Copying Spells into Spellbooks...

[Kid Charlemagne]

Specifically higher level ones than you can currently cast.

I looked the PHB over, and couldn't find anything really definitive on the subject. Here's the situation: a PC wizard in my game has hit a treasure trove of spellbooks in the past couple of sessions. One set he knows he' going to have to give back in ten days. He wants to get the best spells, obviously. He's 4th level, the wizard whose books he has is 7th, so there are 3rd and 4th level spells he'd like to copy.

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

There's nothing there to indicate that the wizard is limited in any way other than by the Spellcraft check.

Can a 4th level wizard copy a 4th level spell into his spellbook from another spellbook?

 

[Turhan]

I find nothing in the rules to prohibit a low level caster from copying a high level spell. After all, they are basically just 'copying' a series of notes and instructions. If they can figure out the way the universal symbols are used by the original scribe, they can replicate the spell notes for themselves.

In my campaigns I always allow a high level spell to be copied by a low wizard because I figure it makes sense that a studying wizard will find many things he doesn't understand and will study them over his succeeding levels of advancement. Someday he'll master the ideas and develop his own "Will and Intent" to a point where he can actually control the arcane energies needed to cast the spell.

(Will and Intent are the words I use to describe a wizard's innate ability to shape and use magic.)

 

[Felix]

Yep. A 1st level mage can copy Gate into his spellbook all he wants, as long as he makes the DC 24 Spellcraft check. And he can keep it there. Which will make that spellbook more valuable to other mages who might want to trade spells with him. Which also might mean that more powerful creatures and Wizards who are after the Gate dweomer will attack the 1st level mage for his spellbook.

 

[Li Shenron]

This is an interesting question, it has never occured to me

I suppose that if nothing specifically disallows it, it must be possible. In a way it fits quite well with the idea that the 3ed Wizard doesn't exactly "know" spells (at least not in the same way a Sorcerer does) unless she has Spell Mastery, since in case she loses the spellbook she won't cast anything better than a Read Magic. So it sounds possible for a Wizard to record spells beyond her current possibilities. IIRC, there is no advantage in doing that (it doesn't take any less time or money, right?), therefore there shouldn't be any problem either.

 

[Thanee]

I think you can... it's more difficult with the Spellcraft checks than what could be expected from your level, which might be a hindrance, tho. And, of course, that you first need a copy of that spell.

Came up with one of my characters, actually... I picked up Spell Mastery at 5th and wanted to have some higher level spells, which are actually useful later when this need arises.

Bye
Thanee

 

[irdeggman]

The RAW read like you can understand the spell and then (if a scroll) can attempt to cast it. The mechanics are the same for understanding regardless of the source. I brought up the scroll bit because a character can attempt to cast a a spell from a scroll even if it is normally above his ability to cast (i.e., a higher level spell). Note this only applies to scrolls since a spell can't be cast directly from a spellbook. (It is not a spell completion item).

 

[robberbaron]

Don't see why not.
After all, you're only copying the incantation and instructions.