Spellbook Loophole

[Sadrik]

There are at least 38 0 level spells. A first level wizard gets all zero level spells. He also gets 5 +int in 1st level spells. Assuming a 14 int. A first level wizard has used up 45 pages of his spell book. Each page is worth 100gp. That means that a first level wizard has the equivilant of 4,500gp in his backpack.

I have considered using this loophole to buy a first level magic item and just taking the wizard at first level for the extra gold and then going into the class I really want to take.

Has anyone utilized this loophole before?

Sadrik

 

[Corsair]

Since every OTHER wizard also gets his spellbook full of 0th level spells for free, I have a hard time thinking you'll have much market for selling yours.

 

[Sadrik]

Sound argument. Change the rules in the book and make them worth less than it says they are worth.

However, every page is worth 100gp.

Magic missile and fireball are very common spells too. Are you going to alter their price too? I dont think so. It is a system problem. When every first level wizard with a 14 int is running around with 4,500gp.

I am envisioning gangs of people waiting outside of wizard Academies waiting to gack these 4 hp slot machines.

Sadrik

 

[Crothian]

Has anyone utilized this loophole before?

It might be cool to a be Wizard1/something 1 with 4500gp of equipment, but by the time you get to level 6 I imagine that wasted level of wizard will start to weaken the character more then the money helps.

 

[Thanee]

Sound argument. Change the rules in the book and make them worth less than it says they are worth.

There you got your solution... just disregard 0-level spells when you calculate the spellbook's price.

Bye
Thanee

 

[pawsplay]

If you want to have one level in a class, granting +0 BAB, +0 Fort, +0 Ref, +2 Ref, a d4 hit die, and a familiar, in exchange for a the amount of gold carried in equipment by a typical mid-level NPC, knock yourself out. Without spell mastery, you won't be able to cast, and with it, you just blew a feat to cast a handful of 1st level spells only.

Wouldn't it be more worthwhile to just take a level of rogue and steal something?

EDIT: Also, there are only 19 core 0 level spells.

 

[Sadrik]

Ah yes but there are other sources for 0 level spells. Spell compendium for instance has nine.

And Wizards get ALL cantrips.

Actually, I was thinking to rectify the situation by saying 10 0 level spells fit per page. That way they in essence become 10gp spells rather than 100gp spells.

So the 14 int wizard would have a 1080 gp spellbook in his backpack. Which in my mind is a little more viable.

Still though, for those groups that play - "by the book" - and unwilling to make any house rules. This is a very lucrative rule to break!

And the more books they print with spells the more money gets cashed out for this combo.

Sadrik

 

[Question]

This is easily countered by your DM saying "No, duh."

 

[Thanee]

Dunno, I would rather sell some Wall of Irons, or fabricated full plates myself.

Or take Craft (slingcrafting) and do something artistic with those free slings.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Christian]

However, every page is worth 100gp.

Magic missile and fireball are very common spells too. Are you going to alter their price too? I dont think so. It is a system problem. When every first level wizard with a 14 int is running around with 4,500gp.

I am envisioning gangs of people waiting outside of wizard Academies waiting to gack these 4 hp slot machines.

I'm sorry, I still don't get this. The fact that it costs 100 GP per page to scribe the spells, doesn't make the spellbook worth 100 GP per page. After all, another wizard can't prepare the spells from that spellbook--she needs to first scribe them into her spellbook. At 100 GP per page ... That makes a page of a zero-level spell value to another wizard equal, at most, the value of a scroll of a zero-level spell, 12.5 GP, and probably less. (Since the scroll could also be used to cast the spell once.) All of those thugs will get a nasty surprise trying to sell those spellbooks for thousands of gold pieces when they get fifty, "Meh, I already have all those spells in my book," followed by one, "Hey, there's one zero-level spell I don't have--I'll give you 5 GP for that page."

They people you want to rob are the ones selling the ink & materials to the wizards. Those guys are the ones with the tens of thousands of GP worth of stuff, and with a market of rich wizards waiting to buy it. Although, those wizards may not be happy to do business with the guy that gacked their regular supplier & took his stuff, now that I think about it, so this may not be a very good long-term career choice.