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View Full Version : Security tactics for wizards



randomhero00
2010-01-30, 06:25 PM
I see precautions taken by wizards to secure their spell components and spell book at higher levels but rarely at lower levels. Probably because there DM is being nice at low levels and figures there's nothing a wizard can do at level 1. Well I just thought I'd throw this out there. Also feel free to add (any level) your own creative solutions to keeping your spell casting components from thieves.

Fake spare spell book - a low level thief wouldn't know the difference. Its not magical, so it'd be less than 15g. Say you wrote in it, and make sure the covers match. No way for him to even guess till he looks in it anyway.

Unlikely to work, but maybe your DM will give you one for creativity- in your real spell book, for the first page, say you write in it like you would a journal. So if the thief steals it, there's a chance he'll look at it and dump it. Be sure and put your name in it, and the inn or home with a small reward offered as well, so if a commoner finds it, they'll likely return it.

Several fake component pouches. Super cheap and small. Like 1g.

Tie thin lines to each so that you'll feel a tug and increase the DC for the thief.

There, now not only do thieves have a 50/50 chance or worse of even stealing the right thing, but the DC is increased by at least 2. Combine that with keeping backups of a spell pouch and your most important spells (to keep the costs down) in a spell book somewhere else and it will be very difficult for you to ever be without your supplies for long.

Foryn Gilnith
2010-01-30, 06:54 PM
Several fake component pouches. Super cheap and small. Like 1g.

Why not buy real component pouches to protect against sundering as well?

Dr Bwaa
2010-01-30, 10:33 PM
CA has a few good spellbook-protection effects. My wizard keeps his 0-5-level spells in a normal spellbook, and his 6+ level spells in a separate one, glamered (and each page secret paged) to look like a particular edition of a large magazine: Warloq: Twenty Years of Eldritch Pleasure, with each page disguised as a different centerfold :smalleek: A Nystul's makes the whole thing appear nonmagical.

She's also got a backup tome (better-warded and kept in a safe, leaden place) with all her spells. Expensive, though.

As for spell component pouches, just keep an extra one in your handy haversack, and alarm everything you own.

Triaxx
2010-01-31, 07:34 AM
Ultimate security: Be a sorceror. :smalltongue:

Seriously though, Secret Paging into a book of orc porn is guaranteed to keep most thieves from touching it.

Component pouches should be kept in individual pockets. Make sure that they have to steal your clothes to get them all. Or most of them anyway. :smalleek:

randomhero00
2010-01-31, 02:31 PM
Why not buy real component pouches to protect against sundering as well?

Cost, but I forget. Aren't they like 15g a piece? i'm thinking of a level 1 starting character with only ~150g to spend. Its been awhile since I made a lvl 1 anything though. Obviously, once you get more gold, just buy more.

tyckspoon
2010-01-31, 02:38 PM
Cost, but I forget. Aren't they like 15g a piece? i'm thinking of a level 1 starting character with only ~150g to spend. Its been awhile since I made a lvl 1 anything though. Obviously, once you get more gold, just buy more.

5gp. Considering that your actual *needs* as a level 1 Wizard are: a crossbow and at least one spell component pouch...

You can probably afford to buy two or three spare pouches.

mostlyharmful
2010-01-31, 02:40 PM
5gp. after level 1 there's not really any reason to not have several, even if you have the Eschew Materials feat just on the off chance that some meathead'll use an incombat action to sunder one.

For protection there's generally two schools of thought:

1. Ignore the thing, just write it down on your sheet and hope the DM doesn't pull the disarming thing as it'll render your mage pointless (gotta say I don't like this one alone although it works well in combination)

2. Traps and spares and decoys and layered defenses and paranoia and minion guards and all sorts. Beyound about level 5 it should be harder to steal your wizards ability to prepare new spells than it is to just kill them and be done with it. You can spend an almost endless amount of time, thought and money on this one but beyound a certain point it gets a little redundant. My favourite spells for this are Geas, Sepia Snake Sigil, Secret Page, Sequester and Instant Summons. Planer Binding also opens up the possibility of uber minions secreted around the multiverse with your spare notebook.

Lysander
2010-01-31, 08:21 PM
Keep it in a attache sized chest that's been arcane locked.

Randel
2010-01-31, 11:26 PM
Seriously though, Secret Paging into a book of orc porn is guaranteed to keep most thieves from touching it.

Unless they find your 'stash of orc porn' and steal it to blackmail you, or sell it to a bunch or orcs or even weirder people (not sure but I suspect that orc porn would be surprisingly rare since few fantasy orcs would be capable of operating the printing presses needed to create them.). Though it could be an effective if disturbing sort of trade good. Imagine beating up a bunch of mobsters only to find that they were delivering several crates full of pornography catering to monsterous humanoids in order to get them to do their bidding.

Giant ogre: Grunk not really want to raid village. Grunk only raid village because men in black robes give Grunk pretty magazines if Grunk do what men in black robes said. *holds up issue of Wildshapers Gone Wild*

Druid: This stuff is demeaning to shape changers! We've got to stop those fiends!