Writing Scrolls into Spellbooks and other activities

[cthulhu_duck]

Per the SRD,

"Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook
Once a wizard understands a new spell, she can record it into her spellbook.
Time: The process takes 24 hours, regardless of the spell’s level."

I have a player whose character wants to write some spells off scrolls into their spellbook.

They're currently running a shuttle service from one country to another using Teleport - and the player has asked whether they can do the writing in the hours of every day that they're not Teleporting.

I personally don't see why not - but where as the Magic item creation rules talk about:

"The caster works for 8 hours each day."

the writing a spell into a spellbook specifically says 24 hours.

How have others chosen to interpret the spell writing rules?

 

[Scharlata]

[...]How have others chosen to interpret the spell writing rules?

Hi!

As a DM, IMC I allow characters writing spells into their spellbook spending time only to refresh themselves, eat, and sleep.

Enjoy!

 

[irdeggman]

There are several “steps” in getting a new spell into a spellbook. The actual time spent is really 2 days not 1. Deciphering doesn’t take time, unless failed then it takes 1 day. One day to “study” the spell and another to “write” the spell. Now it also says that there is no cost in time or money to write the 2 new spells a wizard gains per class level. Essentially this reflects ongoing research and work. So using that extrapolation I don’t see any reason why the time has to be straight and uninterrupted. However, if the wizard is spreading the time over a longer period I would make him spend an actual 24 hours (in each step spread out) of actual “working time” instead of the broken up with rest, etc., normally used for making items. IMO this reflects the time lost in breaking out the material, setting up his work space, and refreshing himself over what he had done previously. That is to say it is more efficient to work uninterrupted than to start and stop.


First the wizard has to “find” the scroll.

Second, the wizard has to decipher the spell check (spellcraft (DC 20 + spell level) or read magic).

From SRD:

ARCANE MAGICAL WRITINGS
To record an arcane spell in written form, a character uses complex notation that describes the magical forces involved in the spell. The writer uses the same system no matter what her native language or culture. However, each character uses the system in her own way. Another person’s magical writing remains incomprehensible to even the most powerful wizard until she takes time to study and decipher it.

To decipher an arcane magical writing (such as a single spell in written form in another’s spellbook or on a scroll), a character must make a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + the spell’s level). If the skill check fails, the character cannot attempt to read that particular spell again until the next day. A read magic spell automatically deciphers a magical writing without a skill check. If the person who created the magical writing is on hand to help the reader, success is also automatic.

Once a character deciphers a particular magical writing, she does not need to decipher it again. Deciphering a magical writing allows the reader to identify the spell and gives some idea of its effects (as explained in the spell description). If the magical writing was a scroll and the reader can cast arcane spells, she can attempt to use the scroll.

Third the wizard has to spend a day studying the spell (spell craft check (DC 15+ spell level))

From the SRD:

Spells Copied from Another’s Spellbook or a Scroll: A wizard can also add a spell to her book whenever she encounters one on a magic scroll or in another wizard’s spellbook. No matter what the spell’s source, the wizard must first decipher the magical writing (see Arcane Magical Writings, above). Next, she must spend a day studying the spell. At the end of the day, she must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell’s level). A wizard who has specialized in a school of spells gains a +2 bonus on the Spellcraft check if the new spell is from her specialty school. She cannot, however, learn any spells from her prohibited schools. If the check succeeds, the wizard understands the spell and can copy it into her spellbook (see Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook, below). The process leaves a spellbook that was copied from unharmed, but a spell successfully copied from a magic scroll disappears from the parchment.

If the check fails, the wizard cannot understand or copy the spell. She cannot attempt to learn or copy that spell again until she gains another rank in Spellcraft. A spell that was being copied from a scroll does not vanish from the scroll.

In most cases, wizards charge a fee for the privilege of copying spells from their spellbooks. This fee is usually equal to the spell’s level x50 gp.

Third the wizard actually writes the spell into his spellbook.

Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook
Once a wizard understands a new spell, she can record it into her spellbook.
Time: The process takes 24 hours, regardless of the spell’s level.
Space in the Spellbook: A spell takes up one page of the spellbook per spell level. Even a 0-level spell (cantrip) takes one page. A spellbook has one hundred pages.
Materials and Costs: Materials for writing the spell cost 100 gp per page.
Note that a wizard does not have to pay these costs in time or gold for the spells she gains for free at each new level.

 

[cthulhu_duck]

However, if the wizard is spreading the time over a longer period I would make him spend an actual 24 hours (in each step spread out) of actual “working time” instead of the broken up with rest, etc., normally used for making items. IMO this reflects the time lost in breaking out the material, setting up his work space, and refreshing himself over what he had done previously. That is to say it is more efficient to work uninterrupted than to start and stop.

I suppose that's really my question - does the 24 hours have to be continuous in other people's views, or can it be broken into sections, and if so, what have you allowed / what haven't you allowed?

 

[Whimsical]

My (house rule) solution...

Wizard spell books are actually compilations of magical scrolls. Use the scroll scribing rules for adding new spells for your spell book. You can study the spell book or any scroll to prepare a spell and cast it at your casting level, or you can cast it as a scroll (which would erase it of course). No spell book is keyed to the wizard that scribed it. The spell scribing language is universal for arcane casters; the Draconic language is derived from this arcane language. Simply add any scroll you find into your spell book, then make the Spellcraft check to understand it.

There is no good reason why a person couldn’t copy a spell from a nonmagical D&D spell book and have it cost so much time and money to do so. Although this house rule retains the costs of creating copies of spells, it grants you the benefit of being able to use it as a scroll in desperate situations.

 

[irdeggman]

My (house rule) solution...There is no good reason why a person couldn’t copy a spell from a nonmagical D&D spell book and have it cost so much time and money to do so. Although this house rule retains the costs of creating copies of spells, it grants you the benefit of being able to use it as a scroll in desperate situations.

It also requires the expenditure of xp (albeit a very small amount) to create a spell book.

 

[Kieperr]

You may be over analyzing. It states it takes 24 hours to copy it into a spellbook. It does not say it must all be done in a single day. The 24 hours can be spread over several days if necessary. This copy period takes place after the wizard has deciphered and learned the spell from the scroll.

 

[KiwiGlen]

You have to wait for the ink to dry!

I'm the player affected by this, so I'd thought I'd give my opinion too.

It is odd that the Magic item creation rules state:
"The caster works for 8 hours each day" [for a 1,000 gp of magic item/day]

while writing a spell (from a scroll or another spell book) states:
Time: The process takes 24 hours, regardless of the spell’s level

Do you notice that it's the process that takes 24 hours? The caster needs to eat and rest, so I can't see the caster working for 24 hours straight.

My interpretation would be

The process takes 24 hours, regardless of the spell's level. The spellbook is unavailable for study or anything else during this time. The caster must spend 8 hours writing the spell into the spell book, which need not be consecutive, but the spellbook is unavailable for each 24 hour period when writing is done

So while you are writing a spell into a spell book, you can't use that spell book to learn spells from, or take it away on an adventure, in fact, you can't even close the damn thing, so you still have to be set up in a place that facilitates writing spells into spell books - any place magic scroll creation can take place et al.

Hence the wise wizard spreads his or her spell levels over multiple spell books.

Naturally magic item creation is not possible during this time too, as the caster is otherwise occupied.

 

[Staffan]

Spellbook stuff

And of course, that applies to Power Words too.

 

[Praeden]

And of course, that applies to Power Words too.

One of my all-time favourite OOTS strips! I actually thought of it too when I read this thread!