How do you handle Wizards and their spellbooks?

[MacMathan]

I was curious to see how other DMs handle the finding of spells by Wizards to add to their spellbooks, especially at higher levels?

Do you allow Wizards to find whatever they want provided they pay for the scribing, pay the "access" fee suggested in the PHB and make the spellcraft roll?

Something else?

 

[Wycen]

I let them find whatever I want them to find, though if they specifically are looking for a certain spell I might arrange a manner in which to acquire it. But other than that, pretty much like you said.

 

[Li Shenron]

I let them find random scrolls on enemy spellcasters or in shops (although they are not magic shops with loads of items, but rather regular shops or merchants who might have a couple of occasional scrolls and potions). Wizards are instead completely free of choosing their 2 spells every new level, for which they are assumed to either have found the knowledge somewhere or have developed the spell from personal research.

At high levels, a Wizard has enough friends or resources to be able to easily put his hands on every possible scroll, at least the lower-lever ones.

 

[Plane Sailing]

If they are in a city with a wizards guild they can purchase scrolls of spells which they desire at the going rate (as long as they are at least a level lower than the highest level spells which can be cast at the guild!) and either use them or scribe them into their spellbook.

When adventuring, they may find scrolls and they may find defeated wizards spellbooks which can be used to scribe spells into your own spellbook.

 

[Darklone]

They exchange spells mostly with other wizards they meet. Some level 1 and level 2 scrolls may be bought in big towns. Loot: Not much.

 

[Shallown]

The wizard's in my game get them from several sources.

1) Enemy spell caster's Spell books. This is the way I include spells th at I think they need either becuase the wizard needs more variety or they might need spells of a certain type later and I want the "easily" available.

2) The ones they get every level. These are fairly unrestricted. I just have them get my okay more often just so I have a heads up on what spells they have access to.

3) Purchasing. Some common spells they can get scrolls of or commision scrolls of. or sometimes in a barter trade with an NPC wizard.

4) Party member wizards sort of like purchasing but usually it is a copy each others spell books deal. I guess if someone can watch you back in a fight with a dragon then they can be trusted with your spell book.

The wizard in my group only uses method 1 and 2 for some reason even though I provide spell books and there is now a Npc sidekick with his own book he doesn't take much advantage of it. I just gave him a unique spellbook from his ancestors and he has barely bothered to look in it. The Npc caster has been all over it (He is also a cleric of knowledge, Mystic theurge) It has spells he can't get anywhere else and he has just ignored it. Those evoker mages sure can be a pain.

later

 

[diaglo]

i make them write up all their new spells.

i then set a spell level for it.

and we go from there.

edit: Blackleaf's got nothing on me.

 

[Nifft]

I was curious to see how other DMs handle the finding of spells by Wizards to add to their spellbooks, especially at higher levels?

Improved Sunder

Seriously: there are centers of magical learning which have all Core spells. If you stay on their good side, you get access. If you do them favors, you get free access.

There are non-Core spells, too. These you get from non-standard locations: extra-planar libraries, etc.

If you can't make it to a magical learning center -- no time, wrong plane, etc. -- you can probably find a local wizard with whom you negotiate for access to spells.

-- N

 

[KingOfChaos]

I pretty much allow my wizard players to use their starting money to purchase scrolls and such for their spellbooks. I also allow them to develop their own spells in addition to gaining the normal spells every level. Not to mention the occasional spellbook of an enemy spellcaster ^_^

 

[Staffan]

I let my players choose spells from the PHB. Spells from other sources, they have to seek out or I'll introduce the ones I want them to have, somehow.

As an example of the latter, I just moved the party to the Forge (the Oathbound setting). As part of the world shift, the agent responsible for their transportation has the opportunity to give/take away equipment. I used this to (a) get everyone to the wealth level where they're supposed to be, and (b) give the party necromancer a decent offensive spell from another source (Mestil's Acid Breath from Magic of Faerûn), since he's been kind of useless so far.