Balance when dropping 'automatic' spells?

[Herzog]

I'm running a house-rule heavy (3.5) campaign, which I sometimes amusingly call my 'sandbox'. I use it to try out new rules, variations I made up, etc.

One of my houserules was to change the method in which wizards get their new spells. I ruled that they would not get new spells known automatically, but that they need to find spellbooks of other wizards, scrolls, etc.
This is partly because of the way I created the setting, and partly because this is how I remember it working in earlier versions (although I'm not sure whether that was a houserule by our DM too.)

The player running a wizard in the campaign complained, as he feared he would be left without (new) spells at some point if he didn't get the automatic ones. I understand his fear, as I have experienced something similar in an AD&D campaign where the DM ran the same rule, and the wizard in the party was left without new 5th level spells even after several adventures where he was capable of casting 5th lvl spells, and only one 4th level spell where he could cast 2 or 3.....
My intention is to provide him with ample choice in enemy spellbooks, scrolls, and even at some point a friendly artificer that can help him get the spells he needs. (note: yes, I know, RAW the artificer can't get him the scrolls he needs. I'm the DM, and the artificer is an NPC only class. so there.)

My question: am I being unreasonable restricting wizards in this way from gaining new spells?
Should I put a similar restriction on Clerics? If so, how would I go about doing that? (Clerics, as a rule, get access to 'all' the spells. Does anyone have a good way (story wise as well as (house) rule wise) of restricting access?

Any insight appreciated.

 

[jedavis]

That's not unreasonable, as long as you give them chances to get spells elsewhere. Plus, it's much more rewarding to acquire a spell by defeating an enemy, and makes spell acquisition a memorable process/event.

As for clerics, you could justify it as only knowing certain prayers. Perhaps they have a book o' prayers, with their means of further acquisition the same as that of the wizard.

 

[Starbuck_II]

My question: am I being unreasonable restricting wizards in this way from gaining new spells?
Any insight appreciated.

What about the costs?
The free automatic spells are free: meaning no costs to add to spellbook.

The ones he find from scrolls, etc costs 100 per spell level to add (plus cost to get scroll, etc).

You are making him poorer I see.

Does he get anything in return for this houserule?

 

[Kask]

Sounds totally reasonable. Full casters can be hit with huge nerf sticks without lowering them down to non-caster level. What you're doing is using a tiny nerf twig.

 

[Herzog]

@Starbuck_II:
As mentioned, this is a very house-rule heavy campaign.
Wizards have a number of spells known (as normal) and a number of spells per day (identical number) but the two are not linked.
This means the wizard does not have to prepare spells more than once, as he can decide at the moment of casting which of his prepared spells of the level in question he wants to cast.
They don't get familiars, but get a bonus Reserve feat instead. When taking the reserve feat, they don't have to fulfull the requirements, although the feat will remain inactive until they do.
I have, until now, also removed the bonus feats, but am now inclined to return them.

I am also thinking about introducing another house rule, (triggered by a 'spellbook as scrolls' discussion) replacing the normal scribing of spells in spellbooks by the rules used for creation of scrolls. No idea what the impact of that is going to be, but we'll see

 

[Starbuck_II]

@Starbuck_II:
As mentioned, this is a very house-rule heavy campaign.
Wizards have a number of spells known (as normal) and a number of spells per day (identical number) but the two are not linked.
This means the wizard does not have to prepare spells more than once, as he can decide at the moment of casting which of his prepared spells of the level in question he wants to cast.

Your house rule is similar to the official rule in World of Warcraft RPG. They let you gain additional prepared from high spell craft: but everyone casts spontanously what they have prepared.

 

[milo]

If he doesn't like it tell him to play a sorcerer, assuming they still exist and get spells automatically.

 

[Herzog]

No go. I'm in the process of replacing the sorcerer with a class that has to summon demons (or celestials) to bargain for spells.
They can replace their spells, but only one spell per day, by summoning another demon and learning spells from them.

The 'sorcerer' summoning celestials will get access to divine spells, but I haven't gotten around to defining the spell list.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

It should be fine. If you plan on granting ample opportunities for him to gain new spells throughout the campaign (especially if you were to make available an npc organization through which he could gain new spells, such as a wizarding guild or college).

If he doesn't like the idea, he always has the choice to play some other character.

 

[Thanael]

Isn't this the default RAW already? Wizards gain their spells from costly spell research or from bargaining/pludering/finding and copying other's spells. The 2 new spells per level simply represent a free research that is assumed to take place in his spare time.