Wizard spellbook blues

[avr]

One more idea - if you can loot some enemy wizard of his spellbook, you can actually use it without transcribing the spells to yours. The spellcraft DC is 15 + spell level.

 

[irdeggman]

One more idea - if you can loot some enemy wizard of his spellbook, you can actually use it without transcribing the spells to yours. The spellcraft DC is 15 + spell level.

First you have to decipher then you do that check every time you prepare that spell.

So 2 different spellcraft checks involved with this plan - one of which must be made repeatedly.

 

[avr]

First you have to decipher then you do that check every time you prepare that spell.

So 2 different spellcraft checks involved with this plan - one of which must be made repeatedly.

Yes, though read magic negates the first (one-off) check - you don't have to learn it, only decipher it. But if money and time are tight, you've negated one cost and reduced the other to a full-round action. Also, it can be an interim step.

 

[Delta]

Anyway, here's the seemingly contradictory bits of the SRD (which are the same in the Rules Compendium):

8 hours is a "full workday" in D&D. You generally can't work more than 8 hours (esp., wizardy-type studying or crafting) out of 24, so it's effectively the same thing. One full workday.

 

[Mistwell]

Yes, though read magic negates the first (one-off) check - you don't have to learn it, only decipher it. But if money and time are tight, you've negated one cost and reduced the other to a full-round action. Also, it can be an interim step.

Actually I guess just buying used spellbooks (which are cheaper than the cost to make those spellbooks) and getting a high check is a decent solution to the original posters problem. spellcraft DC is 15 + spell level isn't that bad. Can you take 10 on a spellcraft check during spell preparation assuming it is calm and not distracted?

 

[irdeggman]

Actually I guess just buying used spellbooks (which are cheaper than the cost to make those spellbooks) and getting a high check is a decent solution to the original posters problem. spellcraft DC is 15 + spell level isn't that bad. Can you take 10 on a spellcraft check during spell preparation assuming it is calm and not distracted?

Don't forget all those pages filled up with 0-level spells that the wizard already has in his starting spellbook.

Also the cost of the "free" spells is "0 gp" so that actually helps to balance things out a little bit.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I've recently ran RHoD - thought about this while reading it. Decided to House Rule/Handwave it for the 2 wizards in the party.

There was a lot of travel time in the campaign. Ruled they could scribe while travelling. Rather than the mental image of lots of ink sloshing everywhere on horseback, we decided that they'd spent the day with their nose stuck in a book and did the copying at the campsite while eating dinner.

They had to have the usual source of spell and ink. The money they had to spend was already a disincentive from learning everything.

I felt it worked well for our group.

Perhaps worth asking your GM for something similar?

IMO, the easiest answer by the RAW is to play a sorceror or Psion in that kinda group/setup.

 

[Thurbane]

8 hours is a "full workday" in D&D. You generally can't work more than 8 hours (esp., wizardy-type studying or crafting) out of 24, so it's effectively the same thing. One full workday.

Hmm, I see your point, but there is a LOT of other things the Wizard could be doing with his other 8 hours (allowing 8 hours sleep), such as learning a second spell.

 

[Thurbane]

Actually I guess just buying used spellbooks (which are cheaper than the cost to make those spellbooks) and getting a high check is a decent solution to the original posters problem. spellcraft DC is 15 + spell level isn't that bad. Can you take 10 on a spellcraft check during spell preparation assuming it is calm and not distracted?

I think Complete Arcane has rules for mastering a captured spellbook?

 

[ElectricDragon]

Learning a spell and scribing it into your spellbook are two different things.

Spellcraft

15 + spell level Learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll (wizard only). No retry for that spell until you gain at least 1 rank in Spellcraft (even if you find another source to try to learn the spell from). Requires 8 hours.

and

Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook
Once a wizard understands a new spell, she can record it into her spellbook.
Time: The process takes 24 hours, regardless of the spell’s level.

Since when does 24 hours and 8 hours equal the same thing? It does not say "one day" which could be construed to mean an 8-hour work-day, but it says 24 hours which would be 3 8-hour work-days. Four days per spell. Read it and weap.

Ciao
Dave