May your birthday be filled with magic. On this special day, I wish you an abundance of joy, love, and happiness. May the magic of your dreams come true and may you be surrounded by the people who love and cherish you. Birthdays are a time to celebrate life and all the wonderful moments it brings. As you blow out the candles on your cake, may you feel a sense of excitement and wonder for the year ahead. May this day be a reminder of how far you have come and an inspiration for all that is yet to come.
No matter how you slice it, magic is at the heart of fantasy—and nothing makes that more real than a massive tome of spells. Deep Magic collects, updates, tweaks, and expands on years of magic from Kobold Press with more than 600 new and revised spells and other options:
An outstanding expansion of the already exceptional Deep Magic Volume 1 What I find phenomenal about this book is that in addition to enriching the game with a vast array of spells it provides a framework to make magic narratively interesting, meaningful and fun to experiment with. Often the most forsaken people in communities are the sick and infirm, and those who take this oath swear to tend to them, even to their own detriment.
May this day be a reminder of how far you have come and an inspiration for all that is yet to come. Life is full of surprises and magic, and I hope your birthday is filled with both. May your heart be light, your spirit be free, and your laughter be infectious.
I reviewed all 700 spells in Kobold Press’s Deep Magic Book
The point of the document is not for people to read through it all (that would be as insane as writing it) but rather if you do buy this book, and are looking at approving a specific spell, this may give you some idea of any problems the spell currently has.
I also point out some of the great spells in the book as well. You can find them labelled as (GREAT)
I guess if I had to summarize my findings I’d say that this book’s spells are filled with a mix of proofreading and balance problems.
- Either ignoring or just not understanding 5th edition mechanics.
- It has a lot of spells with unclear or vague text.
- The spells are not balanced for their level
- There are at least 140 spells that to me are clearly underpowered or clearly overpowered for their level (and not by a little)
- There are another 83 spells that are on the edge of being called either of these.
But there are other issues with it’s spells as well.
- There is an over-reliance on referencing other spells in order to explain a spell's effects.
- Too often you need the creature statblocks in one of Kobold Press’s other products to use these spells
- Though this is somewhat mitigated by the statblocks being open license, since you can find websites that provide them. They should still have been provided in this book.
- The 1st level spell Mosquito Bane, for instance, lets you kill any insects (with less than 25 hp) within 50 feet of you without them even getting a chance to save against it.
The quality of the subclasses is much better than the spells. But they can be generic at times.
The formatting also needs work as well. About 50 pages worth of actual content gets thrown into an appendix for some reason (including subclasses, spells, and other features).
- They introduce new spell schools but then don’t treat the subclasses and spells in these schools consistently (some subclasses or spells end up in their associated school’s section, while others get thrown into another section of the book)
That isn’t to say it is all bad news. I think there is great content in the book. It just gets dragged down by all of this.
Also, a lot of the issues that were present in their past products weren't addressed. Like many of these proofreading issues were present in the Midgard Heroes Handbook as well as earlier Deep Magic products.
Overall, the product just felt like it needed more time in the oven.
That isn’t to say it is all bad news. I think there is great content in the book. It just gets dragged down by all of this.
Happy birthday, and may your day be truly magical..
Reviews for "A Magical Birthday Wish for a Wonderful Year Ahead"
1. John - ★★☆☆☆
I was really disappointed with "May your birthday be filled with magic". The story felt cliché and unoriginal, following the same tired tropes of other fantasy novels. The characters were flat and lacked depth, making it hard to connect with them or care about their journey. The plot was predictable, and I found myself losing interest halfway through. Overall, I felt like I wasted my time reading this book.
2. Emily - ★☆☆☆☆
I regret picking up "May your birthday be filled with magic". The writing style was mediocre at best, with awkward phrasing and repetitive descriptions. The world-building was incredibly weak, leaving important details unexplained and the magic system poorly developed. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, and the characters lacked complexity. In the end, I was left feeling unsatisfied and frustrated with this book.
3. Sarah - ★★☆☆☆
I had high hopes for "May your birthday be filled with magic" but ultimately found it to be a disappointing read. The pacing was slow, with too much emphasis on irrelevant details that made the story drag on. The plot lacked originality and fell flat, failing to deliver any surprises or excitement. Additionally, the writing was average, failing to capture the magic and wonder that the title promised. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to others looking for a captivating fantasy read.
4. Michael - ★☆☆☆☆
"May your birthday be filled with magic" was a complete letdown. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any depth, making it difficult to care about their journey or their struggles. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural, leaving me cringing at some points. The fantasy elements were poorly executed, with a confusing and inconsistent magic system. I found myself bored and unengaged while reading this book, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a quality fantasy novel.
5. Lisa - ★★☆☆☆
I was unimpressed with "May your birthday be filled with magic". The story lacked originality and felt like a rehash of other fantasy novels I've read before. The pacing was slow, and the plot dragged on without any significant developments. The characters were forgettable, with little growth or personality. While the writing was decent, it wasn't enough to save this book from being a disappointment. I wouldn't recommend it to avid fantasy readers who are looking for something new and captivating.
A Birthday Spell for a Year of Magic and Wonder