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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mark Plemmons" data-source="post: 3401622" data-attributes="member: 1287">There's a bit in the <a href="http://www.kenzerco.com/product_info.php?products_id=96&osCsid=a2539c1ace114678bfc8f8645d22d669" target="_blank">GameMaster's Guide</a>, but it was expanded on in the <a href="http://www.kenzerco.com/product_info.php?cPath=25_26_39&products_id=139" target="_blank">Spellslinger's Guide</a>.In brief, the basics are that in ascribing his name to a magic spell, the magic-user retains the copyright to the spell in question.  Older spells, usually discovered by less litigious elven races, have in the course of time been released into the public domain – free for all to use should they successfully learn the spell.Copywritten spells, on the other hand, ARE NOT free to use.  Just because you’ve defeated some Lich and discovered its spell books does not grant you free rights to copy Zarba’s Fist of Rage or Drayton’s Hidden Stash into your spell book (should you successfully learn that new spell).  Oh no.  You see, the Lich possessing these spells paid a licensing fee to Zarba and/or Drayton (or their duly appointed representatives) in order to employ these spells – most likely a less expensive single user license.  The fact is, without licensing these spells, the caster is guaranteed a spell mishap.  Period.  The incantation is keyed to the licensee and the licensee alone (it takes a certain amount of cleverness to survive to the level at which you can discover new spells).Now, all is not lost for the intrepid magic-user who has discovered a valuable batch of new spells.  He too can acquire a license.  Long ago this was handled directly by the magic-user who created the spell (or more correctly, his flunkies).  However, this was a pain in the ass for all parties involved so a better system was developed.  The right to globally administer spell copyrights was purchased by the Mage Advocates legal organization for magic-users.  This set up worked well for a while but rampant corruption was eventually uncovered and the Council of Orders pulled the license.  The magic using professions (to include the magic-user class, various sub-classes and all specialties) then selected the church of Thrain as their duly appointed licensing agents as what many hoped would be a more trustworthy organization.  An odd choice you might say, but bickering amongst entrenched special interest groups  and Orders prevented the establishment of a Magi run licensing bureau.  Everyone was afraid that some other Mage would dole out spells on the side to his patronage spell casters (since if they were in charge this is the first thing they themselves would do!)A license can be obtained thusly.  First you must successfully learn the spell and copy it into your spell book (counting towards the maximum number of spells that you may learn for that level).  You then bring your spell book into a local temple of Thrain, fill out a number of lengthy forms (in triplicate) and pay a 10 gp/spell level service charge.  Two to eight (2d4) weeks later (this time cannot be known beforehand) the license arrives.  You must return to the same temple to pay the fee (on Table 7C in the <a href="http://www.kenzerco.com/product_info.php?cPath=25_26_39&products_id=139" target="_blank">Spellslinger's Guide</a>).  There a clerk inscribes the licensing key into your spell.  From then on you may memorize the spell as normal.  Note that the licensing key prevents copying.  You cannot create a scroll from the spell nor allow anyone else to copy the spell into his own spell books.  Attempting to do so not only guarantees failure, but also corrupts your copy of the spell thereby making it impossible to memorize it again.</blockquote>

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