Pathfinder 1E Alchemist/Wizard free spells

[Tharkon]

Me and one of my player's have had an argument about how to read the following sentence and was wondering what the average opinion was out in the world.

"At each new alchemist level, he gains one new formula of any level that he can create."

And the analogous entry for the wizard:

"At each new wizard level, he gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new wizard level) for his spellbook."

His interpretation is that at each new alchemist level he gets one new formula of every level he can creature, so at level 4 he would get two new formulae in total.

My reading was that he gets one new formula, and that that formula can be of any level he can create, in which case at level 4 it would have to be a level 2 extract if he wants to be able to brew level 2 extracts at all.

My reasoning is the lack of the word every, and in the case of the wizard the implication that all the new spells gained may be of the same level.

 

[steeldragons]

You're right. No reasoning, other than basic reading comprehension, necessary.

Sounds like some deliberate "misinterpretation" to get more than they're due.

 

[Mad Hamish]

Seconded.
If it was 1 of every level he can use then it'd be written as "each"

 

[Tharkon]

This particular players also happens to be one that insisted on playing an Alchemist, even though I said that the game would be Core Rulebook only.

The reason behind my restriction was that this is our first Pathfinder game, and I didn't want to barrage the players with hundreds of new options when they were just getting used to the game.

The reason why I ended up allowing him to play Alchemist was that I knew he was more experienced with Pathfinder.

So yes, in the back of my head I did have a feeling that he was trying to play with the rules to get more out of it. One extract per level isn't much though, even the wizard gets two spells per level.

While trying to find the cost of writing additional spells for wizards I have since found this paragraph on the d20pfsrd:

Wizards perform a certain amount of spell research between adventures. Each time a character attains a new wizard level, he gains two spells of his choice to add to his spellbook. The two free spells must be of spell levels he can cast. If he has chosen to specialize in a school of magic, one of the two free spells must be from his specialty school.

That solves it without questioning for the wizard, and I feel the RAI for the Alchemist are to be similar to the wizard.

 

[Empirate]

Basic reading comprehension fail on your player's part. "Any" differs from "every" or "each", and the exact difference where applied to the relevant bits of rules text should be extremely easy to parse even for a non-native English speaker.

 

[N'raac]

One extract per level isn't much though, even the wizard gets two spells per level.

Seems the initial issue has been resolved.

It does not seem unreasonable to me that the alchemist only gets one extract per level where the wizard gets two spells. The alchemist has many abilities other than his extracts, where the wizard's only significant class ability is his spells. The alchemist has less spell levels, so assuming he always selects the highest level possible, he'll have three extracts of a given level before accessing the next level, where the wizard will have four spells. Like the wizard, he can access additional extracts through spellbooks. Although an alchemist cannot use a scroll, as it is a spell completion item, I would be inclined to allow him to research a scroll like a spellbook to add a formula to his extract list. Not sure whether that is the official rule, though, as scrolls are not mentioned in the alchemist writeup.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

Yep, I agree with the others, the key here is one new formula of any level, it doesn't say "one of EVERY level" it says "any" meaning singular. Very basic reading comprehension here and tell him to go back to school if he keeps arguing or come on here so we can set him straight!

 

[Tharkon]

It doesn't mention scrolls but there are dozens of texts about how scrolls and spellbooks are similar, so think I'll allow copying from scrolls if they can decipher them with a spellcraft check.

Thank you all for the input. I am glad to have some extra opinions backing up what I thought was how it was to be read.