a Wizard finds a new spellbook... now what?

[Maitre Du Donjon]

Hello all.

Like the title says, a wizard finds a spellbook wherein he finds multiple spells he hasn't seen before.

Things to consider (please correct me if I am wrong):
1) He needs to succeed at a spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level) to see if he can learn the new spell
2) He needs to succeed another spellcraft check (same DC) to see if he can memorize this spell from the spellbook (since it isn't his)

Now the questions:

a) Can the wizard Take 10 on those checks?
b) What can the wizard do to make the new spellbook "one of his own", and thus not have to make the 2) check every time he wants to memorize a new spell from it?

Thanks in advance

Maitre D

PS: these questions were inspired from a thread in the General Forum about the same topic...

 

[andargor]

a) Can the wizard Take 10 on those checks?
b) What can the wizard do to make the new spellbook "one of his own", and thus not have to make the 2) check every time he wants to memorize a new spell from it?

a) Yes. But not Take 20.
b) He has to write the spells in his spellbook, or use the MoF rules for mastering a foreign spellbook.

Andargor

 

[greycastle]

actually...

i think once you've understood the spell once (pass the spellcraft spell) you can look at the spell, and simply understand, as if you had written it yourself..

 

[Olive]

actually...

i think once you've understood the spell once (pass the spellcraft spell) you can look at the spell, and simply understand, as if you had written it yourself..

Only if you're using the magic of faerun rules, the core books say you have to transcribe the spells into your own book.

 

[Soldarin]

Taking 10 makes writing the spells into your own book a great waste of money and effort. But yeah, you can take 10.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

the PHB states that learning a spell from a borrowed spellbook is a spellcraft check with a DC of 15 + spell level. I think this means that the wizard you borrowed it from is there when you study his book, explaining his various notes. That's why, according to Magic of Faerun, the DC for understanding the notes from an unknown wizard (ie finding a spellbook) climbs up to 25 + highest spell level in the book.

Magic of Faerun, nevertheless, doesn't adress (unless i've skipped that part, which seems to happen to me more often than not) what happens on a failed check when you try to make an unknown spellbook your own...

Maitre D

 

[andargor]

the PHB states that learning a spell from a borrowed spellbook is a spellcraft check with a DC of 15 + spell level. I think this means that the wizard you borrowed it from is there when you study his book, explaining his various notes. That's why, according to Magic of Faerun, the DC for understanding the notes from an unknown wizard (ie finding a spellbook) climbs up to 25 + highest spell level in the book.

I would guess that's pure speculation... The rules state that it is solely based on the wizard's Spellcraft skill to decipher the spell. Hence the requirement to wait until one more rank is gained until the wizard can try to learn the spell again if he/she failed. Note also that a high Int Wizard would automatically succeed most checks (for relevant level spells) past level 5 if Spellcraft is maxed.

Magic of Faerun, nevertheless, doesn't adress (unless i've skipped that part, which seems to happen to me more often than not) what happens on a failed check when you try to make an unknown spellbook your own...

I'm not sure either, but (house rule warning) I would treat it the same as failing to learn a spell. Once the wizard has gained another rank in Spellcraft, he/she can try again.

EDIT: Note that the MoF rules are for allowing the wizard to memorize the spells directly from a foreign spellbok, not necessarily learn the spells.

Andargor

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

I would guess that's pure speculation... The rules state that it is solely based on the wizard's Spellcraft skill to decipher the spell. Hence the requirement to wait until one more rank is gained until the wizard can try to learn the spell again if he/she failed. Note also that a high Int Wizard would automatically succeed most checks (for relevant level spells) past level 5 if Spellcraft is maxed.

EDIT: Note that the MoF rules are for allowing the wizard to memorize the spells directly from a foreign spellbok, not necessarily learn the spells.

Andargor

But what would be the advantage of making a newfound spellbook your own (ie MoF rule, which has a much higher DC) when you can usually just take 10 and automatically memorize spells from a borrowed ( / newfound?) spellbook?

Maitre D

 

[andargor]

But what would be the advantage of making a newfound spellbook your own (ie MoF rule, which has a much higher DC) when you can usually just take 10 and automatically memorize spells from a borrowed ( / newfound?) spellbook?

Maitre D

You got me there. Who knows what they were thinking with this, and all other scribing/spellbook rules. Hopefully 3.5 will clear that up.

As it is, only low-level or multi-classed wizards are penalized by the foreign spellbook rules.

Andargor

 

[The Blue Elf]

Hello all.

Like the title says, a wizard finds a spellbook wherein he finds multiple spells he hasn't seen before.

Things to consider (please correct me if I am wrong):
1) He needs to succeed at a spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level) to see if he can learn the new spell
2) He needs to succeed another spellcraft check (same DC) to see if he can memorize this spell from the spellbook (since it isn't his)

Now the questions:

a) Can the wizard Take 10 on those checks?
b) What can the wizard do to make the new spellbook "one of his own", and thus not have to make the 2) check every time he wants to memorize a new spell from it?

Thanks in advance

Maitre D

PS: these questions were inspired from a thread in the General Forum about the same topic...

Well your if your going to learn the Spell Time Stop which is a 9th level spell for example the DC spellcraft check DC 15 + 9 = 24 DC to learn the New Spell.