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

[Pielorinho]

From the SRD:

Preparation Environment: To prepare any spell, the wizard must have enough peace, quiet, and comfort to allow for proper concentration. The wizard's surroundings must be free from overt distractions, such as combat nearby or other loud noises. Exposure to inclement weather prevents the necessary concentration, as does any injury or failed saving throw the character might suffer while studying. Wizards also must have access to their spellbooks to study from and sufficient light to read them by.
One exception: A wizard can prepare a read magic spell even without a spellbook.

Note that they must have access to THEIR SPELLBOOKS, not to BORROWED SPELLBOOKS.

Go on to:

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 successful Spellcraft check (DC 20 + the spell's level). If the skill check fails, the character cannot attempt to read that particular spell 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, the character 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, the character can attempt to use the scroll.

Note that deciphering the spell doesn't allow you to cast it.

Going on to borrowed spellbooks:

A wizard can use a borrowed spellbook to prepare a spell the character already knows and has recorded in the character’s own spellbook, but preparation success is not assured.

Note that you can't use a borrowed spellbook to prepare a spell that's not in your own spellbook.

Going on to adding spells to your own book:

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

So you can look at another person's spellbook, decipher the spell, and understand it well enough to copy into your own spellbook.

On to writing a new spell into your spellbook:

Once a wizard understands a new spell, the wizard can record it into his or her spellbook.
Time: The process requires 1 day plus 1 additional day per spell level. Zero-level spells require 1 day.
Space in the Spellbook: A spell takes up 2 pages of the spellbook per spell level. A 0-level spell takes a single page. A spellbook has 100 pages.
Materials and Costs: Materials for writing the spell cost 100 gp per page.

To summarize:
* You can only prepare spells from your own spellbook, in most cases.
* If you already have a copy of a spell in your own spellbook, you can prepare it from someone else's spellbook if you make the appropriate spellcraft check.
* If you find or borrow someone's spellbook, you can't prepare a spell from it that isn't written in your own spellbook.
* If you find or borrow someone's spellbook, you can make a spellcraft check to decipher a new spell in it and a spellcraft check to understand it. Once you've made both these checks, you may then pay the standard fees and take the standard time to copy it into your spellbook. Only once you've done all that can you cast this new spell.

T'ain't cheap at all, and I hope 3.5 is going to make it easier. And I know there are rules in MaoF that allow you to master someone else's spellbook, but I don't know these rules offhand.

Daniel

 

[andargor]

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

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.

A 17th level wizard with 19 Int and 20 ranks in Spellcraft makes that check at +24. With Take 10, he's at 34 DC.

My 8th level Wizard is at +17, even he can make that check blindfolded with Take 10.

Originally posted by Pielorinho
T'ain't cheap at all, and I hope 3.5 is going to make it easier. And I know there are rules in MaoF that allow you to master someone else's spellbook, but I don't know these rules offhand.

You are correct, the main advantage of the MoF rules is not having to write the spells down in your own spellbook to memorize them.

It's page 173 of MoF. It takes one tenday + one day per spell contained in the foreign spellbook. The DC is 25 + the spell level of the highest level spell in the book (so, max DC 34). If successful, the spellbook is considered the wizard's own for all purposes, including memorization.

If failed, same rule as learning spells: one more rank of Spellcraft must be gained before retrying.

Andargor

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

* If you find or borrow someone's spellbook, you can't prepare a spell from it that isn't written in your own spellbook.

Daniel

*cue Allelujah music*

That's the part i've been missing. Thanks a million, Daniel, for that very informative post.

andragor

It's page 173 of MoF

ah, i'll get to that page eventually :0)

Thanks again,

Maitre D