in another. That frees one inventory slot. Consider the alternative - if the spells get spread out, everyone has to carry all 5 dungeon books with 1-2 important spells , as well as a few less useful/greyed out ones, in each book.

So you found the "wrong" book for your class - sell it and enjoy the free slot!

[macaddict0]

I'm currently running my first "real" mage, and I just found Tenser's. I understand knocking out berserker, and even heroism really, but the "enchant *" spells? That seems odd. It's still worth it for the greater recharging, but as a mage that keeps finding great melee equipment, I'll admit finding out that the book had been nerfed WAS a bit disappointing. Ahh well, back to the slaughter.

[Atarlost]

I'm pretty sure http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/transformation.htm is Tenser's Transformation in WotC copyrighted material. It basically turns a mage into a fighter. It's still in 3.5 and Pathfinder. If it's been there in some form since first edition "making Angband mages like D&D wizards" is not a valid reason to deny them access to powerful role changing magic.