random Spellbook algorithm

[Zhure]

Ok, I'm doing this for my own campaign, but somebody check my work.

Assuming Wizard level = 2+

cantrips = all
1st level spells = INT MOD + 5
All other levels = 4 known

-2 highest known level of spells if level is odd.

Does that look right for a default? Is there a simpler way to express it before I write a program?

(I am not a programmer, but can hack my way through stuff.)

After that, truncate to a maximum spell book size, but that's a separate problem.
Greg

 

[Zappo]

Yeah, it's correct. I don't think you can simplify it any more. You may want to take into account a chance that the wizard has scribed more into his spellbook, though.

 

[GuardianLurker]

You're basics are correct. Don't forget that some spells are more common than others at every given level.

For example, probably very few Generalist Mages will be without Shield, Mage Armor, or Magic Missile among their first level spells. To fully reflect this, you'd probably want a N X 9 X 9 matrix (9 spell levels, 8 specialties + generalist).

You will probably also want to add more spells than just the default ones, to represent the extra spells acquired. I'd suggest 1 extra spell/(caster level-1), cumulative. So a 3rd-level wizard would have three extra first level spells, 1 from 1st, and 2 from second.

 

[Zhure]

Ok, great suggestions so far.

Now I want to weight certain spells (Shield, Magic Missile).

I know how I want to weight them, because they are popular, but *which* spells should I weight?

Greg

 

[Mark]

Some of the suggestions may skew it away from the possibility that the book found is the secondary book of a wizard. Could be that most books sold or found aren't the primary book since those are more cherished. May want to not worry so much about spells that would seem more prevalent if picked up by choice and out of necessity. *shrug*

 

[Zhure]

I don't foresee wizards *selling* books, as they aren't terribly worthwhile. The cost of scribing far outweighs the minimal profit of selling one.


What I plan on doing with the program is determining what the subject wizard has on his spellbook when he's captured or killed.

I plan on first detailing his book, then figuring out how much a typical wizard spends on adding spells, then splitting it into sub-books as the maximum page count is reached.

 

[Mark]

I don't foresee wizards *selling* books, as they aren't terribly worthwhile. The cost of scribing far outweighs the minimal profit of selling one.


What I plan on doing with the program is determining what the subject wizard has on his spellbook when he's captured or killed.

I plan on first detailing his book, then figuring out how much a typical wizard spends on adding spells, then splitting it into sub-books as the maximum page count is reached.

I see your point...

Still, there should be a good number of books on the market that have less-than-useful spells, since ready cash is always better than a book with all the spells that someone wouldn't take regularly. And, of course, one wizard's useless spell, might be another's style choice. You know your campaign. It might be worthwhile taking the lists and ranking their useful from your perspective, and maybe asking some of your players to toss in their thoughts, since they know some of what you do, too.

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

You've probably thought of this already, but it's a major one in setting up the spellbooks- make sure they contain the spells the wizard has prepared!

IMC, I've generally just had the spellbooks be nothing but the spells on the wizards' list, both to simplify things and make things a bit slower going for the PC wizards. They were all trading around spells left and right anyhow, so I didn't feel too worried about it.

My wizards also found out that it was much, much cheaper and easier to buy a scroll and transfer it to the spellbook than to research the spell in question. Darned players, they're always coming up with stuff like that....

At any rate, the selection process looks pretty good. Does anyone know if there's an "official" ruling for how many spells the wizard should start with? If it's what's listed above, then I cheated the wizard in my low-level group! (They started at third level, I gave her Int mod x2 in 1st-level spells and Int mod in 2nd-level spells).

 

[Zhure]

Page 154, PHB.

It's all cantrips, plus 3 1st level spells, plus one per point of intelligence modifier.

The method I outlined above extrapolates the two they get at 2nd level.

Greg

 

[GuardianLurker]

since ready cash is always better than a book with all the spells that someone wouldn't take regularly.

Mark, you play with the something other than just the core rules for scribing, don't you?

Because under the core rules it's actually *detrimental* to acquire another wizard's spellbook.

Zhure:
As for which spells should be weighted try the following (for the Generalist Mage):
1st: Shield, Mage Armor, True Strike, Charm Person, Magic Missile, Silent Image, Spider Climb
2nd: Web, Continual Flame, Invisibility, Mirror Image, Blur, Knock, (Fox's Cunning), Arcane Lock
3rd: Dispel Magic, Stinking Cloud, Hold Person, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Fly, Haste, Greater Magic Weapon, Secret Page
4th: Stoneskin, Leomund's Secure Shelter, Improved Invisibility, Dimension Door, Polymorph Other, Polymorph Self
5th: Cloudkill, Leomund's Secret Chest, Wall of Force, Hold Monster, Stone Shape, Teleport, Permanency
6th: Anti-magic Shell, Analyze Dweomer, True Seeing, Chain Lightning, Contingency, Disintegrate
7th: Spell Turning, Limited Wish, Prismatic Spray, Plane Shift, Teleport w/o Error, DBF
8th: Iron Body, Discern Location
9th: Wish, Gate, Foresight, Time Stop, (Chain Contingency)

Starting about 6th level, the spells become more interesting to the specialists. Not because the spells are necessarily weak, but because the tend to reflect how a mage thinks already, instead of being more adaptable. Also, the higher level big boom spells tend to be overshadowed by the sheer number of lower-level spells a mage can carry.

Some spells you'll want your big bad to know no matter what: Shield (blocks the pesky Magic Missle), Contingency linked to either Teleport or DDoor (to preserve his skin), Stoneskin (or better Iron Body), and Leomund's Secret Chest (to hide the REALLY valuable stuff).