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Message: <blockquote data-quote="5ekyu" data-source="post: 7570290" data-attributes="member: 6919838">"I was referring to 5ekyu saying they aren't worth much because you get free ones. I can see that to a certain extent but I can also see higher level spells being very valuable because of their rarity."Ok so since that is to me, consider this.First, I acknowledged there were opportunity buyers - specific people with specific needs for specific spells now. Sure, there will be those - similar to finding someone who has all but one of a common piece of a collection an wants it. If they can just get that last item on Ebay for free pick-up a month from now, they are not likely to be willing to pay a lot now - the free spells per level is like that.Second, you mentioned scotch after distillery  is out of business and that in your game you block out certain spells from level selection - that would also create for those particular items a value sure, but in the absence of the house rules - those factors dont exist. Third, you mention that of one just took the free spells that would be "underwhelming" or some such, but in comparison to what? Maybe you meant comparing to other arcane class casters? In fact that's like 44 spells over a 20 level wizard run (ignoring cantrips and feats may change that slightly. That's like triple the spells known of the sorc for instance. That also ignores spells added found from scrolls. I would suggest to you that the wizard class even without  a single spell from a found or bought spellbook is still a very potent and strong character, easily on par with the others. Maybe you mean in comparison to other wizards? That's a catch-22. If its underwhelming, that means there is a more common normally "whelming " level of spells - where did they get them? If there is a commonly available source that many others got extra spells from that was cheap enough and reliable that they could afford it on top of the scribing cost  **and** that it produced a sufficient increase in needed  spells in spellbooks then that source itself devalues you sprllbook-4-sell/rent. the spellbook someone wants to sell is valued at a low cost because of that other resource being so commonly available that it makes your own wizard's 44 spells or whatever disappointingly small. So, again, it seems more of an opportunity market , happening to find someone who wants that specific spell now - who has that money to spare. But I did not say they had no value. Just that it would be minimal, a small percentage of their available wealth - a convenience buy. Put another way, the mechanics would seem to put it as a disposable income purchase - outside of those opportunity buyers. That's far from the trope of wizard spellbooks being highly valued items **by others.**On the other hand, the basic 5e rules do setup a major lucrative market for spellbooks - a ransom market. A spellbook is a massive financial investment to its creator. Except for conjurers, loss of a spellbook is a massive loss of power (until replaced) and costs a lot of time and money to replace. So, the "money" in acquiring spellbooks is in transforming them back to their  non-conjurers creators, not to strangers who might have a passing interest.The other financial gain would be acquiring a living wizard's spellbook for hire to weaken the wizard temporarily, perhaps as a service to his enemy. Now, as you mentioned for your campaign, a set of setting specific rules or house rules that put some spells into different categories can put them at more valuable tiers than others.If a GM wanted he could house rule that copying from another wizards spellbook was cheaper than copying from scrolls. That would make it similarly valuable for those who sought additional spells. Making the automatics cost and the copies cost less (by saying it's already figured out) even if you make copying take more time - that would establish a measurable value. But absent those kinds of house rules or setting specific elements such as an organization that creates a baseline market (perhaps by buying spellbooks based on a formula they defined) or themselves providing a resource for purchasing access it's just a one-on-one convenience/opportunity market setup. Absent those changes to the mechanics, the time and cost is all on the Spellbook ransom tho, that's a very different thing.And your answer to the other poster shows the opportunity buyer quite well.</blockquote>

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