How do YOU handle new spells?

[Amaroq]

blackshirt, in the campaign setting I'm working on, I've a similar thought process to yours going. I very much like the idea of reintroducing the 'mystery' to magic.

IMC, a Wizard won't be getting 2 spells automatically every level, and will definitely be interested in finding ancient bits of arcance knowledge. Likewise the Sorceror, no instant-knowledge spells for them either. And, since "sorcery" is a crime punsihable by death, there certainly won't be too many NPC's who will reveal that they have spells, let alone initiating a trade.

I think with this route its important to make sure that there are ways to discover things. That also gives the characters a way to drive what they want to learn. One path I'm thinking of is allowing the Wizard to experiment, especially if s/he has a fully stocked library. All sorts of potential in that one -"oops, Summoned the wrong thing!"; "Oops, Teleported myself away, where the heck am I?" But also I want to make sure that this is one of the major ways of discovering new spells. I'm certainly going to borrow your "spell fragment" bit, applying it as a bonus to working out the spell. The Sorceror would have a similar experimentation path, but would also have a chance of 'wild casting' the spell in time of need - for example, if falling, might be able to eke out 'Feather Fall' before they hit the ground... which would then move it into their 'known spell' list.

Bonuses I'm figuring on using when experimenting with a spell:

++++ Big bonus for having a scroll of that spell
+++ Good bonus for tweaking a similar spell
++ Fair bonus for knowing lower-level stepping stone spells
+ Small bonus for working on spell significantly below max level
? Variable bonus for having a spell fragment​

Clerical and druidic magic can be learned in one of three ways: directly granted by the god, taught by another priest, or learned from scroll... taught will probably encompass most of the core rulebook spells, but I like the idea of discovering ancient rites which tap powers of the god which the church has lost.

 

[Grayhawk]

Here's how I handle the Wizard's two free spells per level:

The Wizard's player gives me a wish list with three spells on it.

From that list I choose one spell which he learns. Now I present him with a list of three spells, from which he then chooses his second learned spell at that level.

Comming from 1e and 2e the 'pick any two spells' of 3e seemed too generous, as it doesn't leave room for a Wizard questing for that specific, elusive spell and the sense of success when he finally tracks it down in a dusty library, finds it in a dragon's lair or receives it as a reward for a completed mission.

Also, it can keep a spell out of the hands of the Wizard for some time. For example, you may have an upcomming module where a specific spell might pose a lot of problems.

The reason for the player to write his list first, is that I (as the DM) can make my list based on his wishes. If all of his three wanted spells are fine by me, I can put one or two of them on the list I write back to him to choose his last spell from.

It might even open the player's eyes to spells he himself hasn't considered, as I at least once have had a player choose one of my suggestions over a spell that originally came from his own wish list.

 

[VirgilCaine]

What I might do to have similar effects of finding old, lost spells is that the two free spells per level have to come from the PHB, with no other sources allowed (and I have a lot of non-PHB spells). So if you want a non-PHB spell, you have to find where it might be, who might have it, etc. and then scribe it into your spellbook.

I play the PHB spells as being universally known. They are the constants, the of the arcane spellcaster--everyone has them or has seen them. Regional spells dealing with say, environmental survival or a certain style of magic are much harder to find.

 

[Corwyn]

There have been some people here stating that the chosing of spells should be restricted to the PHB spells. I don't realy agree with this. In almost all of the campaings that I have played in or dm'ed 99% of the spells originated from the PHB and the most usefull spells are there anyway.
Instead I would sugest to make list with spells that are common (to a degree of course). These should be spells wizards would likely have and use on a regular basis and thus would contain very little damage dealing spells and a few defense ones.