So. . . Am I Still a Wizard? Or have I lost my 'mojo'

[KatfishKaos]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

Well, to give you the story we started off the session like most other sessions
I told the dm. . . Ok, nevermind. Long story short we fought a large worm like beastie (No idea what it was) it ate my pack horse. . . Guess what was on the persona of said horsie? My spellbook, Gold & Everything that I wasn't wearing on me at the time. The only spells I had memorized where (After the fight) Phantasmal Killer, Bestow Curse & Light. So there are quite a few questions I have for this board.

1) The spells that I have currently memorized, can I write them onto a new spellbook (When I get my new spellbook).

2) What can I do to be not completely useless to my group? By group there is The DM, Me & Another friend (who is the Paladin). It is a reasonably small group, which makes my situation that much more dire.

3) What can I do? Other then just re-rolling (which I feel like is quite a large cop-out).

4) If you guys (and Gals ;) ) could just give me advice as a whole, the plan I currently have is pick up a crossbow of some sort and a couple of tangletoof bags / Thunderstones (mildly low level items but it'll have to do).

Thanks in advance Katfish

[Inyssius Tor]

3: Your paladin cuts the worm open, and while your wizard digs through its guts for his book you impress upon the DM how utterly and permanently foxtchled you are without it, and how much fun you'll all be having on that eventuality.

[Tsotha-lanti]

Get a new spellbook. This is actually a very common (and complicated) thing in a campaign run with any thought, since defeating any wizard in their lair nets you at least one spellbook, and possibly several.

Inyssius Tor's idea is good, too, unless the worm's gullet actually deals measurable acid damage.

[KatfishKaos]

Sorry, I did forget to mention that the worm is a hot worm. . . We are currently in the tundra and as explained by the DM 'Some creatures cope with the temperature by getting cold themselves, this on the other hand is hot . . . Very hot' it deals fire damage so it was kind of assumed that the stuff was destroyed ESPECIALLY after the paladin was put on 18 health from 117 (whilst being in the gullet of the worm thing).

To get my spellbook back would cost roughly 29,450 Gold.

[Eldariel]

PHB pg. 179: "Replacing and Copying Spellbooks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/arcaneSpells.htm#replacingandCopyingSpellbooks)

A wizard can use the procedure for learning a spell to reconstruct a lost spellbook. If she already has a particular spell prepared, she can write it directly into a new book at a cost of 100 gp per page (as noted in Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook, above). The process wipes the prepared spell from her mind, just as casting it would. If she does not have the spell prepared, she can prepare it from a borrowed spellbook and then write it into a new book.

Duplicating an existing spellbook uses the same procedure as replacing it, but the task is much easier. The time requirement and cost per page are halved."

So yes, once you get a new Spellbook, you can write your memorized spells into it. And of course, getting your hands on someone's spellbook would be an awesome boon. And of course, adding scrolls would be nice. Hunting for some treasure that contains some ancient Wizard's spellbook may also be a prudent measure.


Anyways, what can you do right now? Obviously, some cheap simple weapon, such as a Crossbow is a prudent choice. However, you aren't much of a Wizard for that. The more interesting options: Get Wands. You still have all the spells on your spell list, so you can use Wands of any Wizard-spells. Seeking Ray is a personal favourite, along with Grease. Also, few Scrolls could be very handy, or indeed, getting a new spellbook (borrow money or sell your services; you're a high level Wizard, there should be no shortage of employers) and writing few very generic spells you can use in most scenarios on it. And keep your next spellbook on your person at all times and include precautions for losing it (small thread on protecting your spellbook (http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-114942.html)).

You didn't happen to kill the Wurm, did you? Provided that you were using Boccob's Blessed Book, a long and gruely gutting could get it back to you. If the Wurm escaped, Locate Object (purchase a scroll) could be used to find it, Teleport to get to it and Hold Monster (purchase a scroll) to kill it. Anyways, getting your spellbook back is the best idea. Hunting a new one is the second best. Starting from scratch if you have no other options. You do have ranks in Knowledges though, don't you? You could try to use your Knowledges to know of some place that might house a book that suits your needs.


Good luck. It's gonna be an interesting trip. This is why Heward's Handy Haversack should be every adventurer's first purchase, btw :P Also, Leomund's Secret Chest is a fine spell for housing your spellbook in a pocket plane.

[Shpadoinkle]

Yeah, you should have at least a couple essential spells backed up in a secondary spellbook, if not having an exact duplicate stashed somewhere safe.

As for what to do now... well, I forget if it's possible to do by the RAW and can't look it up because I don't have my books, but you might be able to memorize spells from scrolls.

[KatfishKaos]

The creature is infact dead, I luckily had multiple Phantasmal Killers prepared, but it does deal fire damage because it is so hot. Many thanks to the link I will be looking at just after I finish this post.

The stuff is destroyed, but I'm going to take a look at the wand idea.

[BobVosh]

Buy a Boccod's Blessed Books to replace your spellbook when you have a chance.

[Telok]

Your spellbook is gone. Lost. Destroyed. Zorched.

This (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/remorhaz.htm) ate it.

Your first priority now is to get another spellbook. Wands and scrolls are nice but use up the money that would otherwise go toward replacing you spells. You might try asking the paladin (nicely) if his church has any wizards as members and if they would be willing to let you copy spells.

[mabriss lethe]

-Very carefully roll up your character sheet and swat your DM repeatedly with it.-

As a DM, I'd never do that to a two person party. But yes, advice.

Pick up a few pearls of power if you don't already have them. They're sort of a must for a wizard in any case.


This seemingly normal pearl of average size and luster is a potent aid to all spellcasters who prepare spells (clerics, druids, rangers, paladins, and wizards). Once per day on command, a pearl of power enables the possessor to recall any one spell that she had prepared and then cast. The spell is then prepared again, just as if it had not been cast. The spell must be of a particular level, depending on the pearl. Different pearls exist for recalling one spell per day of each level from 1st through 9th and for the recall of two spells per day (each of a different level, 6th or lower).

Note that in the description IT GIVES NO EXPIRATION DATE for the spell you're recalling. It could be a spell you just cast a few minutes ago, it could be a spell you cast a year and a half ago during a drunken brawl.

Better yet, see if you can rent/borrow a handfull of them of various levels for a few days, recalling every spell you've ever cast during your adventuring career and put them into a new spellbook.

After that. make a duplicate of your spellbook asap

[Roderick_BR]

And just for the record: You don't need to make skill checks to add a spell you already learned to a new spellbook, so it's one less thing to worry about.

[AslanCross]

Find a way to have wards cast on your future spellbook to prevent the inevitable "Your spellbook got wet. Your spells are gone." "Your spellbook got torched. Your spells are gone." problems.

[Trizap]

huh, you just gave me a good reason to play sorcerers.

[Flickerdart]

I seem to remember there being a feat somewhere that let a Wizard permanently commit to memory a certain amount of spells that they could then memorize for the day without a spellbook. But I'm not sure where it is or if it in fact exists.

[Arbitrarity]

First: Get a spellbook. Second: Get a scroll or other copy of Secret Page. Get a scroll/copy of that spell that lets you read a book instantly. Just because.

Third: Begin copying spells from people, for however much it costs. Use Secret page to remove all scribing costs but those for access.

Pick up a few pearls of power, as above.

[Oslecamo]

I seem to remember there being a feat somewhere that let a Wizard permanently commit to memory a certain amount of spells that they could then memorize for the day without a spellbook. But I'm not sure where it is or if it in fact exists.

It's in that obscure book that very few people know, I think it's called....

The player's handbook.

[Winged One]

I seem to remember there being a feat somewhere that let a Wizard permanently commit to memory a certain amount of spells that they could then memorize for the day without a spellbook. But I'm not sure where it is or if it in fact exists.

Spell Mastery (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#spellMasterySpecial). Generally considered useless to players whose DMs aren't under the delusion that losing your ability to do anything is fun, which is why you hardly ever see it.

[Deth Muncher]

Yeah, see, this is why I play sorcerors.

Really though, once you somehow regenerate your spellbook, make another one, and then follow roughly the same rules as to be done with a Lich's Phylactery: hide it somewhere nigh-on inaccessable, with a contingent spell on you or it to teleport you to it should your non-hidden spellbook be destroyed.

[Fan]

OR could just ya know. Sotre it in a rope trick thing. Presist+rod of lesser extend means you only have to sacrfice a 5th level spell to have a quasi permanent safe place for your spell book, and if you argue to your DM somehow that all rope tricks that the same caster casts go to the same part of that sub dimension then you should be able to leaqve it there without fear.

[KatfishKaos]

The replies are great and. . . Thanks. =)

So far I've gotten from all this that taking away the spellbook is quite rare, I did look at the wand / scroll idea, I can easilly pick up a few low level 'useful' spells to bring something to the group, but as stated before my first priority should be replacing my spellbook.

Just some quick numbers so you can see where I'm coming from.

18,000gp
9,000gp worth of items (I wasn't using them)
30,000gp Spellbook (using the amount needed to completely replace the book).

That is give or take 57,000gp worth of items lost, which means to then get onto equal footing I need to replace that with 57,000gp worth of stuff.

To protect my spellbook (assuming that I'm not adding any new spells) it will
Cost 40,000gp. To then make a duplicate of my 'imaginary' spellbook 100gp a page? Well. . . That would be 4,300gp Your getting the idea. The numbers are quickly stacking up.

The pearl of powers are a great idea, but the numbers went quite high even if I purchased 1 Pearl Of Power levels 1 through 5 (Once I'm back on my feet I'll be re-looking at that entry for sure).

The knowledge check idea is the most likely to work yet (go figure) it's cheap it's full of roleplaying AND I'm sure to roll a 1 when I actually do it. Seriously though the wealth accumulated was over 9 levels. I'm not sure if we are just not being given enough items for our level but I don't see any probable way of actually getting the stuff that has been mentioned.

First thing first my cohort is now a tatoo'ed spellbook, I was reading some rules on protecting your spellbook and another option open is engraving some spells into my staff / stuff. It'll have to do for now.

The rope trick . . . Can I just say brilliant, I smirked a bit when I read that. But if I did argue the point then is it not possible to fit an almost infinite amount of stuff in there? The spell states 8 creatures of 'any size' which if you can then have it all on the same plane, just build a mansion in there and you just replicated a level 5 spell, I want my spellbook back not to create my own plane of existence. If I missed something tell me, probably my delusions of grandeure fuddled my brain a bit.

[ZeroNumerous]

Force Chest. Spell Compendium.

Carry your book chained to your waist and protected by this spell. It can't be damaged(nothing gets through a Wall of Force effect), can't be stolen, and you never let it away from you. Then cast a Contingent Greater Teleport that teleports it to a pre-determined location with the Contingency: "When I say Heffalump". Then always prepare Greater Teleport. Heffalump your book away if someone steals it/tries to attack it/whatever because Talking Is A Free Action.

[Mystral]

Hire a rouge for 10k to steal a spellbook from a mid-level wizard (~lvl 8), if possible an evil spellcaster with usefull spells you can and want to use. Work your way up from there.

[Flickerdart]

^What he said. Instead of buying all sorts of magic items just for rewriting your old book, just nab someone else's. Then kill them and take their magic items. You're now well on your way to recover your abilities, and scrolls can fix everything up for you from then on.

[Deth Muncher]

^What he said. Instead of buying all sorts of magic items just for rewriting your old book, just nab someone else's. Then kill them and take their magic items. You're now well on your way to recover your abilities, and scrolls can fix everything up for you from then on.

Except that his buddy the Paladin may not be pleased with this.

[Ellisthion]

Except that his buddy the Paladin may not be pleased with this.

That's why he can:
*Not tell the Paladin
or
*Make sure it's an Evil Wizard, or at least tell the Paladin that it is

[TempusCCK]

Yeah, see, this is why I play sorcerors.

Really though, once you somehow regenerate your spellbook, make another one, and then follow roughly the same rules as to be done with a Lich's Phylactery: hide it somewhere nigh-on inaccessable, with a contingent spell on you or it to teleport you to it should your non-hidden spellbook be destroyed.

This doesn't work, not with a DM worth his salt. Contingencies go bad, it's one of the Small Things DM's Can Do To Balance Games TM.

[turkishproverb]

This doesn't work, not with a DM worth his salt. Contingencies go bad, it's one of the Small Things DM's Can Do To Balance Games TM.

The problem is, this DM sounds like he's deliberately attacking the wizard anyway. "Most of them are cold inside, but this one is hot so it can fry your spellbook" being a key example.

I quote
"Sorry, I did forget to mention that the worm is a hot worm. . . We are currently in the tundra and as explained by the DM 'Some creatures cope with the temperature by getting cold themselves, this on the other hand is hot . . . Very hot' it deals fire damage so it was kind of assumed that the stuff was destroyed ESPECIALLY after the paladin was put on 18 health from 117 (whilst being in the gullet of the worm thing)."

Therefore, It seems to be a little deliberate attept given his starting with "some creatures cope by getting cold themselves."

I could be overreacting though.

[SoD]

The problem is, this DM sounds like he's deliberately attacking the wizard anyway. "Most of them are cold inside, but this one is hot so it can fry your spellbook" being a key example.

I quote

Therefore, It seems to be a little deliberate attept given his starting with "some creatures cope by getting cold themselves."

I could be overreacting though.

However, the creature they were up against is actually a real creature, and someone has provided a link to it on the SRD.

[KatfishKaos]

I'm going to have to agree with SoD, I don't believe that the DM has picked me out.

A) We are friends, and haven't fought over anything.
B) If there was a balance issue, I have told him
to come to me and tell me what is wrong and we'll fix it.

It seems like some of you guys have got the wrong idea, we had been sleeping and woke up to a low rumbling, the worm wanted some food. None of us even realized that the spellbook was in the things stomach until I told the dm 'I'm going to my horse to collect my spellbook'. I wouldn't say he pailed but he knew he had crippled me, I'm not looking for blame infact I relish the challenge. I just wanted to get as many ideas as possible to actually get back on track, especially seeming a vampire stated to the world it wants my head on a platter.

[Starshade]

Using a spellbook found in the belongings after a fight(could be a target for an small trip too; would not a group of friends actually help out a buddy get back a spellbook? If we assume the characters are friends that is?), mean he'd need to toss a dice everytime he wanted to memorize a spell. In a shorter perspective, its a relatively 'cheap' way to get a big full spellbook of spells, even if its like playing blackjack with your daily spell repertoire.
1 day he could be lucky and have a good spell selection, next day slightly less lucky.

Well, on longer perspective, i dont got any specific ideas in mind for securing a spellbook against getting eaten in future, any special world you play in, Eberron, Forgotten Realm? Homemade? Eberron got Spellshards, crystals who can be used as spellbooks, 20 pages, 3gp to buy, 100gp to write a page with "arcane mark" into it, etc. Simmiliar items or other good items could perhaps exist in other worlds, if you play in a specific world?

[hotel_papa]

There's always the option of tattooing your spells onto yourself. Also, are the tattered, mostly burned and digested remnants of your spell book able to receive the effects of a make whole spell? I'm unfamiliar with the specific rules of that spell, but if you had that much bank, your goodly paladin friend can probably spot you the spellcasting charge.

[Haven]

You're playing D&D. Don't knock the classic choice of "find someone evil, kill them, and take their stuff"--it is truly at the heart of the game.

[KatfishKaos]

To answer a few questions it is a home brew campaign and we are using just the 3 core rulebooks, but i'm sure as long as I don't pull any silly poop out of anywhere he won't mind bringing things into his world.

Once again thanks for all the replies, they are a great help and have given me a certain degree of hope *shakes fist in defiance*

With all the 'kill the evil wizard' ideas, I thought I might add we are playing in an evil campaign. ^_^' The paladin is following the god of death (homebrewed paladin idea), so there are not that many moral qualms with murdering innocents. Or hunting down other 'evil' wizards.

[Deth Muncher]

To answer a few questions it is a home brew campaign and we are using just the 3 core rulebooks, but i'm sure as long as I don't pull any silly poop out of anywhere he won't mind bringing things into his world.

Once again thanks for all the replies, they are a great help and have given me a certain degree of hope *shakes fist in defiance*

With all the 'kill the evil wizard' ideas, I thought I might add we are playing in an evil campaign. ^_^' The paladin is following the god of death (homebrewed paladin idea), so there are not that many moral qualms with murdering innocents. Or hunting down other 'evil' wizards.

OH! Lol. Okay. That makes it so much easier then. Just do what someone else said: go stab a mofo and take his stuff. Simple. Even better, you could (and I think this has been suggested as well, but why not bring it back up?) hire a rogue to go pinch a few books for you, then combine them into one.

[Waspinator]

If this is going to be a pattern with your DM, I do suggest Spell Mastery. Also, notice that it does not mention that you need the spell in your book at the moment you take the feat. If you ever had it, you should be good.

Once you get your main book back together, I would make at least a partial backup to hide somewhere. The backup doesn't need to have every spell you might have in your main one, just enough to function in an emergency.

Spell Mastery [Special]
Prerequisite

Wizard level 1st.
Benefit

Each time you take this feat, choose a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier that you already know. From that point on, you can prepare these spells without referring to a spellbook.
Normal

Without this feat, you must use a spellbook to prepare all your spells, except read magic.

[Irreverent Fool]

If this is going to be a pattern with your DM, I do suggest Spell Mastery. Also, notice that it does not mention that you need the spell in your book at the moment you take the feat. If you ever had it, you should be good.

Once you get your main book back together, I would make at least a partial backup to hide somewhere. The backup doesn't need to have every spell you might have in your main one, just enough to function in an emergency.


This. Your wizard just learned a hard lesson. Roll with it for now and take precautions for the future. Treat it as a roleplaying situation.

obnoxious
sig

[Animefunkmaster]

For starters, Complete Arcane has rules for tattooing spells to your skin. I recommend one that will be useful when you lose your book.

As for what to do right now:

First, don't get a book that has all your spells known on it, that is really expensive, instead get one with a list of spells you want to prepare to recover another spell book. Spells like Greater Invisibility (To help you steal a book), prestidigitation (To make the book look like your book), Fly (Mobility), telekinesis or mage hand, teleport/dimension door.

The idea: Invisibility walk into a shop/Wizard's house, swipe it (if it is in a tight spot, mage hand/Telekinesis), Dimension door out, and use prestidigitation to make the book look like yours. Once you get a book from an enemy wizard make sure to return your loaner.

Until that happens, gnab a crossbow and some dust eggshell grenades (OA). Eggshell grenades are ranged touch (5ft) or blind, with a low fort save or adjacent creatures are blind. Every character I have has atleast 5 of these, they are a great alternate weapon when you can't do anything else and are dirt cheap.

[Waspinator]

A backup book would probably look a lot like the book you'd want to pull together right now. You'll want some way to fly, some kind of invisibility, some kind of teleport, a couple save or die/suck spells, and couple general-use blasts (like fireball or an orb spell or two).

[Khanderas]

The pearl of powers are a great idea, but the numbers went quite high even if I purchased 1 Pearl Of Power levels 1 through 5 (Once I'm back on my feet I'll be re-looking at that entry for sure).
Well unless you are planning to bring those pearls around with you, perhaps you can rent them for a week. Should be plenty of wizards in towns who dont need it for the moment (as they are deep in magical research or living life without the need for extra fireballs).

Edit: I dont know where your wizard trained, be it a master or somekind of university. Borrowing a pearl of power should be easier in that location.

[Aether]

Hrmm... Wouldn't you, ultimately, need only one Pearl of Power that can cast the highest level spell you know?

Then, you recall the most necessary spells and write them unto your spell book. I think you're limited to one spell written unto your spell book per day? (I'm going with the OOTS comic on this, because I haven't looked over this in a while)

So you use that Pearl of Power to also recall your lower-level spells. After all, when you're preparing spells, you can put lower level spells in higher level spell slots.. It's just inefficient. Unless you're working on something that needs lots of a certain kind of spell cast per day.

[Corbert]

Something to consider for your next wizard is an alternative class feature (if your DM allows) that lets you ditch your familiar AND your spellbook. Its in Dragon #357, p. 89, called Eidetic Spellcaster. For the cost of losing your familiar and the scribe scroll feat you get to use your own mind to store your spells. I say to consider it for your next mage because you have to take it at 1st level :smallyuk:

[ericgrau]

1) Yeah, I think so. Just don't cast them in the meantime.

2) Plead that they'll get you to some writing supplies ASAP. There is no "what do I do in the mean time?" Go to town, go now!

3) Ask the party to help pitch in for buying scrolls that you can copy into a spellbook. Find an NPC wizard that will let you pay to copy his spells; these will be much cheaper than scrolls but he will only have certain spells. It is more than reasonable for the party to split the cost of disasters like this, rather than making the victim pay it all. See chapter 9 of the PHB in regard to "adventurer's insurance".

4) Screw that. See #3.

And next time make a backup copy.

[Zeful]

There's always the option of tattooing your spells onto yourself. Also, are the tattered, mostly burned and digested remnants of your spell book able to receive the effects of a make whole spell? I'm unfamiliar with the specific rules of that spell, but if you had that much bank, your goodly paladin friend can probably spot you the spellcasting charge.

Yes Make whole would fully repair the book, but it's questionable whether it would repair the spells.


OR could just ya know. Sotre it in a rope trick thing. Presist+rod of lesser extend means you only have to sacrfice a 5th level spell to have a quasi permanent safe place for your spell book, and if you argue to your DM somehow that all rope tricks that the same caster casts go to the same part of that sub dimension then you should be able to leaqve it there without fear.

Rope trick dumps everything out of it at the end of the duration. If your going to try and protect it you use Leomund's Secret Chest, Slap an Amazing quality lock on it, then Arcane Lock it.