free spells from level up even after death?

[kreynolds]

Besides, he lost a Fighter level, not a Wizard level.

These two did though...

In my Greyhawk campaign, we have a Wizard that was 5th level and died, and a one or two sessions later he was back to 5th level. Does he get another two free 3rd level spells ?
A wizard died yesturday in the campaign im DMing and he was 7th and is now 6th but soon will be 7th again, will he again another 2 free 4th level spells ?

I can't speak for anyone else, but that's why I asked.

 

[Thanee]

You only lose spells per day. Spells written in the spellbook can hardly be lost this way.

Bye
Thanee

 

[the Jester]

This question came up with a wizard in my game; I just let him keep the spells. It seemed hard to justify his research vanishing from his spellbook. And would you deny him any spells he researched over the level lost/regained? What if he's 15th level and researches a basic 1st-level utility spell to keep his tower clean, then dies- should he be unable to use that spell? Or just freebies?

I just couldn't justify stuff "vanishing" from his spellbook.

 

[kreynolds]

I just couldn't justify stuff "vanishing" from his spellbook.

Neither can I, which is why I haven't ever done it. I've had a spellcaster player level drained before, but they were a sorcerer, so it was pretty obvious that they would lose spells known, but for a wizard, it hasn't ever come up.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Your character isn't going to suddenly forget how to read his own handwriting!

If a Wiz 7 died, and became a Wiz 6, he can no longer cast the 4th-level spells in his spellbook. He still can understand and read them, but the loss of vital energy (=level loss) weakened him, so he can no longer cast them.

If he were 8th-level, he can still cast them, of course.

In terms of balance; wizards get spells at varying rates, depending on the DM. If said wizard kills a wizard and steals a travelling spellbook, then the wizard gets a few new spells. If said wizard breaks into a wizard's tower, that could mean many new spells. I don't see how 2 extra spells are going to break the wizard class.

To put it another way - does your character lose magic items for dying?

 

[mmu1]

I think it's pretty simple - the spells you get as a wizard don't represent knowledge suddenly popping into your head (as they might for a sorcerer or a psion) but time spent learning, either through actual study, or through interacting with magic in the course of your travels. You adventure enough to gain a level of experience - you learn new spells. They're a function of time.

And it's hardly a "bonus" like some people are making it sound, he's not getting them for free, he's getting them instead of the spells he would be getting for going up to 6th level, if he didn't have to do level 5 all over again.

 

[Lucius Foxhound]

Yeah, I guess gaining two extra spells isn't that big of a deal.

Of course, this is just another reason that Wizards rule and Sorcerers pretty much suck the donkey.