Wizard Limitations

[Gwaihir]

Hi All,

I've never really cared for the level up dynamic for wizards that lets them pick any two spells and add them to their spell book.

In my next campaign I'm thinking about limiting the wizard by adding some sort of research cost and/or time with a potential spellcraft check.

Based on reading another thread floating around here somewhere, the % chance to know a spell is also a possibility.

Any thoughts on either of these two limitations?

 

[Darklone]

This whole stuff is mostly limited by your type of campaign and the offtime. In my cases the PCs scarcely had any spare time for months, the wizard was happy to be able to write a spell he found now and then into his spellbook, scribing scrolls happened once or twice while sitting on a ship or a wagon (assuming the stereotypic pirates didn't attack... again and the octopusses had something else to play with).

So: If your wizard has enough time to research the spells and enough money, then there's no problem not to give him these two spells. Another point: Do you have a sorcerer in the group? If yes, take care the wizard will not feel kept low.

OTOH: I saw campaigns where the wizard players had a lot of time and money and NPC wizards kept losing their spellbooks (and lives), so the sorcerer players went crazy.

Summed up: You can do both in many variations, just treat everyone fairly.

Friend of mine had these research rules modified, so if you rolled exceptionally well, you sometimes were able to learn a spell a level lower than by the PHB or even with extra effects.... he had a table somewhere.

 

[irdeggman]

Make sure you address othe spellcasters in a similar way.

Clerics and druids shouldn't get to "automatically" know every spell of the level they can cast, sorcerers and bards should likewise have to "research" their "free" spells too.

You can put a restricition on wizards learning, but be careful to make it fair.

An alternative would be to use the optional training rules in the DMG - works for all classes.

 

[starwed]

Keep in mind that the two free spells aren't literally supposed to come out of nowhere, anymore than new levels themselves do. It's assumed that the PCs have been practicing and researching "off camera" until the point at which they level.

sorcerers and bards should likewise have to "research" their "free" spells too.

Why? It's probably not necessary from a balance perspective (since sorcs and bards are probably lower in power than a wizard.) And it doesn't relate to the flavor problem the OP had.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Why? It's probably not necessary from a balance perspective (since sorcs and bards are probably lower in power than a wizard.) And it doesn't relate to the flavor problem the OP had.

What flavor problem? He just said he didn't like it.

As for balance, that wasn't a consideration by the OP, either. Your assumption that an existing imbalance makes this change suitable is hugely inappropriate, largely because you mention sorcerers and bards and ignore clerics, druids, and every other 1000 spellcasting classes and prestige classes.

 

[Gwaihir]

I hadn't really considered balance issues. I would go out of my way to be fair about leaving scrolls and such laying about.

I understand that two spells per level come from ongoing research and study. I just liked the old dynamic where magic-users finding a new spell were like a kid at christmas, my games recently haven't had that, and I am looking to reclaim that.

 

[irdeggman]

I hadn't really considered balance issues. I would go out of my way to be fair about leaving scrolls and such laying about.

I understand that two spells per level come from ongoing research and study. I just liked the old dynamic where magic-users finding a new spell were like a kid at christmas, my games recently haven't had that, and I am looking to reclaim that.

But the 2 per level (remember it is only 2 spells) really isn't that much considereing that a wizard can know any number of spells.

To capture the kid in a candy store feel - try dropping in a few really good spell books - that is where wizards start to salivate.

Dropping a few scrolls in doesn't address the "balance" issue at all.

Again, if you want some sort of "feel like you've earned what you are getting" concept then use the variant training rules in the DMG. It works the same for all classes and requires them all to spend some "down time" in order to learn new class abilities, feats, skills and spells.


I will pose that if you require wizards to spend some down time to learn the 2 spells theey get per level and don't require any other class to spend the equivalanet down time to learn their new class abilities then you will cause a large sense of feeling "slighted" by any player running a wizard and most likely you will have people running to play sorcerers instead - sine they require no spell books.

 

[irdeggman]

Why? It's probably not necessary from a balance perspective (since sorcs and bards are probably lower in power than a wizard.) And it doesn't relate to the flavor problem the OP had.

Let's see he was talking about the "2" free spells per level the wizard learns not the numerous he "can" learn.

Sorcerers gain at least 1 "free" spell per level too and they can cast more spells per day without memorizing them then a wizard can.

Bards learn even more spells per level than sorcerers do, even if they are more limited in the spell selection.

And what about the divine casters? They "automatically" know all spells of a level once they can cast them.

 

[irdeggman]

I understand that two spells per level come from ongoing research and study. I just liked the old dynamic where magic-users finding a new spell were like a kid at christmas, my games recently haven't had that, and I am looking to reclaim that.

Think bigger. It isn't the 2 free ones they get but the scrolls and spell books they find that are presents waiting to be opened.

 

[pallandrome]

I wouldn't penalize the two free spells a level unless I also planned on penalizing a fighter trying to pick up feats, or a rogue trying to learn spell levels, but then, this is why I don't allow my players to level up outside of downtime. It just doesn't make any sense, in any way shape or form.