D&D 5E Selling a spellbook

[Robin Dillaway]

[FONT=&quot]Forgive my ignorance but can't a wizard use a spellbook that he or she finds and prepare spells from that book? Or has this changed in 5e? If he or she can than there is no associated cost just like there is no associated cost for a +1 sword.[/FONT]

 

[Farland]

Forgive my ignorance but can't a wizard use a spellbook that he or she finds and prepare spells from that book? Or has this changed in 5e? If he or she can than there is no associated cost just like there is no associated cost for a +1 sword.

Yes, in 5e wizards MUST copy spells to their own books. They can't cast out of other people's books. I think the in-game logic is that copying a spell is actually learning it, "unlocking" its use for the individual wizard.

 

[Caliban]

I'd say baseline value would be 50gp + 20% of the scribing cost of the spells in the book. If certain spells are deemed "rare" or especially desirable, add a premium based on those spells.

The primary purchasers would be Libraries, scholars, mage schools (if they exist). They make money by selling access to the book to regular mages.

Most mages don't actually want to buy another mages spellbook - they just need access to it long enough to copy the spells they need, after that the book itself is useless to them.

 

[WarpedAcorn]

As an aside,

I have always (since 1ed) allowed wizards to cast spells from their own spellbook as if they were scrolls. It burns it out of th book, much like a scroll is consumed, so its a dicey maneuver, but its a nice "failsafe" when the chips are down. No one has used it in 5th so far, but like other editions, I'll make it a full round action to do so. In 5ed that equates to "concentrating" on casting the spell until the start of their next turn, so it can be interrupted.

I really like this idea!

*Slams Spellbook on the floor* ANOTHER!

 

[Phazonfish]

An excellent point. This logic would seem to dictate that spellbooks should be acquired debt-free since he has to pay out of his own money to use them. A fighter who gets a +1 sword has no expense before he can start using it.

I would consider new spells to be more valuable than +1 to hit and damage, so it would almost certainly be worth paying out twice. On the other hand, if I was the wizard and the fighter tried telling me that the spellbook counts against my tally, I'd probably hand him the book and take the +1 sword; tell him to have fun and that I needed a sidearm anyway.

 

[Lanefan]

Yes, in 5e wizards MUST copy spells to their own books. They can't cast out of other people's books. I think the in-game logic is that copying a spell is actually learning it, "unlocking" its use for the individual wizard.

Does 5e assume all spellbooks are written in the same language? Can a Human (Greek) wizard automatically read an Elf's spellbook written in Elvish even if Elvish is a language the caster doesn't otherwise understand?

I'd say that to use a spell from another book in a known language the wizard still has to go through the same "learning" process first (unless it's a spell she already knows, then it's just a spare copy) with the usual chance for failure, but doesn't need to then copy it again.

As for cost - depending on your game's economy a simple answer is to simply assign a flat cost-per-spell-level (out of my hat: 200 g.p. / level to buy, half that to sell) for each spell, then add 'em up and add whatever the blank book would have cost (which in some cases can be significant on its own, for example if the book has dragonskin covers and is watertight when closed and sealed). Thus, a book that itself is worth 75 g.p. with 5 first-level spells, 5 seconds and three thirds in it would sell in this case for 5 x 100 + 5 x 200 + 3 x 300 = 2475 g.p.

Obviously, if a spell is very rare or previously unknown the value skyrockets; but you'd be likely dealing with this differently anyway.

Lanefan

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

I assumed spells are written in "arcane", common to each type of caster - a bit like Latin. So an elvish/French caster could read a human/English caster's book as both mages would write spells in the magical tongue/Latin (which would also include gestural illustrations or pictograms or other code for somatic elements).
What this magical tongue is is up to you. Your world might have all arcane magic be derived from dragons, ergo it is draconic - but even then spell book draconic could be to conversational draconic what Latin is to American English. I.e, no free language just coz you're a caster.


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[cbwjm]

I allow wizards to learn the magical notations of captured spellbooks which allow them to prepare their spells from their own book or the captured book, no additional costs required. At some point, they may want to create a travelling spellbook with their preferred spells, otherwise, they will end up carrying around a small library.

 

[Farland]

I think RAW it says that each wizard uses an arcane notation original to him or herself. I think all spells must be copied into a wizard's book, partially because each wizard casts spells differently and must scribe it into their own personal notation.

 

[Caliban]

I think RAW it says that each wizard uses an arcane notation original to him or herself. I think all spells must be copied into a wizard's book, partially because each wizard casts spells differently and must scribe it into their own personal notation.

This is correct. That's why I only value spellbooks at 20% of the scribing cost of the spells. The wizard really only needs access to it long enough to copy the spells into their own book, after that it's useless to them.