DMs - do you enforce spellbook rules?

[bret]

I positively hated these rules... one of my DMs enforces it thou...

Its way to expensive and I figure most campaigns dont follow the WOTC suggested WEALTH level for PCs anyway. My 8th lvl character has like a third of the gold suggested in magic items only.

Wizards should spend gold and time to get new spells... but the way it is now... its so prohobitive as too be castrating.

In my case I was transcribing a 2nd level Scroll... so I lost the scroll AND I paid quite a lot of gold too to put it in my book. So being a wizard is great for having lots of 1st lvl spells... but higher than that only getting my 2 free spells a level...

Wizards need magical items too... not spend all their gold in filling up grimoires... they need AC and better saves like everyone else.

There are a couple of methods of fixing this.

The simplest is to pick the spells you want. If the rogue wants a Cat's Grace, just appologize that you don't have the spell and can't afford the cost of scribing it in your book. The rogue might decide it is worth it to solve those problems for you. Same goes for other people wanting you to cast particular spells.

Another way is to supplement your income by creating custom magic items for people. If you charge full price, that should give you a few more gold to spend on scribing new spells. This does take time.


Overall, I think the rules may be a little harsh but since I've never played under a GM that enforced them, I'm not sure how harsh it would really be.

 

[Slack'alot]

DM's don't enforce it so it doesn't matter, seems to be a good solution. My problem is that my DM doesn't know the rules in the first place. I am responsible for keeping my character rules compliant and the rules in this case are prohibitive. I don't have a lot of gold, I lost 600 gold last adventure, but I have an enemy spellbook. My DM seemed to think he was really being nice giving me the enemy spell book, so he obviously doesn't understand the fact that I can't use it.

I'm a little frightened to bring this up with my DM, anytime I suggest rule variants he thinks I am trying to pull one over on him (which is a bit silly concidering that he trust me to keep my character legal in the first place). Do I just adopt a rules variant that seems fair, or do I suck it up and use the free spells I get each level?

 

[bret]

DM's don't enforce it so it doesn't matter, seems to be a good solution. My problem is that my DM doesn't know the rules in the first place. I am responsible for keeping my character rules compliant and the rules in this case are prohibitive. I don't have a lot of gold, I lost 600 gold last adventure, but I have an enemy spellbook. My DM seemed to think he was really being nice giving me the enemy spell book, so he obviously doesn't understand the fact that I can't use it.

I'm a little frightened to bring this up with my DM, anytime I suggest rule variants he thinks I am trying to pull one over on him (which is a bit silly concidering that he trust me to keep my character legal in the first place). Do I just adopt a rules variant that seems fair, or do I suck it up and use the free spells I get each level?

Rather than immediately suggest rules varients, bring it up as a problem and ask the GM to help you figure out a way to make it work.

If he isn't aware of the wealth rules, he may want some time to think about how the amount of wealth he makes available is different than the normal rules, and if he wants to change that. If he doesn't want to be forced to give out more money, then he might think of some other way to prevent a Wizard from just copying every spell into their spellbooks.

If he comes back to you and asks for suggestions, then you can mention some of the rules varients. Just don't start out your presentation with 'Hey, here is a problem and the solution I want you to adopt.'

 

[WizarDru]

A DM who doesn't enforce this rule is short-changing all the non-wizards of the group. At early levels, this may seem unfair to the wizard, but it isn't. It prevents him from getting a huge number of spells quickly, unless he's willing to sacrifice something else (such as better equipment, scribing scrolls or making wands).

At later levels, it becomes a way of keeping a wizard's power in check compared to other party members. As a high-level fighter becomes dependent on magic items, a high-level mage becomes dependent on time and money. This is part of the trade-off of being a wizard. It is a limitation by design.

There are several ways to work around this problem, depending on your preference.

First, as has been mentioned, the player may create a Boccob's Blessed Book. After they pay to make this item, they don't have to worry about inscription costs until after the book is used up. The book quickly pays for itself.

Second, other party members should be willing and encouraged to chip in the costs. Want that Greater Magic Weapon? "Sorry, I just don't have the money to purchase it and inscribe it." Need a Bull's Strength or Cat's Grace? "Well, if you could cover my costs, I'd be glad to." Remember, it's a team game.

Third, another one previously mentioned, is that the wizard gets two spells free each level. Period. No cost or time at all. This isn't as exciting as captured booty, but it's solid and dependable, and costs nada.

The wizard's spellbook and inscription costs are part of the D&D/d20 system of internal balance for that class. Removing it won't destroy a game, but it does help to prevent a wizard from potentially out-powering or dominating a game as the levels go on.

 

[Caliban]

A DM who doesn't enforce this rule is short-changing all the non-wizards of the group. At early levels, this may seem unfair to the wizard, but it isn't. It prevents him from getting a huge number of spells quickly, unless he's willing to sacrifice something else (such as better equipment, scribing scrolls or making wands).

At later levels, it becomes a way of keeping a wizard's power in check compared to other party members. As a high-level fighter becomes dependent on magic items, a high-level mage becomes dependent on time and money. This is part of the trade-off of being a wizard. It is a limitation by design.

There are several ways to work around this problem, depending on your preference.

First, as has been mentioned, the player may create a Boccob's Blessed Book. After they pay to make this item, they don't have to worry about inscription costs until after the book is used up. The book quickly pays for itself.

Second, other party members should be willing and encouraged to chip in the costs. Want that Greater Magic Weapon? "Sorry, I just don't have the money to purchase it and inscribe it." Need a Bull's Strength or Cat's Grace? "Well, if you could cover my costs, I'd be glad to." Remember, it's a team game.

Third, another one previously mentioned, is that the wizard gets two spells free each level. Period. No cost or time at all. This isn't as exciting as captured booty, but it's solid and dependable, and costs nada.

The wizard's spellbook and inscription costs are part of the D&D/d20 system of internal balance for that class. Removing it won't destroy a game, but it does help to prevent a wizard from potentially out-powering or dominating a game as the levels go on.

I agree with WizardDru. Changing it isn't going to destroy the game or anything, but the scribing costs are there specifically to limit the wizards rate of spell acquisition. This by no means "castrates" the wizard.

Even if the wizard was limited to just 2 new spells a level after 1st level they would still be powerhouse, and still have a bigger toolbox of spells than a sorcerer. Given that they can increase their repetoire of spells outside of leveling just by spending gold to scribe them from scrolls and other wizards spellbooks, this gives them even more flexibility when it comes to spell selection.

A major part of this flexibility is the ability to simply stop using spells that have turned out to be a poor choice, or are now overpowered by higher level spells. A sorcerer doesn't have the ability to swap out spells for better choices (under the core rules).

My 8th level Evoker has gone strictly by the PHB as far as as scribing costs and time for new spells are concerned. He's spent over 6,000 gp scribing new spells into his spellbooks. He has also used the "Mastering a Spellbook" option from MoF to master a spellbook. He's still considered the most dangerous PC in the group, even though he has fewer magic items than most of the other PC's. His scroll library and spell selection, and his Craft Wonderous items feat make him a force to be reckoned with, especially if he is given any time to prepare.

One caveat: The spell scribing costs assume that you are running a D&D game with a normal wealth level. In low-cash campaigns these costs can become truly prohibitive.

If your DM is running a low-cash campaign, then he should either reduce the scribing costs or throw in some vials of "Spell Ink" as part of the treasure occasionally. (Each vial of spell ink covers the cost of scribing 1d6 pages of spells.)

 

[Laslo Tremaine]

This is basically a "me too!" post...

I am a co-DM and playing a Wizard in a pretty standard Greyhawk 3e game. In our campaign we decided to do EVERYTHING by the 3 core books. So our cash/loot is pretty close to what it should be for our levels, and we are using the spell scribing rules straight from the PHB. We tend to have about a month of downtime between adventures, so things have been working out for the most part...

I don't have any major complaints, except for the fact that the other DMs (there are four of us DMing in rotation) tend to have Sorcerers as the main bad guys, so I haven't really gotten an enemy spellbook since 3rd level or so (10th level now).

Oh, and I did create a Boccob's Blessed Book as my very first action after hitting 9th level!

 

[theridion]

I don't like the cost listed in the book.

I don't like it because it only hurts low level wizards(usually).

Here's my point- wizards are usually the weakest first level characters. at best, you have a spell focused enchanter who can sleep all the goblins you run into, but for the most part, you're in for 5 beginning levels of utility use and emergency spell casting.

This is the time where the amount of gold needed to scribe spells is most out of reach. At higher levels, as long as your campain is providing a good amount of gold, you won't need to worry about scribing spells.

The first 3 spell levels have all the great and useful spells. If you take your basic party, when you find magic weapons, armor, and items at low levels, more often then not, they go to the person who can use them. "buying out" shares of items is impossible because all the party wealth is in their few magic items at low levels.

As a wizard, you have to say, "Um... i know i'm contributing the least out of everyone... especially compared to that cleric who can heal everyone, wear armor, and use our magic greatsword +1 we found... but, would you guys be opposed to selling that so i can scribe jump and web into my spellbook? We already found the scrolls, but it will cost me 600gp to put them in my book.