Wizard Access to Illusionist Spells

[Demiurge]

One of my players wanted to know if he could have access to some Illusionist spells (namely Color Spray), and now I'm toying with the idea of doing away with the illusionist as a separate class. I'd merge some of the spells into the wizard spell list and do away with some others (no arcane healing).

Personally I have no problem with illusionists, especially in C&C, but the game is about everyone having fun.

Has anyone else done something similar?

[Omote]

Absolutely no. I like, no... LOVE, the idea of having them as seperate classes. Frankly, the illusionist is extremely powerful IMO in C&C. If you want to give the wizard illusionist spells that makes the wizard that much more powerful. Besides that, the nature of the magic between wizard and illusionist seems fundimentally different.

~O

[mgtremaine]

Hmm tricky, I would not just give access in the sense of, you find a scroll or your read a spellbook. But if the Wizard researches a spell like color spray I would allow it. But you should make it slightly different and maybe bump it to second level. Something like that....


Now totally on the other side of this thought, I've been thinking about running a C&C game with 2 classes. Warriors and Spellcasters, everything else is role-playing. Cram all the spell lists together and sort out the oddities. I have some detail notes about this but will not get to try it out for a year or so...

-Mike

[Arduin]

IF you allow the two classes to meld, you need to up the XP needed per level, greatly.

[Just Jeff]

But if the Wizard researches a spell like color spray I would allow it. But you should make it slightly different and maybe bump it to second level. Something like that....

That's what I was thinking.

I believe our nemesis in a long-running AD&Dv1 was a Wizard/Illusionist. Oi, did that guy have spells.

[CKDad]

I would say that the wizard could probably research a spell that would have the same outward effects as Color Spray - but at least in C&C, the illusionist isn't so much a bender of arcane energy as someone who warps one's view of reality. An illusionist's magic is, in my understanding, all about affecting the mind of subject. A wizard is primarily working with a different order of magical energy.

[Lord Dynel]

I would probably allow it, but on a case-by-case basis and I wouldn't make it a habit. In other words, I wouldn't open up the illusionist spell list for a wizard to have his way with, but I would allow it now and then and only after the wizard conducted full research (in accordance with the PHB) on the spell. Possibly with penalties for being an illusionist spell. The thing to remember is that it sets a prescedent to allow illusionists to do the same and might even give clerics and druids some claim to do it, too, or at least ask.

[serleran]

Sure, absolutely. It is called spell research.