3.5...how do you keep track of spells at high levels when you have a ton?

[randomhero00]

Do you actually write them all out and what they do? Or just make notes in where to look them up?

[The Dark Fiddler]

I write out my spell list.

I use spells whose effects I can remember easily, at least the general effects.

[HunterOfJello]

custom spell sheets that list basic info and then put the book and page number next to every spell

[Show]

You can just write them out and basically memorize them if you are a sorcerer. If you are a wizard then...
Good luck. Prioritize, I guess.
Most commonly used spells at the top of your list thing, least common at the bottom. Less searching except in special occasions.

[WarrenZig]

Making a PDF of my spellbook. bookmarks for every spell i got really helps.

[ShriekingDrake]

For spontaneous casters, I always put the spells on index cards--with all the information so I can hand it to the DM when I cast it. For prepared casters, I do the same for the spells I most frequently cast, and if I prepare a new spell, I try to find time to at least get that spell on a piece of paper for the DM. Over the years, I've got a nice set of index cards that I just bring with me to the games. This way, I find that I don't need to do too much writing and it makes game play go faster. Carrying 19 books is not all that easy, but carrying the cards is.

[Tael]

I use a program called spellforge to print out the quick stats of all my spells in a neat little table (basic descriptor, components, range, etc.) and then look it up if I can't remember specifics.

[DarkEternal]

Write them in the order I memorised them. It's tough for a wizard, even tougher for clerics and druids who literally have thousands of them at all time.

Would be fantastic if there were spell lists made for this alone with every single official spell from every source. I know it's nigh impossible and really, that would be hordes of papers that you would need to have at all times, but one can dream.

[Runestar]

Write them on pieces of paper. That's one use for unused magic cards and excess deck protectors. :smallbiggrin:

Even as a wizard, I generally draw my spells from a fairly small custom spell list, so no pouring over 10+ splatbooks everytime I stop to rest for the night.

[WarrenZig]

Just found heroforge and it kicks some mighty ass, thank you very much Tael

[pffh]

I make a pdf of my known spells and then keep 2-3 different spell sheets with prepared spells written down then I can simply pick what sheet I want to use each day. Fx one sheet for blasty, one for buffing etc and then if I want to switch the occasional spell on those pre prepared sheets I simply write down on a blank paper what spell I switched for what that day.

[Feliks878]

We have a laptop friendly gaming table, so when I was playing a Wizard I made a custom spreadsheet of all my spells where I included level, school, save DCs (which are added using a formula so they're easy to update by changing some hidden fields) a short description, the book name, and the page number. I have a second sheet that has what spells I've prepared that day, as well as some notes about things like what spells I had permenancied, how I had trapped my spellbook, etc.

Over time I've been working on adding other books to this spelllist so it'll go from 0-9, and I grey out spells that aren't in my book, and copy paste them onto the second sheet when I memorize them in the morning. It's been a lot of work, but it was a good way to kill time when I couldn't sleep or whatever, and when it's done (hopefully soon!) it'll be great to have, even though I don't play a wizard anymore.

[randomhero00]

huh spellforge/heroforge isn't working for me. Says something about macros.

[Defiant]

My spellbook is in a Word document that's 5 pages long - 2 columns.

My spells prepared is one page long - 2 columns + 2 pages of active buffs on myself.

[WarrenZig]

huh spellforge/heroforge isn't working for me. Says something about macros.

At the top of the document it says it turned off macros for your safety and you need to tell it to turn them on.

[Defiant]

At the top of the document it says it turned off macros for your safety and you need to tell it to turn them on.

But what about his or her safety? :smallfrown:

[WarrenZig]

But what about his or her safety? :smallfrown:

Psssh, safety is overrated.

Also they have quite a bit of their info on their site heroforgesoftware.com so if they were trying to be sneaky they botched their checks.

[AshDesert]

I make lists by spell level of spells prepared for prep casters and spells known for spontaneous. I write the DC of the save-allows spells next to each spell. Generally we all know the effects of every spell people in the party would prepare, so looking up spells generally isn't an issue.

[valadil]

I print up a spreadsheet. I don't include the full rules for each spell, but I note things like which save it hits, SR, school, dice to roll, and source book/page. Then I check off the spells I have memorized. This works great until I get up to metamagic. Then I have to write out spells at their pumped up level. Kinda annoying.

[Scorpions__]

Sadie's character sheets at Dylexic Studeos (http://dyslexic-st.blogspot.com/) will help you keep track of your spells.

I also have recently designed a separate sheet (in the Sadie-style) with spaces for most of the details for spells, powers, soulmelds, maneuvres & stances, fundamentals & mysteries, utterances, and invocations. Each sheet has a field for the regular stuff, and a large space for the effects. Each sheet has 10 spaces, so depending on what class you play, you might have more than four sheets, but it does really help me when my players don't have to borrow the book each time they want to cast a spell or use a maneuvre.

I made another sheet with room for fifteen effects, intended for feats, racial traits, and/or magic items.





DM[F]R

[Yvanehtnioj]

I have a 16th level cleric, so I too have had to organize my spells, from time to time.

What I do is to type out a general list of what I usually will have memmorized, and just note when I swap something out for another spell.

It fits all on one page for me.

I use a number to denote the spell level, and the lowercase letter that follows it to denote how many spells of that level, that I have.

(an example:)

0a.
0b.
0c.
0d.
1a. Bless (PH 213 / 229)
1b.
1c.
2a.

This caster would have (4) 0th, (3) 1st, and (1) 2nd level spells.

Only one spell is memmorized, at the moment, Bless. The "PH" refers you to the Player's Handbook, and the the number 213 is the index list page number, while the 229 would be the full description page number.

(I used the numbers for example so they will not be the real page numbers.)


I find this to be helpful as this way I can re-structure my spell slots with the spells that I want, and whenever I do need to reference them, I can simply go to their page number in the book from which I accessed them from.

[Dr Bwaa]

What you want is called Spellgen (http://pigmentia.net/spellgen/spellgen_20.htm). It has a few quirks, but has a great spell library including the ability to customize spells/caster level/etc. Hugely helpful, AND it can print to PDF. A million thumbs-up from me.

[Psyren]

It's only 40 or so, that's not too hard to keep track of. Power points are even easier, I just erase whatever I have left and rewrite my maximum at the beginning of each day.

:smallwink::smalltongue:

[Kerrin]

I created a little database for myself of spells. Then I created a template in a word processing program to print four index cards peer sheet through the printer. After that I did a mail-merge and have a nice set of index cards to use.

I'm tempted to do something similar for powers when we start playing fourth edition.

[Tvtyrant]

I buy a leatherbound journal notebook (aka diary book) and then write them in there. Been thinking about making a poem for each spell to put under the tables that I read when I cast from it.

[molten_dragon]

I tend to have the spells I cast most often memorized, and anything else I just look up. I make a note by each spell on my sheet what book/page number to find it at so I'm not taking up a lot of time.

[Eldariel]

I have an abbreviated list where I've marked how many times each spell is prepared. Further, I remember most useful spells by heart. Combination makes using casters quite swift; only problem is actually formulating strategy and deciding which spell to use in each case.

[jguy]

I write down my spells on some lined paper then insert it into a clear plastic sheet that people use for presentations. I then cross them out with a dry erase marker after I cast them and when I rest I just clean it up. Is very handy.

[Cirrhosis]

as a mac user, i use this (http://petteri.kamppuri.fidisk.fi/spellbookmaster/). it's absolutely invaluable, but anything outside of the SRD has to be entered manually. There's an iPhone version too, but you can't enter new spells without the mac app and the iphone version isn't free, which really sucks as most of you are probably windows users.

[Vizzerdrix]

A list on scrap paper, and I keep the spells I want to use written on index cards.

[Telok]

Printed text files for me. I can usually copy/pasta from somewhere.

I try to limit myself to 2 or 3 spells each level (for psion/psy warrior I limit to the XPH book) so I never get more than about 25 spells to print out. It can come out to about 2 pages.

I have seen bad bad bad spell listings. Our group's "that guy" likes being a blaster sorcerer, once we tried to run his character for him while he was on a pizza run... Hand-scrawled diagonal mispellings spread across 3 pages with other stuff from partial stats for summons to some magical gear interspersed between them. I couldn't even find his 5th level spells or any tally of what he had already cast that day. He did melee with his staff for the rest of that fight.

[Shpadoinkle]

Index cards work great for spontaneous casters and psionic characters.

For divine casters ad wizards and the like, I use a sheet (sometimes several sheets) write down some basic notes for each spell on each line (spell name, level, and school, range/area, duration, save, and the book it's in as well as the page the full description is on. Or just the page number- I have a pretty good memory for things like spell descriptions.)

[Dr.Epic]

I write them down. I also remember there are special character sheets with check lists for wizard/sorcerer spells.

[icefractal]

I write them in a compressed keyword-based format that only takes one line for most spells, 2-3 at most. That and I only list the spells I actually use, not even close to the entire Cleric/Druid list. So my whole spell list takes about 2-3 double-sided sheets, even at 17th+ level.

Then when preparing spells, I put (in pencil) a circle next to each spell I'm preparing (or multiple circles, if I prep multiple copies). As I use up spells, I put a slash through the circles.


An alternate method that I've used previously is to have several "pre-prepped" spell lists, like this:Combat (vs Non-Humanoids)
0 Deathwatch, Launch Item, CMW, Flare, Ghost Sound, Dancing Lights, Message, Dawn
1 Magic Missile, Indolence, Lesser Vigor x3, Resist Energy, Lightfoot
2 Scorching Ray, Kelp Strand, Mass Snake’s Swiftness, Chill Metal, Alter Self x2, Fell the Greatest Foe
3 EBT, Stinking Cloud, Vigor x2, Haste, Flesh Ripper, Fell Drain Magic Missile
4 Arc of Lightning, Flame Strike, Wall of Sand, Polymorph x2, Enervation, Fell Drain Body of the Sun
5 Pocket Cave, Battletide, Teleport x2, Heartclutch
6 Irresistable Dance, Wall of Water, Greater Bestow Curse, Antilife Shell

Stealth / Infiltration
0 Dawn, Ghost Sound x2, Dancing Lights, Flare, No Light, Message, Light
1 Wieldskill x2, Enthrall, Serene Visage, Obscuring Mist, Charm Person, Hideous Laughter
2 Invisibility x2, Soul Bend, Alter Self x2, Knock x2
3 Chain of Eyes, Scrying, Anyspell, Divination, Dispel Magic, Glibness, Blacklight
4 Greater Invisibility, Modify Memory, Dominate Person, Assay Resistance, Spell Immunity, Wrack
5 Mass Reflective Disguise, Pocket Cave, Mass Suggestion, Teleport, Wall of Stone
6 Probe Thoughts, Mass Dominate Person, Analyze Dweomer, Greater Anyspell

Social, Negotiation
0 Dawn, Message x3, Ghost Sound, Read Magic, Mending, [Open]
1 Charm Person x2, Serene Visage, Comprehend Languages, Wieldskill, Enthrall, [Open]
2 Soul Bend, Invisibility x2, Clairvoyance, Knock, Alter Self, [Open]
3 Divination, Chain of Eyes, Morality Undone , Glibness x2, Anyspell, [Open]
4 Modify Memory, Dominate Person, Assay Resistance x2, Spell Immunity, [Open]
5 Mass Suggestion, Major Creation, True Seeing, Mass Reflective Disguise, [Open]
6 Mass Dominate Person, Greater Scrying, Probe Thoughts, [Open]
Pick a list for the day, and then cross off spells as I use them.