Sure! Why not?
Greetings!
In my campaigns, I allow any mage (generic arcane caster) to cast spells from a spellbook as if it is as scroll. This includes Sorcerers and Bards (although I use Monte's variant, so they can't in that case). When they do it this way, the spell is burned from the book, erased, and therefore is gone for good.
I did this because I strictly enforce the rules for putting a spell into a spellbook. It takes one day plus one day per level to learn a spell. It also costs 100 gp per page and takes like 2x spell level in pages. (Or whatever it is. Straight from the PH.)
I ran a campaign where there were six players, sometimes seven, and there were two wizards. I couldn't believe how well these rules worked! I thought the mages would have tons of spells and be hard pressed to choose which ones to memorize.
Nope. Not even close.
Some levels of spells the wizard only had the 2 free spell a wizard gets. Other levels might have had a few more. 1st to 3rd level had maybe ten spells a piece.
I couldn't believe it.
Just by simply enforcing those rules, the wizards had to choose VERY carefully which spells they wanted. In fact, it was interesting to see them fight for the "right" to choose a free spell! They didn't want to each have the same spell, and therefore waste the potential between them, but the players wanted certain spells for their character.
Two big reasons for this. First of all, they struggled with money for a while and so the 1400 gp cost to scribe a 6th level spell when you want to do it for five spells, it adds up! Also, taking six days to scribe one 5th level spell is a lot. Two, with regards to the scribing time, the other players wouldn't let them. They refused to sit around for a month, even with no deadlines from an adventure, for a month while the mages scribed a spell. Even though it would be done in minutes!! ("okay, a month passes as they scribe their scrolls and now . . .") I was amazed.
So, why do I mention all of this? Well, when you consider that there isn't XP cost in the book but there is a lot of money, my players were *very* hesitant about burning a spell from their book. In the same campaign, it might have happened twice, in a very dire emergency, that they needed the spell and needed it now. In those instances, they cast the spells, knowing it was lost and they might not find it, or get the time to scribe it.
btw, it was also VERY good role playing. One wizard always cast certain spells and the players knew to be near him when he cast Mass Haste and some others. The other mage, the players knew would cast the more offensive spells. It was a very nice contrast!
YMMV
edg
Not that again.
