Opps! Did I just snatch your spell book?

[Nebrok]

I am not compleatly sure about wizards and there spell books, I'm just starting to use more wizard npc's as enemys and one player decided that it would be a great strategic move to 'disarm' the wizards book. The idea was to remove the wizards ability to cast spells, but I ruled that the spells remain in the wizards memory and all than steal the book acomplished is to keep the wizard from prepairing new spells.

I want to know it I ruled correctly, does a wizard HAVE to have the book in hand to cast spells or do they stay in the memory untill cast?

 

[Crothian]

yes you did, but if the wizard needed to prepare spells the next day he would need his spellbook.

 

[Enkhidu]

Not by RAW. The spellbook is only used during prep time.

 

[lukelightning]

A wizard only needs his/her spellbook to prepare spells. They don't need to carry them around to cast spells; in fact, many wizards leave their spellbooks at home in a secret or well-guarded spot.

Stealing wizards' spellbook off of their person in battle won't stop them from casting spell, but will probably make you the target of all their agression since you have just stolen their most precious belonging. But if the wizard escapes, they will still be without a spellbook to prepare new spells, unless they have a backup.

 

[Rystil Arden]

If you're going to steal their spellbook, bring a Spellthief and steal all of their prepared spells too. And as long as they don't have Spell Mastery, stick 'em in a poorly guarded room with an average lock. I did that to a 20th-level archmage. She was pretty mad...

 

[werk]

,,,

Yeah, a spellbook is not a focus, it's not required to cast, only to prepare.

I play that a wizard can scribe memorized spells into a spellbook if he has the right equipment, time, etc. So he would only lose spells that were not prepared, which is the bulk of his known spells, usually.

This is also how I cover learning new spells. They do research until they 'learn' the spell, then *poof* the spell is prepared/memorized. They then scribe the spell to their spellbooks.

I also keep with the old rule that a wizard's 'spellbook' usually refers to his 'travelling spellbook' he has long-hand copies of everything (with notes) stored safely back in the lab (shelves and shelves full of research). He can always replace the travelling spellbook, given time, so long as he has his source material. It doesn't make sense that a wizard would go into battle with his life's work of unique creations in his backpack...too easily destroyed or lost.

 

[Staffan]

A better way of disabling wizards in the short term is to steal or sunder their component pouch. It won't affect all their spells, but likely a significant amount of them.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

yes you did, but if the wizard needed to prepare spells the next day he would need his spellbook.

Unless the wizard has taken Spell Mastery. Those particular spells he doesn't need his spellbook for. But for the rest, he's screwed.

 

[Felix]

A better way of disabling wizards in the short term is to steal or sunder their component pouch.

Meh, with d4 hit die, it's almost as easy to sunder their face.

 

[Shellman]

Yeah, a spellbook is not a focus, it's not required to cast, only to prepare.

I play that a wizard can scribe memorized spells into a spellbook if he has the right equipment, time, etc. So he would only lose spells that were not prepared, which is the bulk of his known spells, usually.

This is also how I cover learning new spells. They do research until they 'learn' the spell, then *poof* the spell is prepared/memorized. They then scribe the spell to their spellbooks.

I also keep with the old rule that a wizard's 'spellbook' usually refers to his 'travelling spellbook' he has long-hand copies of everything (with notes) stored safely back in the lab (shelves and shelves full of research). He can always replace the travelling spellbook, given time, so long as he has his source material. It doesn't make sense that a wizard would go into battle with his life's work of unique creations in his backpack...too easily destroyed or lost.

I can see the sense in what your saying for a mid to high level wizard. But a beginning wizard doesn't have much of a lifes work yet. Granted he probably has a mentor, but usually will have most his possessions with him unless he has a specific base of operations. What you said would mostly apply to an NPC wizard witha base of ops rather than an adventuring pc. At least thts how things just tend to work out in my groups games.