Sorcerer, spellbook, scribe scroll

[Dandu]

Would you say, then, that having a sorcerer expend a spell slot would be an acceptable way of handling this houserule?

 

[coyote6]

Yeah, I'd say expend the appropriate spell slot, and any XP or expensive material components. I might have them make a caster level or Spellcraft check of some sort, too, with a DC based on the spell level.

 

[Shin Okada]

Well, I never think Sorcerer to be a weak class at all.

If I were the DM, I may make a feat which allows a sorcerer to use a burrowed spellbook to scribe scroll.

But If I am playing a sorcerer, I will not spend even one feat to scribe scrolls. Unless the campaign gives enough down time for scribing scrolls and yet limit to buy magic items much.

For combat, a sorcerer has enough spell slots to fight a day. For utility spells, he can simply buy scrolls.

 

[Corsair]

Well, I never think Sorcerer to be a weak class at all.

Until you compare him with a specialist or god forbid focused specialist wizard who has as many, or nearly as many spell slots, on odd levels has more powerful spells, access to far more variety of spells, bonus feats, and a more useful casting stat (as it also gives skill points).

Then you realize just how much the WotC designers massively overvalued spontaneous casting.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Until you compare him with a specialist or god forbid focused specialist wizard who has as many, or nearly as many spell slots, on odd levels has more powerful spells, access to far more variety of spells, bonus feats, and a more useful casting stat (as it also gives skill points).

Then you realize just how much the WotC designers massively overvalued spontaneous casting.

Yeah, not seeing how that makes Sorcerer weaker than...Barbarian, Bard, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, or Rogue, or pretty much any other base class ever printed in any splat book.

Just because Sorcerer isn't as powerful as Wizard, Druid, and Cleric (henceforth I shall call them "The Triforce") does not make Sorcerer a weak class.

I didn't say "ditto" because I think the Sorcerer needs help. I agreed because the benefit being asked about is just so minor it doesn't warrant the kinds of drawbacks being suggested.

 

[irdeggman]

Sorcerers can also add mutliple metamagic feats on the fly at the cost of only making it a full round casting time.

Wizards must memorize the spell as a metamagic version.

This can be huge in a game where people use metamagic feats to their full extent.

 

[Dingleberry]

I have no support for this in the RAW, but I'd let a sorcerer with the Scribe Scroll feat scribe a scroll from a spell in a spellbook, but have it remove the spell from the spellbook - kinda like adding a spell from a scroll to a spellbook. That makes this a rare event, probably from a found spellbook, rather than letting a party with a sorcerer and a wizard both use the wizard's spellbook to scribe at whim.

 

[Shin Okada]

Until you compare him with a specialist or god forbid focused specialist wizard who has as many, or nearly as many spell slots, on odd levels has more powerful spells, access to far more variety of spells, bonus feats, and a more useful casting stat (as it also gives skill points).

Then you realize just how much the WotC designers massively overvalued spontaneous casting.

Until you see PHB II alternative class feature which removes unworthy familiar and instead give a sorcerer non-full-round-action metamagic spells, Complete Mage, Races of Dragon and Dragon Magic for those Sorcerer only spells. And add Versatile Casting feat which allows one to use 2 spell slots of one lower spell level to cast a higher leveled spell.

In actual game sessions, having access to more spells does not help a wizard much, as those facts are nothing when he is not actually memorizing appropriate spells. Thus, unless a DM allows PCs to guess "today's opponents" quite openly, a wizard tend up memorizing spells which can be useful against almost all the foes. Thus, he become more and more like a ...... sorcerer with less flexibility (as he cannot apply metamagic feats on the fly).

And in many campaigns, especially in cliff-hunger type ones, wizards can't even enjoy expanding his spells known. Those campaigns do not allow a wizard to have time to write new spells on his book.

Wizards still have some advantage over a sorcerer, though. Such as more feats and more skill points. And I can think of at least one specialized wizard who could be truly more "powerful" than other arcane casters, a conjurer with abrupt jaunt alternative class feature. But even that is defensive and each DM has his own way to adjudicate that rule.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Until you see PHB II alternative class feature which removes unworthy familiar and instead give a sorcerer non-full-round-action metamagic spells, Complete Mage, Races of Dragon and Dragon Magic for those Sorcerer only spells. And add Versatile Casting feat which allows one to use 2 spell slots of one lower spell level to cast a higher leveled spell.

In actual game sessions, having access to more spells does not help a wizard much, as those facts are nothing when he is not actually memorizing appropriate spells. Thus, unless a DM allows PCs to guess "today's opponents" quite openly, a wizard tend up memorizing spells which can be useful against almost all the foes. Thus, he become more and more like a ...... sorcerer with less flexibility (as he cannot apply metamagic feats on the fly).

And in many campaigns, especially in cliff-hunger type ones, wizards can't even enjoy expanding his spells known. Those campaigns do not allow a wizard to have time to write new spells on his book.

Wizards still have some advantage over a sorcerer, though. Such as more feats and more skill points. And I can think of at least one specialized wizard who could be truly more "powerful" than other arcane casters, a conjurer with abrupt jaunt alternative class feature. But even that is defensive and each DM has his own way to adjudicate that rule.

That's been my experience, too. Wizard tends to have a lot of slots go unused just because he really can't use the ones he chose to memorize. And the value of adding metamagic on the fly (especially handy with Sculpt Spell and Energy Substitution feats, I've found) really is a big help. Not only the things you've barely touched on (some of those Sorc-only spells are VERY good), there's also great alternate class features like Stalwart Sorcerer (give up one highest level spell known, gain Improved Toughness twice, basically), bloodline feats that add a whopping nine (pre-determined on bloodline chosen) spells known, Draconic Heritage feats (which, with all splats accounted for, provide some good options), and more.

Yeah, Abrupt Jaunt is broken. Don't measure the entire Wizard class by some broken class feature only one specialist wizard can get. Nearly as broken and available to any sorc at all is Wings of Cover spell. Both should be nerfed like crazy. (I made Abrupt Jaunt cost you your next standard action on top of the immediate action to use it; added to its range with wizard level, so there's some actual benefit to advancing in wizard considering you traded a familiar for it. Wings of Cover gives +8 cover AC or 50% miss chance (for effects that aren't area blasts or weapon-like), along with the reflex save bonus from an area spell, instead of the printed absolute immunity to one attack.)

 

[Corsair]

Runestaff. Suddenly those slots aren't wasted any more.