Protecting Spellbooks

[arche]

Ok, I've DM'd a lot, but when I finally decided to play, I played a wizard. Now, being a DM, you'd think I was smart enough to protect my spellbook from any disaster, but of course, I didn't. My character falls into the water, with my spellbook in my backpack. I wasn't in more than one round when my character teleported out of there. The DM was kind and didn't punish me by having the spellbook get wet as it was in the backpack and normally backpacks don't fill up with water completely.

So, it prompted me to ask, how do other wizard players out there protect their spellbooks? Considering it's so important to a wizard and protecting a spellbook gets expensive (once again the wizard bankrupts the party) it's amazing that wizards ever make it past first level.

 

[kirinke]

As soon as you can, get shrink item put permanently on the spell books, also while you're at it, endure elements, protection from elements, minor globe of invulnerability and if you can make up a spell that will automatically bring the spell book to your hand if you loose it. Another good one is minor image and illusionary script to make it seem like something else.

Call spell book
Conjuration (Summoning)
Level: Brd 3,wizard/sorcerer 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: One summoned spellbook of your choice
Duration: instantanous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell summons one spellbook of your choice, belonging to you. This spell book appears in your hands or at your feet (your choice). This spell was created by an absent minded wizard who was always loosing his spell book at inopportune times.

 

[Gnarlo]

Ziplock bags. Wrapped in duct tape.

On a more serious note, I use some of the ideas from the old spellbook rules in Dragon magazine (#62) about main spellbooks, travelling spellbooks, etc., and allow for multiple copies as explaining the expenses listed in the PHB. I also assume they are fairly resistant against common wear and tear, brief immersion, etc., although after a few adventures they may resemble the logbook in Balin's tomb from the LOTR.

 

[scourger]

This question comes up from time to time and has made me wonder why other items in the party don't suffer such mundane wear & tear. I've noticed that the PCs (mine included) don't buy new clothes very often despite slogging around in hostile conditions and wearing out from multiple combats. Forget about having extra clothes for diplomatic encounters. I recently had occasion as a DM to have the PCs buy courtier's outfits and jewelry, but only with some resistance on the players' parts. Also, weapons, armor and anything meatl that goes in the water may start to rust. Leather and other organic fibers get waterlossed and damaged. It just seems that the poor spellbooks take the brunt of it. I think I'll be a little more aware of it as a DM (and hopefully as a player, too) and require replacement of mundane gear or some consequences will occur--if only the diminished reputation of a ragged appearance.

 

[Rel]

Glove of Storing if you're playing 3.0 (they're rather cost prohibitive in 3.5). If you get to the level where you can afford them, get a pair of Ring Gates and leave your spellbook at home.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I used to charge a monthly upkeep fee to cover the costs of new clothing, weapon & armour repairs, replacing oil supplies, etc.

This campaign is a lot broader in scope so I might just charge a 1% deduction on treasure found (with a cap, of course). Takes care of a lot of the bookkeeping.

As for spellbooks, get a sack that has been oiled and made waterproof. As long as it's wrapped up well, you shouldn't have a problem (unless you go to the Elemental Plane of Water ).

 

[arche]

This question comes up from time to time and has made me wonder why other items in the party don't suffer such mundane wear & tear. QUOTE]

You know this is actually a really good point. I often forget to bother with general equipment maintenance. If all characters were forced to think about general upkeep & preventative maintenance, which will avoid simple stuff. It also evens out the burden rather than forcing wizards to constanatly worry about basic issues with their spellbooks.

Even if a person is using magic weapons that aren't just going to rust, the belt to hold them up or the scabbard isn't magical (at least usually they're not). So, the fighter has to buy a new belt or scabbard after he's been in the salt water or he'll just have to carry that sword in his hand all the time.

 

[Sarellion]

I deduct a fee from the yearly income from my groups county. It pays for general upkeep, food and lodging. I haven´t thought about spellbook protection as we don´t use spellbooks to memorize. you need a library for research and advancing your magical knowledge. In one campaign the wizards used staves as replacement for the normal material components instead of a pouch for components. Every spell that demanded components demandes the staff instead. If you had put points in your staff skill the staff became more resilient against damage and you could encode your spells on the staff as magical runes.

 

[Richards]

I wrote an "Arcane Lore" article for Dragon covering this subject back in the AD&D 2E days...issue #262, I think: "Spielbuk Spayle's Book of Spellbook Spells." It had about a dozen or so spells that were all in one way or another related to keeping a wizard's spellbook from harm. They might need some tweaking to convert to 3E, but they might still be worth a peek if you can hunt up the back issue.

Johnathan