Forward (TOM)

Whew, another big project behind me! Never did I realize when I started work on the Tome of Magic that it would become such an undertaking. After all, it seemed so simple. At that point, I should have known better.
It all started with a seemingly innocent comment, something like, "There are a lot of gaps in the spell lists for wizards and priests. Maybe we should do something about it." I don't know if I said that, or if it was someone else's idea, but whoever said it was right. I knew they were right because I could see them clearly by the time the AD&D® 2nd Edition Player's Handbook was finished.
These gaps were not yawning chasms in the game system. They were little things, like, "Gee, it would be nice to have a spell that did X—or Y, or Z, or whatever. "Sometimes they were things to help explain the weirdness people were always putting in adventures or little touches that would smooth things out for players and DMs alike. The Tome of Magic could be just the place to get some of these ideas into the AD&D® game system. Months later (because months always pass between the idea and actually doing the work), it was time to make all this real.
That's when I discovered the warts on the great idea—two in particular. First, filling a book with a mis-matched collection of spells was not enough. How many variations on fireball, lightning bolt, and confusion did you really need? Second, a book of odds and ends didn't sound exciting for either a game designer or for the players. The Tome of Magic needed something—a hook—to make it interesting.
As a result, the Tome of Magic is much more than just a collection of spells. There are many new ideas about the types and uses of magic in these pages—wild magic, cooperative magic, focuses, elementalists, and more. In the end, the Tome of Magic offers more than just spells—it gives breadth and range to wizards and priests. In many ways, it is a peek inside the Pandora's box of magic.
On top of these concerns was a problem of mental health. If I alone had to fill all these pages with spells and magical items, I'd be writing from the nut-house by now. There was no way I could create all these new spells and remain sane. That's why there is a host of designers listed in the credits. Taking often the barest of my ideas and suggestions, these creative conspirators produced a wide variety of spells and items. After weeding out spells too similar in form and function, I can offer you the cleverness and diversity of six different designers, not just one! For myself and the other designers, we hope you find the Tome of Magic both entertaining and useful. Let it be your guide to just how much further wizards and priests can go in the AD&D game.
David Cook
February, 1991