Time to learn new spells

[reveal]

We are about to go to a location that will take us three days on horseback to travel to. During that time, I will be going through a spellbook loaned to me that will allow me to copy some new spells. In the book, it states that you need to study the spell, once you decipher it, for a day in order to make a check to be able to copy the spell. My question is this:

If I am to be travelling, is it possible for me to study while riding? What if I just tie my horse to another horse in the party and, basically, have them lead me? Would I still be able to study the spell and transcribe it?

 

[Steverooo]

Only your GM knows for sure...

If he was me, no!...

 

[Master Psion]

I don't see why you wouldn't be able to. If one of my players decided to try that I'd have them make concentration checks once an hour to see if the normal motion of the horse would interrupt their study. Let's see, maybe have a DC of 10 + level of spell to be studied + terrain modifier (0 for flat ground, 5 for rocky terrain). Failure would cause the mage to start his/her study from the beginning. I'd also have the player leading the horse make handle animal checks (DC 10 + terrain modifier). On failed checks by the one leading the horse, I'd impose a negative modifier to the mage's concentration check to continue study equal to the number that the handle animal check was failed by.

 

[Mystery Man]

Let's see, maybe have a DC of 10 + level of spell to be studied + terrain modifier (0 for flat ground, 5 for rocky terrain). Failure would cause the mage to start his/her study from the beginning. I'd also have the player leading the horse make handle animal checks (DC 10 + terrain modifier).

Couldn't you just take 10 on it? Certainly seems plausible....


Make room for random encounters though.

 

[Master Psion]

You most certainly could take 10. It'd make the checks that much easier. The random encounters are a must. The party is bound to run into something on a 3 day trip.

 

[MerakSpielman]

It's a DM call. If this is the sort of campaign where the PCs never have a day to rest and recouperate and they're always running from adventure to adventure in the nick of time, then sure, I'd allow it.

If, on the other hand, he wants to study "on the road" so that he'll have 3 more days to craft magic items when they reach the city, where downtime is expected, well then NO.

I remember when I ruled a character could spend time while traveling to construct certain magic items, as long as he spent the gold in advance for the supplies. That turned out to be a mistake.

 

[Master Psion]

I'd have no problem with allowing the players to craft items on the road. Although, they are going to take the risk of losing the time spent, xp, and gold if interrupted by random encounters. It seems a bit harsh, yes. But there has to be risk involved with my players or they'll easily find ways to gain power. Never punish creativity, just be sure to find a good balance of risk vs. reward.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

If I am to be travelling, is it possible for me to study while riding? What if I just tie my horse to another horse in the party and, basically, have them lead me? Would I still be able to study the spell and transcribe it?

Looks like I'm the hardnose in this thread. I'd say no. Having ridden horses, I can't possibly imagine a person doing any kind of writing (taking notes, solving magical equations, writing formulae), while a horse does anything other than stand or walk slowly. It would be possible to read spells while riding (no need to tie, one horse will generally go where all the other horses are going,) but not to make the careful study and do the calculating/transcribing necessary to copy a spell into a spellbook.

Also, I believe the scribe scroll rules are a good guideline for scribing into a spellbook. No strenuous activity, just eating and drinking for however many days it takes to complete.

But other DMs clearly feel differently.

 

[Master Psion]

I've never ridden a horse so excuse my ignorance to the possibility. Being someone that has, do you think my ideas for skill checks would work? Would the DC's need to be increased? In this case, I'd hate to shoot down someone's creative idea to utilize his character's downtime.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Buy a wagon.