Wizards: What happens when they lose their spellbooks?

[Minsc]

Just curious. I'm taking over a group as a new DM, and I don't like the Monte-Haul-ness the old DM let happen.

I'm thinking of throwing a group of level 7-8 PC's into a dungeon and taking away all their equipment and having it destroyed.

What would happen to the Wizard? Would he be totally screwed? Could he benefit from a good number of scrolls being found (kinda like in the beginning of Baldur's Gate II)?

 

[Hammerhead]

He would be totally screwed, not to mention your use of railroading is infuriating and annoying. Never, ever, take away the PCs equipment for a significant period of time or capture them. Players universally HATE it when they're railroaded into being captured. Never never never do that. Ever. Captures are generally okay to avoid TPKs though.

In order to replace his most important item, he would need a lot of time to scribe new spells, new scrolls (a lot of them!), and lots of money. It would be similar to bringing along a commoner to the dungeon.

Although the PCs may have a disproportionate amount of equipment for their level, how much is Monty Haul? And obviously there's a big difference between a +2 Holy Greatsword and a +2 Thundering Greatsword. My advice would be to explain to them that you're probably going to tone down the treasure for the next few adventures, make sure that they're okay with that, and in a few levels their treasure allotment should be on par with the guidelines. Or, if you prefer, don't worry about how much treasure the PCs have and just use harder encounters to compensate.

 

[KarinsDad]

Although I agree that PCs generally shouldn't be railroaded, the Wizard would not be totally screwed if he had sufficient funds and some scrolls (or new spell books) with which to rebuild his spell arsenal.

All Wizards can study the 0th level spell Read Magic without having access to their spell books (this is similar to Spell Mastery, but only for Read Magic).

This would allow him to read scrolls and other spell casters spell books. And, if the spells are ones he knew before, he wouldn't have to roll to put them into a new spell book (hence, he could put all of the core 0th level spells from another wizards spell book into his fairly easily and quickly). However, he would still have to pay to put any spells into his books, so you would have to supply him with some cash in order to do that.

 

[KingOfChaos]

If they're a smart wizard, they'll have invested some funds into multiple spellbooks. Most of my wizards have one large spellbook which contains all the spells they've known or found and anywhere from 4 to 8 travelling spellbooks which they keep hidden in well known places. In other words, I am never without a spellbook...even if one of them is destroyed

 

[Minsc]

I want to avoid the railroading, but I really feel it's necessary here. I'm taking over as a DM, and the players outright refuse to start a new game with new characters. The DM is supposed to have fun as well, and I won't have fun with their characters as is. These characters started without all this equipment, and they're characters aren't changing, just some equipment.

Maybe I'll select some of their equipment and let them find it in the first session, including the Wizards spellbook (it's not the Wizard I'm worried about, it's the dwarven barbarian).

 

[Rary the Traitor]

Most of my wizards have one large spellbook which contains all the spells they've known or found and anywhere from 4 to 8 travelling spellbooks which they keep hidden in well known places.

That must have cost you a fortune!

I take it your wizards sleep in the stables, wear rags, and eat dog food?

 

[KingOfChaos]

Nah..but they don't have a lot in the way of fancy clothing or items at first I usually sell many of the first magical items I gain in order to afford the new spellbooks and the scribing.

My DM is bad about snatching away my spellbooks at the most innopportune moments and I have had several characters die because of it. This is more of a preventive measure on my part to ensure my characters never die for lack of spells again.

 

[Anabstercorian]

Two words:

Hari. Kari.

Seriously, ritual suicide is about the most dignified way to deal with the problem, when that problem is that you have been RAPED in the BUTT by fate!

Seriously. If you destroy all of a wizards spell books - I mean, ALL of them, including the backups - You have done the most destructive thing you can do to a character in DnD. It requires more time, wealth, and effort to recover those spells than it does to get a True Resurrection. In the mean time, the wizard is a glorified commoner with unusually high intelligence.

If you are going to do this, be VERY clear about it with your players, and make sure they have opportunity to steal an opposing spellbook, mooch a whole bunch of scrolls and wands, or simply regain access to their ONLY CLASS ABILITY as soon as possible.

 

[Mephistopheles]

The DM is supposed to have fun as well, and I won't have fun with their characters as is.

You might want to think about that statement a bit before you take over as DM for your group. You should be able to enjoy running the game but not if it comes at the expense of all of the other players not enjoying the game you're providing. If that's what it comes to, and that's what you're ultimately planning here, what's the point? Railroading is bad news. It makes players feel completely powerless and irrelevant. You can expect players to start coming to your game with the attitude of "It doesn't matter what we do because the DM will just force us into whatever situation he wants us to be in anyway".

There are much less destructive ways to deal with this situation.
1) Talk to you players. Let them know that you feel they are overequipped. Try to find some in game way to deal with it. Perhaps they make some hefty donations to their favourite religions, or as another poster suggested have the loot slow down a bit until things level out. Don't threaten them with imprisonment and loss of all their gear if they won't come to the table, though.
2) If the players don't want to give up any of their wealth or if you skipped #1 then you get to an option that is part of the real fun of DMing: plotting against your players. There are lots of ways for items to be lost or destroyed. That is part of the risk of adventuring. If you can keep it in game without making it completely obvious and the players have a chance to avoid it then it's part of the game. You slowly nudge things in the direction you would like them to go, the players have opportunities to avoid your nudging, you can keep nudging, and the game goes on. You might even come to enjoy the process and find that it's not so bad after all.
3) If the players won't budge and you don't feel you can whittle things back to spec as the game progresses then perhaps you shouldn't take over as the DM. If the group has been happily playing in this manner up until now and you want to abruptly force your own style of game on them it's just going to get bitter and messy.

If you want to go with capture and loot stripping you can do it, but it's really better if you can come up with a less intrusive way of resolving it. I'd suggest at least trying to DM the group for a while as is to see if it really is as bad as you're expecting. It might turn out okay. If it doesn't, try to work with the players rather than bludgeoning them with your idea of how the game should be.

Anyway, I hope this hasn't been too preachy but you sound like you're new to DMing so hopefully some of this advice will help. In any case, if you ever hear yourself saying something like "So, you're ambushed by a group of cloaked assailants. Don't bother rolling initiative, they overwhelm you easily. You wake up in a cold cell wearing only your underwear. All your gear is gone." then do yourself and your friends a favour and find someone else to sit behind the screen.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Edit: double post.