New spells at new levels

[Drakstern]

I'm just not quite certain on this one, and just want to make sure before moving on to my next session.

If there is very little downtime between characters levelling and their next bit of adventuring(As in, less than a full day, something around 12 hours), will Sorcs and Wizards be able to get new spells to go with the new level?

 

[andargor]

Depends if you use the variant rule about researching new spells gained with levels (DMG p.41).

If you're not using the variant rule, *poof*, the spells are in your spellbook/repertoire. This assumes you have been gathering bits and pieces of research during your adventuring, and now that you've levelled up, it's ready to go.

If you are, then you have to research and write them down (at least a day per spell).

Andargor

 

[bret]

I'm just not quite certain on this one, and just want to make sure before moving on to my next session.

If there is very little downtime between characters levelling and their next bit of adventuring(As in, less than a full day, something around 12 hours), will Sorcs and Wizards be able to get new spells to go with the new level?

By the normal rules, yes.

If you are not going to do that, then to be fair you shouldn't allow the other classes to get their feats, special abilities and such from leveling either. Then you are stuck with decided what a character *should* get from leveling without having time to rest.

Easier to state that they had been working on those spells for a long time, and finally figured out what they had been doing wrong / needed to do in order to get them to work. If you want to give a more realistic feel to this, make spellcasters choose their new spells a level ahead of time. That 4th level Wizard chooses which 2 3rd level spells they will take at 5th level when they reach 4th. That sets the tone, that the character has been working on this over time -- it isn't just something they decided on that morning. If you are going to do this, you should probably do the same for feats and some of the other special powers that characters can gain.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

bret's response is a good one.

The wizard has unique rules regarding spells. The temptation is to put those rules under a microscope when levelling in a way that you do not for other character abilities.

It is neither more nor less realistic for a wizard to wake up one day "inspired" into being able to cast a Fireball, than it is for a fighter to do the same with Spring Attack. The levelling rules are simply convenient abstractions for resolving efforts at self improvement the wizard or fighter has actually been training at for weeks, months, or years.