Can you learn a spell that you cannot cast?

[7thlvlDM]

I have a player who wants to learn a spell (scribe it from a scroll into his spellbook) before he is of the appropriate level to cast it. He wants to do this because he will soon take on a prestige class that will force him to drop a school. (He won't be able to learn any new spells of this school, but he'll be able to cast the ones he already knows.) So does anyone know the official ruling on this? For the two spells a wizard gets each level, it says they have to be ones he can cast, but I couldn't find any mention of the restriction if the spells are copied from scrolls.

Thanks,
-7th

 

[Thanee]

Incantatrix, eh?

You should not be able to learn spells that are of a level beyond your capabilities. You might be able to write them into your spellbook and the border between this and learning a spell are not very definite, unless one equals the other, which I am not entirely sure of, but even if you have the spell written down there, you will never be able to cast it, if you forfeit the school prior to gaining the ability to actually cast it.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Hecatæus]

I know you could understand and copy spells you could not yet cast in Baldurs Gate.

I believe others here have made the distinction between Understanding a spell and Knowing it. Much like most would be teen drivers understand how to drive a car, but they don't Know how until they have sufficiently been behind the wheel for many a mile.

If the spell is not prohibited through specialization or similar restriction, then I would allow it.

 

[Crothian]

I would say no. If you can learn a spell, you can cast a spell. That's what you are learning: how to cast the spell. So, no ability to cast means no ability to learn.

edit: stupid mistakes

 

[Caliban]

By the rules, yes you can scribe a spell into your spellbook before you are high enough level to cast it.

The only requirement to learn it and scribe it into your spellbook is that you make a spellcraft check (DC 15+ spell level) and then pay the gold to scribe it in. (PHB, page 155)

You can take 10 on this check.

[Edit] However, I don't belive that having it in your spellbook would allow you to learn to cast it after you take the prestige class. That would be trying to avoid the limitation of the class.

Basically, you understood how to scribe it into your spellbook, but you didn't know it well enough to cast it. And once you take the prestige class and have the additional barred school, you won't be able to know it well enough to cast it.