1001 spells is the type of resource that both dms and players can really appreciate. It can add fun, grant new combat options (consuming line of acid), offensive spells (giant boulders), aid negotiation (zone of parley) or sabotages an enemy’s roll (utter failure). There is a lot of flavour here, and even if you don’t want to add all of them in, you will find some that are useful and others that you just have to let into your games (wildblast, when you want the element of a blast spell entirely randomized).

I question that some may be over-powered (a level 1 cleric spell that grants +2 bab to a target); but this is always inevitable in these types of books. I say this because the typical 3.5-pathfinder spell list, is a bit bland and some spells are better than others, so good new spells with effects we aren’t familiar with may seem too powerful. The standard spell list, after a few years of gaming is old, regurgitated and boring. Add over a thousand spells, and magic gets interesting. Because of these new spells, they may not always be the right level or may be more powerful than a group or dm is used to. So when introducing these spells, I recommend a dm takes care and chooses which ones come in and adjusts spell level as need be. This doesn’t have to be done though, as it is well organised and there are sections for alchemists, witches and magi spells.

With all these spells there is certainly plenty to add as scrolls or in old wizard books in long sealed away dungeons. Or, to make available only to secret orders (until the players kill them and take their stuff). Some like wildblast are begging to be added to wands, and others could be attuned to amulets (wall of light), gloves (unarm foe, a disarm via blast spell), or even a musical instrument (stunning note). I was surprised there wasn’t a section discussing the spells or making suggestions on which ones would make excellent magic items, but it is the type of book to give you the tools and let you experiment.

If spellcasting is getting a bit repetitive with the same old spells used over and over, 1001 spells will liven up spellcasting in your games. You could also try to use this book to the fullest and throw out the standard spell list and only use what is in here. Ha! That will make the magic of a game original, that is for sure. Now I just have to work out which ones I am going to add in.