Spellbook confusion!

[Fates]

Hola, Playground. A friend of mine and I were just having a discussion/argument regarding wizard spells and spellbooks.

I had always believed that wizards could add spells to their spellbooks either by another person's spellbook or by transcribing a scroll, as long as it was a wizard spell.

My friend believes the same thing, except he thinks that wizards can add any arcane spell from a scroll to their spellbook and then cast it as a wizard, regardless of whether it's a wizard, wu jen, bard, or sorcerer spell.


The PHB seems very unclear on the matter. Which is it?

Much thanks,

'Fates.

[Fouredged Sword]

The spell must be from the wizard/sorcerer list, and he learns it as a wizard/sorcerer spell, and it must be arcane.

No adding spells from other lists to your book.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Spells
A wizard casts arcane spells which are drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list.

Even if you can add a spell from another class list to your spellbook, you cannot cast it via your Wizard spell slots unless it appears on the sorcerer/wizard spell list.

[Agincourt]

I agree with the previous posters that it must be on the wizard/sorcerer spell list.

Under your friend's interpretation, a wizard could buy a bard's scroll of Irresistible Dance, copy it into their spellbook and then cast it as a 6th level spell instead of an 8th level spell.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Any arcane spell can be broken down and written out in a spell book, but wizard spell-slots can only hold src/wiz spells. You're both half-right.

[Fates]

Thanks everyone. (and for the record, I did know that they could write out any spell).