Ways to get spells.

[dascarletm]

So I'm playing a wizard in a campaign, (Buffer with a perchance at CC, Transmutation specialist). Everything sounds fine and dandy yes? Well, maybe. So the DM wants it to be low magic. (We started at 1, currently 3). He says magic works the same, but it is rare. Enemy spellcasters are rare, which is good, but... so is magical treasure (including scrolls:smalleek:). With no magic shops or scrolls lying around I'm hard pressed on ways to fill my spellbook with arcane goodness.:smallconfused:

We just hit 3 (need to pick my 2 second levels).

Here are my questions:

1. What are ways besides buying spells/scrolls to obtain more than 2 spells per level? (I know there are some prestige classes, might pick up master specialist?) Also we are lacking in downtime so research is a no-go. I tried to craft some stuff for my allies but they won't stand for down time:smallannoyed:.

2. Assuming I don't get many opportunities to pick up spells at each spell level would you pick up?

Allies consist of, a Warblade, a Rogue, and sometimes a shapeshift/spontaneous rejuvination Druid with a Monk Dip (he can't make it all the time.)

Here is what I got so far

Human
Str: 10
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 18
Wis: 8
Cha: 10
Feats: Spell Focus (Transmutation), Toughening Transmutation, going to pick up Extend Spell for lvl 3.
Spells:
1: True Strike, Enlarge Person, Nerve-skitter, Silent Image, Ray of Enfeeblement, Grease, Benign Transposition, Shield, Swift Expeditious Retreat, He let me buy Mage Armor and A few Lesser Orb spells, but said this won't normally happen as magic is rare.
2: Was thinking Bull's Strength and either Web or Blur.


Thanks for the advice/help.

[Azoth]

If you can retrain feats try picking up Collegiate Wizard from CAr or CM. It will let you nab 4 spells per level up and start with bonus 1st level spells equal to your Int mod. It is 1st level only though.

Aside that, not specializing and going Domain Wizard from UA gains you one more spell known per spell level. So it frees up some space to learn other spells. It also gives you a domain slot to cast it out of.

[dascarletm]

If you can retrain feats try picking up Collegiate Wizard from CAr or CM. It will let you nab 4 spells per level up and start with bonus 1st level spells equal to your Int mod. It is 1st level only though.

Aside that, not specializing and going Domain Wizard from UA gains you one more spell known per spell level. So it frees up some space to learn other spells. It also gives you a domain slot to cast it out of.

Retraining may not fly. Sadly I did not come here while making said character. If I can collegiate wizard would really be helpful. Thanks, forgot about that beauty.

[TypoNinja]

Find another Wizard in game. If spells are that hard to come by, he should be thrilled at the offer of a trade.

Wizards are all about the knowledge, if magic is just rare and not actually shunned there should be a center of learning somewhere. You should be able to either trade them, or and your DM might like this suggestion, they might have a quest or two for your party to undertake in exchange for them showing you the goodies.

Magic being rare just doesn't work long term, Wizardry is a taught art, its not magic in the blood like a sorcerer. More people will learn, more people will study it, more and more people will invent new spells.

Alternatively Planar bind/ally something that has SLA's of Arcane spells, or straight up casts as a sorcerer/wizard. Magic item creation rules allow cooperative creation of items. You can scribe scroll while the summoned creature provides the spell. You them promptly copy the spell into your book.

[Krobar]

Worst case you can always research and write them yourself. It takes one week per spell level, one thousand gp per spell level, and the Spellcraft DC is 10+spell level.

3.5 DMG, page 198.

[dascarletm]

Worst case you can always research and write them yourself. It takes one week per spell level, one thousand gp per spell level, and the Spellcraft DC is 10+spell level.

3.5 DMG, page 198.

Ouch. :smallfrown:

[Krobar]

Ouch. :smallfrown:

I know. It's a costly PITA. The DMG specifically says these are "guidelines", so if you talk to your DM maybe you can work something out.

[Ernir]

As usual when a houserule/custom setting crumples a player's style, ask your DM what on earth the goal is with those changes.

If reducing your spell access is some kind of a balancing attempt on their behalf, going around it with retraining, PrC dipping, feat-collecting and moderately creative uses of Planar Binding probably isn't going to go down all that well. If it's a world building issue, it might.

In either case, the follow-up question would be the one of how they envisioned a Wizard to make adequate use of the class features under this ruleset.

[Deaxsa]

what about downtime can't they stand. i mean, ooc, it's as simple as "we wait for blarg the wizard to research a new spell" and the other characters could probably be living off their spoils in the nearby town for a little while. they could even do things during the in-character downtime while you were studying like setting up a business, helping the community, finding good sources of information, etc, for which you really don't need the entire party. (adventuring is not all killing monsters all the time, either, so it's mildly realistic, and it lets you get more spells)

you could even ask the dm to say something like "between this session and the next, 3 months will pass when you are not hired"

just saying, it's really not a chore imho.

a note on the collegiate wizard bit: how on earth is he going to get that... when there are no wizards around?

a note on the "find another wizard" bit: who taught you to cast spells? go to them and exchange spells.

[wayfare]

Ouch. :smallfrown:

Its not that bad, honestly. Every spell you get is a new weapon. By level 20, you are spending 9000gp to lay waste to an entire battlefield. A fighter of comperable level spends 200K on a single weapon that can maybe do something like 7d6 + 5 damage on a hit.

Advantage: mage.

[dascarletm]

what about downtime can't they stand. i mean, ooc, it's as simple as "we wait for blarg the wizard to research a new spell" and the other characters could probably be living off their spoils in the nearby town for a little while. they could even do things during the in-character downtime while you were studying like setting up a business, helping the community, finding good sources of information, etc, for which you really don't need the entire party. (adventuring is not all killing monsters all the time, either, so it's mildly realistic, and it lets you get more spells)

you could even ask the dm to say something like "between this session and the next, 3 months will pass when you are not hired"

just saying, it's really not a chore imho.

My feelings exactly, we all talked and recently there had been tribal orc movement requiring our immediate intervention. After that is dealt with we'll have more Downtime.


a note on the collegiate wizard bit: how on earth is he going to get that... when there are no wizards around?

That would seem to be a problem, but could be refluffed *See Below*


a note on the "find another wizard" bit: who taught you to cast spells? go to them and exchange spells.
There are wizards, and the one I trained under (like most of their kind) live in seclusion deep within uncivilized areas. I assume there is a reason for this, because my first notion would be to build an arcane university (which is what I'm currently working towards). The reason for the lack of abundance of Wizards, is because of the setting.

Originally there was only really sorcerers, as they were abundant, and a sign of nobility. Wizard style of magic looked down upon, and not developed. Now only the Royal family has sorcerous blood potent enough to actually be a sorcerer, and not even all of them. (I suspect inbreeding *See A Game of Thrones*) Now that sorcerers are few and far between wizards aren't seen looked down upon, but there are still few of them. The major power groups usually have one or two, but they are very secretive. (I am guessing at some sort of pact to hide their knowledge as my instructor, Zimus the Fabulous, is blacklisted so to say.

As for myself I actually began to learn arcana from seemingly nowhere. The formulas would appear in my head and only required a little honing. This is due to the fact that my character is actually the remnants of a powerful wizard's first attempt at creating the Clone spell. I could go into details, but that is a 4 page word doc. (I tend to get lengthy.)