poilbrun
Explorer
I have some problems with the cost to write a spell in a wizard's spellbook. Let's imagine a 5th-level wizard who wants to buy a fireball scroll and then write it in his spellbook.
So, if you want to create a 5th-level wizard NPC using the gp limit found in the DMG (9000 gp), you can only give him :
- All level 0 spells
- 8 1st-level spells (3 at 1st level, 3 for a 16 in INT, 2 that he gets for free at level 2)
- 4 2nd-level spells (4 that he gets for free at level 3 and 4)
- 2 3rd-level spells (2 that he gets for free at level 5)
And then you have to buy the other spells he has in his spellbooks as normal equipment.
A 1st level costs : 25 (scroll) + 200 (2 pages to write) = 225 gp.
A 2nd level costs : 150 (scroll) + 400 (4 pages to write) = 550 gp.
A 3rd level costs : 375 (scroll) + 600 (6 pages to write) = 975 gp.
For information, here are the costs for higher level spells :
A 4th level costs : 700 (scroll) + 800 ( 8 pages to write) = 1500 gp.
A 5th level costs : 1125 (scroll) + 1000 ( 10 pages to write) = 2125 gp.
A 6th level costs : 1650 (scroll) + 1200 ( 12 pages to write) = 2850 gp.
A 7th level costs : 2275 (scroll) + 1400 ( 14 pages to write) = 3675 gp.
A 8th level costs : 3000 (scroll) + 1600 ( 16 pages to write) = 4600 gp.
A 9th level costs : 3825 (scroll) + 1800 ( 18 pages to write) = 5625 gp.
I think it's a bit too much for a NPC, and for players, it is even more difficult to buy the scroll and write it in their spellbook. If you want to have a very high-level NPC, you have to be very careful. Even if he has a lot of gold available, he has to use a lot of it to buy the spells he has available in his spellbook(s).
I don't have any problem with the cost of the scroll, but I would lower the cost to write a spell in one's spellbook by half. Do you think it would be good or not?
So, if you want to create a 5th-level wizard NPC using the gp limit found in the DMG (9000 gp), you can only give him :
- All level 0 spells
- 8 1st-level spells (3 at 1st level, 3 for a 16 in INT, 2 that he gets for free at level 2)
- 4 2nd-level spells (4 that he gets for free at level 3 and 4)
- 2 3rd-level spells (2 that he gets for free at level 5)
And then you have to buy the other spells he has in his spellbooks as normal equipment.
A 1st level costs : 25 (scroll) + 200 (2 pages to write) = 225 gp.
A 2nd level costs : 150 (scroll) + 400 (4 pages to write) = 550 gp.
A 3rd level costs : 375 (scroll) + 600 (6 pages to write) = 975 gp.
For information, here are the costs for higher level spells :
A 4th level costs : 700 (scroll) + 800 ( 8 pages to write) = 1500 gp.
A 5th level costs : 1125 (scroll) + 1000 ( 10 pages to write) = 2125 gp.
A 6th level costs : 1650 (scroll) + 1200 ( 12 pages to write) = 2850 gp.
A 7th level costs : 2275 (scroll) + 1400 ( 14 pages to write) = 3675 gp.
A 8th level costs : 3000 (scroll) + 1600 ( 16 pages to write) = 4600 gp.
A 9th level costs : 3825 (scroll) + 1800 ( 18 pages to write) = 5625 gp.
I think it's a bit too much for a NPC, and for players, it is even more difficult to buy the scroll and write it in their spellbook. If you want to have a very high-level NPC, you have to be very careful. Even if he has a lot of gold available, he has to use a lot of it to buy the spells he has available in his spellbook(s).
I don't have any problem with the cost of the scroll, but I would lower the cost to write a spell in one's spellbook by half. Do you think it would be good or not?