Spell Preparation

[CalrinAlshaw]

Anyone bothered by the fact that a 500th level archmage re-memorizing a FULL repertoire of spells takes the same amount of time as a first level wizard?

1 hour....*sigh* I think 3.X designers were trying to oversimplify preparation.
I guess they thought that 10 minutes per spell level or something simple like that would have boggled everyone...

Calrin Alshaw

 

[Scion]

You would prefer that it took days to get your daily allotment of spells?

 

[CalrinAlshaw]

Yes, if the spellcaster had enough spells that he had to prepare that it took that long.

Calrin Alshaw

 

[Pax]

Ye gods, I remember the old 1E/2E days ... when, yes, it could take more than one day, just to refresh one's spell-list after a particularly-intensive bout of dungeoneering.

IIRC, the time a wizard needed to memorise her spells was 30 minutes, plus anotehr 30 minutes times the maximum level of spell she wished to memorise ... plus (for each spell) 10 minutes times the level of the spell being prepared.

Let's figure this Wizard needs to prepare 4 spells (each) of levels 7 to nine, 6 spells (each) of levels 4 to 6, and 8 spells (each, again) of levels 1 to 3. She thus needs to spend:

• 8 hours resting;
• 5 hours getting ready to memorise spells;
• 360 minutes memorising 9th level spells;
• 320 minutes memorising 8th level spells;
• 280 minutes memorising 7th level spells;
• 360 minutes memorising 6th level spells;
• 300 minutes memorising 5th level spells;
• 240 minutes memorising 4th level spells;
• 240 minutes memorising 3rd level spells;
• 160 minutes memorising 2nd level spells;
• 80 minutes memorising 1st level spells.

This comes to a total of 17 hours spent prior to actual memorisation, and 2,340 minutes actually memorising her spells for the "day".

That's 52 hours! ... ! Just to memorise the spells she supposedly gets to cast every 24 hours!!!

I once had a middle-to-high level wizard in 1E (around 18th level, IIRC), who needed just over twenty seven hours to completely rememorise his "daily" allotment of spells. FEH.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Anyone bothered by the fact that a 500th level archmage re-memorizing a FULL repertoire of spells takes the same amount of time as a first level wizard?

No - the 3.x designers were trying to make an enjoyable game.

Having the entire party wait for days for the wizard to rememorise all his spells is crap - at best, it occurs identically to "it just all happens right now" and at worst, you get one player excluded from the game for a while. That's a bad thing.

 

[Ottergame]

Like negative ACs, worthless skills, and the THAC0, these ancient and decrepit problems of the old editions have gone the way of the 8 track, killed for a superior way of thinking.

 

[CalrinAlshaw]

The real point is, though, for a rediculously high level wizard to rememorize is full repertoire it is...1 hour, thats 2 pages PER SPELL LEVEL (1 for cantrips) to memorize a spell...wow, talk about a fricken speedreader. Jeeezus!
Ok, lets consider a level 20 Wizard, with 19 (minimum Int to memorize all his spells).

Thats 40 Spells, + a bonus spell at 1-4 for 19 Int, 44 spells.
So, 36+32+28+24+20+16+12+8+4+2(each cantrip counts as 1/2 a spell level)= 182 spell levels x2 (for pages) = 364 pages

Just for fun lets say the wizard is memorizing ALL of his spells. And knows EXACTLY which ones he wants for the day.
Now, there is 3600 seconds in an hour, According to the WotC a 20th level wizard can read at a good pace of....*drumroll* approx 9.89 seconds PER page. And have it MEMORIZED! And thats a 20th level Wizard with the MINIMUM stats, how often does THAT happen?

Wow....all of these guys should go in the fantasy version of the guiness book of world records.

Now, just for sake of argument. A first level wizard with the SAME intelligence requires the SAME amount of time to read 5 and 1/2 pages. Thats about 10 minutes a page for a guy who JUST as smart and talented.

There is something here just a BIIIIIIT off if you ask me.

Calrin Alshaw

 

[Scion]

hey, it's magic.

 

[CalrinAlshaw]

Anyhow, 10 minutes per spell level (flat easily calculated speed) seems somewhat realistic (For MEMORIZING 2 pages), maybe -1 minute per 5 points about 10 intelligence? That same 20th level wizard with minimum stats would take 27.3 hours, and with 1 point higher would take...25 hours etc. So genius's can do it in less time etc.

Calrin Alshaw

 

[CalrinAlshaw]

Ok, the It's magic could work, IF YOUR A 5 YEAR OLD WRITING BIG WORDS IN CRAYON to memorize!

Calrin Alshaw