Help with 2e wizard spells

[icy100]

Hi, i'm just starting a 2e campaign with some friends and I was wondering how you determine how many spells they can learn per level. In the DM manual i'm going by the player/DM cooperation ruleset where they can learn 1d6+read/detect magic. How do I determine how many spells they can learn from each spell level when he does level up ?

Cheers in advance!

[hymer]

It's a function of Intelligence. It's in the Intelligence table in my book.

[icy100]

It's a function of Intelligence. It's in the Intelligence table in my book.

Ah I see, thankyou, I was looking at the wrong table. So then how would one determine how many spells he could learn each level ? Would I just have him roll another 1d6 ? And then in regards to what spell level he could learn from, if he levelled up to level 2 and then rolled a 5 could he learn any spells from the first level and second level ? Sorry for all the questions but this is really confusing me :smallconfused:

[Jay R]

First of all, you need to ask your DM how and when you learn spells.

The table shows the maximum you can learn at each level.

Finally, don't confuse character level and spell level. At 2nd level Mage you still only know first level spells. You start getting second level spells at 3rd level Mage.

[icy100]

First of all, you need to ask your DM how and when you learn spells.

The table shows the maximum you can learn at each level.

Finally, don't confuse character level and spell level. At 2nd level Mage you still only know first level spells. You start getting second level spells at 3rd level Mage.

I AM the DM (first timer, with my friends being completely new as well) that's the problem, anyway, think i've got the hang of it now. Luckily i've had RollPlay as inspiration :D

[Jay R]

I AM the DM (first timer, with my friends being completely new as well) that's the problem, anyway, think i've got the hang of it now. Luckily i've had RollPlay as inspiration :D

Then decide how they learn spells. If they are trained by an older wizard, they might have their maximum already. The game I'm playing in right now, the DM lets us take 2 at each level, and so we spend time between adventures researching spells.

You want to come up with a method that gives them a reasonable assortment, based on how magic-rich the game will be, that will be fun to role-play.

[Thrudd]

Hi, i'm just starting a 2e campaign with some friends and I was wondering how you determine how many spells they can learn per level. In the DM manual i'm going by the player/DM cooperation ruleset where they can learn 1d6+read/detect magic. How do I determine how many spells they can learn from each spell level when he does level up ?

Cheers in advance!


In 2e, the rules as written are that you don't automatically gain spells when you reach a new level. Normally you have to find them in scrolls and spellbooks during adventuring. In the magic section, under "learning spells", it talks more about how a wizard can learn spells. In there, it says it is up to the DM to decide when and how a wizard gets spells. So you can let them try to add a few more spells automatically when they level up, or you can make them adventure and roleplay for all of them. I think it is fun for most of the spells to be found during adventures, rather than just automatically appearing. I would let them add 1 or 2 spells to the spellbook at each level, explaining that in between adventures they go to libraries and research ancient tomes or whathaveyou. The DMG should have more guidance on this, you may just have to search around. Those books were not organized so well, and there may be information about things in places you aren't expecting.

The intelligence table gives you some of the important information about it. Your intelligence decides whether you are able to learn a new spell you find, and how many total spells can be in your spellbook for each level. This is why it is really important for a wizard to have high intelligence. Even when you just let them pick spells to learn when they level up, you can have them roll percentage dice to see if they are able to successfully learn the spell. It might take them a couple levels to actually figure out some spells, especially if their intelligence isn't great.

In the wizard class section, the table tells you how many spells you can prepare each day and of what spell level, which depends on your character level. Every other character level you can cast a new level of spell.

[icy100]

In 2e, the rules as written are that you don't automatically gain spells when you reach a new level. Normally you have to find them in scrolls and spellbooks during adventuring. In the magic section, under "learning spells", it talks more about how a wizard can learn spells. In there, it says it is up to the DM to decide when and how a wizard gets spells. So you can let them try to add a few more spells automatically when they level up, or you can make them adventure and roleplay for all of them. I think it is fun for most of the spells to be found during adventures, rather than just automatically appearing. I would let them add 1 or 2 spells to the spellbook at each level, explaining that in between adventures they go to libraries and research ancient tomes or whathaveyou. The DMG should have more guidance on this, you may just have to search around. Those books were not organized so well, and there may be information about things in places you aren't expecting.

The intelligence table gives you some of the important information about it. Your intelligence decides whether you are able to learn a new spell you find, and how many total spells can be in your spellbook for each level. This is why it is really important for a wizard to have high intelligence. Even when you just let them pick spells to learn when they level up, you can have them roll percentage dice to see if they are able to successfully learn the spell. It might take them a couple levels to actually figure out some spells, especially if their intelligence isn't great.

In the wizard class section, the table tells you how many spells you can prepare each day and of what spell level, which depends on your character level. Every other character level you can cast a new level of spell.

Ahk, that makes sense. Thank you for the help everybody!