Cost of Adding Spells to Spellbook too high?
- Thread starter delericho
- Start date
) That would let you do it "in the field" without the downtime, but would eat into your other spell power, so you'd really have to think it worth doing....Flavor:
Yep, it makes wizarding the most expensive profession out there; for some reason, I don't mind. Perhaps it's because it seperates the wizarding class from the other class: it means that the wealthy are the only ones able to afford it. It means that those without inborne magical talent have to pay out the nose to develop it.
While I'm an admirer of egalitarianism in real life, this does not extend to my gaming. Aristocrats with ennui are the most dangerous wizards out there for they know not what they are getting into, and their dabbling can cause many troubles.
Mechanics:
Certainly the cost of scribing is high, but certainly not prohibitive. It is only prohibitive if you want to be able to scribe every spell you come accross into your spellbooks. So it means that wizards must be selective in the spells they scribe; it also means that DMs need not fear giving out too many scrolls because the wizard will only be able to hold those scrolls in reserve until he can afford to scribe them; or cast them once and lose them to his spellbook.
Yep, it makes wizarding the most expensive profession out there; for some reason, I don't mind. Perhaps it's because it seperates the wizarding class from the other class: it means that the wealthy are the only ones able to afford it. It means that those without inborne magical talent have to pay out the nose to develop it.
While I'm an admirer of egalitarianism in real life, this does not extend to my gaming. Aristocrats with ennui are the most dangerous wizards out there for they know not what they are getting into, and their dabbling can cause many troubles.
Mechanics:
Certainly the cost of scribing is high, but certainly not prohibitive. It is only prohibitive if you want to be able to scribe every spell you come accross into your spellbooks. So it means that wizards must be selective in the spells they scribe; it also means that DMs need not fear giving out too many scrolls because the wizard will only be able to hold those scrolls in reserve until he can afford to scribe them; or cast them once and lose them to his spellbook.
Nyeshet
First Post
One thing I'm surprised others haven't mentioned is the fact that the cost of the spell book scribing directly relates to the cost of the book - and therefore the N/PC's suggested wealth per level. That Wizard with his 20k spell book should have equipment whose total worth is no more than suggested level based wealth -20k (to account for the spell book). Granted, they typically are not spending their wealth on magical weaponry, but this still detracts from wealth that might better be used to bolster Intellect, protect them, etc.
Chimera
First Post
From personal experience, that of playing a dedicated Wizard to 8th level in a 3.5 game, I have to say that the expense of gaining more than the free '2 per level' SUCKS. It's seriously unreasonable and basically screws the Wizard class.
Sure, you can copy scrolls. But that assumes that your GM is accomodating in providing exactly the spells that you want at that moment. If not, then add the cost of the scroll to the cost of writing the spell into your book and it quickly becomes prohibitive.
1st = 25gp scroll + 100gp scribe = 125gp
2nd = 150gp scroll + 200gp scribe = 350gp
3rd = 375gp scroll + 300gp scribe = 675gp
4th = 700gp scroll + 400gp scribe = 1,100gp
...and so on. Probably less of a bother at higher levels, but at 3rd-6th level, you're definitely screwing your wealth by taking this tack. OTOH, if you don't, then you miss out on a lot of very good 2nd and 3rd level spells. Meanwhile, your Cleric buddy has a list of spells longer than your arm that he can sling around virtually at will.
Downtime is another issue, but YES, it makes a serious difference. Unfortunately, all too many GMs (in my experience again) are into the whole concept of the fixed length "stop the evil guy before X date" plot concept, because they think it heightens the tension. I believe that such plots should be limited in scope to one adventure or not more than about three levels maximum, with long breaks between them.
Bottom line, if your GM doesn't make a special effort to accomodate your spell acquisition as a Wizard and give you reasonable downtime, then you're probably better off playing a Sorcerer, because you'll only have slightly fewer spells available but can cast them more often. You also don't have to deal with the whole Spell Book problem.
Sure, you can copy scrolls. But that assumes that your GM is accomodating in providing exactly the spells that you want at that moment. If not, then add the cost of the scroll to the cost of writing the spell into your book and it quickly becomes prohibitive.
1st = 25gp scroll + 100gp scribe = 125gp
2nd = 150gp scroll + 200gp scribe = 350gp
3rd = 375gp scroll + 300gp scribe = 675gp
4th = 700gp scroll + 400gp scribe = 1,100gp
...and so on. Probably less of a bother at higher levels, but at 3rd-6th level, you're definitely screwing your wealth by taking this tack. OTOH, if you don't, then you miss out on a lot of very good 2nd and 3rd level spells. Meanwhile, your Cleric buddy has a list of spells longer than your arm that he can sling around virtually at will.
Downtime is another issue, but YES, it makes a serious difference. Unfortunately, all too many GMs (in my experience again) are into the whole concept of the fixed length "stop the evil guy before X date" plot concept, because they think it heightens the tension. I believe that such plots should be limited in scope to one adventure or not more than about three levels maximum, with long breaks between them.
Bottom line, if your GM doesn't make a special effort to accomodate your spell acquisition as a Wizard and give you reasonable downtime, then you're probably better off playing a Sorcerer, because you'll only have slightly fewer spells available but can cast them more often. You also don't have to deal with the whole Spell Book problem.
Nyeshet
First Post
The FR setting has a spell for copying non-magical writings. Perhaps an improved version of this spell (ie: bumped up a level or two) could also copy magical writings? Perhaps having an XP cost to make up for the fact that it could allow for copying spells into a spellbook without costly inks, etc?
Or maybe . . .
What about that Geomancer special that allows for all spells copied to only require a single page? Perhaps it could be made a feat instead? Perhaps another feat might notably lower the cost of adding spells to a spellbook. Surely it would be a feat most wizards would take, so perhaps it could become a class level ability (perhaps 3rd level for this Geomancer one - which due to limiting the page number should also lower the cost to scribe the spell, 8th for the one that (further) reduces spell scribing costs, 13th level for a further reduction of some type, and 18th level for yet another reduction (maybe requiring only a skill check and a vial of normal ink by this point?). If nothing else it would further encourage non-multiclassing, as those that focused on other aspects of magic than pure arcane lore and scholastic spell gathering / construction would not benefit from the decreased cost of inscribing new spells.
Or maybe the Geomancer page-reduction special would be gained at 7th level, the decreased cost per scribing spell at 12th level, and the reduction to a mere skill check and negligible gp cost of a vial of colored ink at 17th level would work better?
Or perhaps . . .
What about spellbooks themselves? Perhaps the base blank spellbook could be removed and replaced with something a bit more magical? Less prone to damage, more pages, etc? Considering only the Wizard (and perhaps the Archivist) would benefit from such an item, it should receive a discount to its cost. (Now that I consider it, this is perhaps one of the only times I could see allowing a PC the option of using the specified-class discount.)
Or maybe . . .
What about that Geomancer special that allows for all spells copied to only require a single page? Perhaps it could be made a feat instead? Perhaps another feat might notably lower the cost of adding spells to a spellbook. Surely it would be a feat most wizards would take, so perhaps it could become a class level ability (perhaps 3rd level for this Geomancer one - which due to limiting the page number should also lower the cost to scribe the spell, 8th for the one that (further) reduces spell scribing costs, 13th level for a further reduction of some type, and 18th level for yet another reduction (maybe requiring only a skill check and a vial of normal ink by this point?). If nothing else it would further encourage non-multiclassing, as those that focused on other aspects of magic than pure arcane lore and scholastic spell gathering / construction would not benefit from the decreased cost of inscribing new spells.
Or maybe the Geomancer page-reduction special would be gained at 7th level, the decreased cost per scribing spell at 12th level, and the reduction to a mere skill check and negligible gp cost of a vial of colored ink at 17th level would work better?
Or perhaps . . .
What about spellbooks themselves? Perhaps the base blank spellbook could be removed and replaced with something a bit more magical? Less prone to damage, more pages, etc? Considering only the Wizard (and perhaps the Archivist) would benefit from such an item, it should receive a discount to its cost. (Now that I consider it, this is perhaps one of the only times I could see allowing a PC the option of using the specified-class discount.)
Ed_Laprade
Adventurer
Power Word: any. It's only one word!
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