Number of spells in spellbooks at high levels

[Valthonis]

So I did some searching and could not find my answer. Thankfully, that is what GitP is for, right? :P

My question pertains to character creation as a wizard starting at levels higher than first level. Is there a commonly used formula for determining the average amount of spells that a wizard would have accumulated by a certain level? It certainly wouldn't make sense to only have the base number of spells that you get from gaining levels in my opinion.

If my previous wording is confusing: how many spells do I have in my spellbook when starting at a higher level?

[Lightlawbliss]

well, baseline we are looking at Int+2*LVL iirc

For this, let us assume no feats that modify learning spells were taken and no broken methods of gaining spells were used.

past that point the number of scrolls you buy and add using your WBL is how many you can gain. I tend to reach a 4th spell book by lvl 20 when I play a wizard, and I also tend to have spells I never use.

[TaiLiu]

So I did some searching and could not find my answer. Thankfully, that is what GitP is for, right? :P

My question pertains to character creation as a wizard starting at levels higher than first level. Is there a commonly used formula for determining the average amount of spells that a wizard would have accumulated by a certain level? It certainly wouldn't make sense to only have the base number of spells that you get from gaining levels in my opinion.

If my previous wording is confusing: how many spells do I have in my spellbook when starting at a higher level?
...The base number. You need to pay the scribing fees and all for extra spells.

[Firebug]

Remember that you still have to pay all of the costs involved when you add new spells to your spellbook.

That is, access to the spell in the first place (ie scroll) and then writing it into the spellbook. Once you have scroll you have to decipher it, taking 24 hours and a spellcraft check DC 15+spell level. Writing it into the spellbook takes an additional 24 hours and 1 page per spell level. It costs 100 gp per page.

Buy a scroll is typically 25 gp X caster level X spell level (+ any material components). You can reduce these costs, it talks about reading another wizard's spellbook at the cost of 50 gp per spell level instead of buying scrolls. And a Blessed Book waives the 100 gp per page cost, at the upfront cost of 12,500 gp and it has 1,000 pages as opposed to the standard 100.

Alternative to the Blessed Book you could have a Secret Page spellbook. Vulnerable to dispel magic, but depending on how your DM reads the spell, it allows you to either turn any single page into part of a spell, or all of 1 spell on a single page. Meaning a 9th level spell would take up only 1 page instead of 9. This is the cheapest method in several respects.

EDIT: Oh and 15 gp for each regular Spellbook (Blank)

[Darth Stabber]

When starting a higher level wizard a good chunk of your money should be wrapped up in your spellbook. Without investment you 2 every level, and that's it, you may as well be a sorc. There are all sorts of neat items you can buy to make you a better spellcaster, but adding spells to your book makes you a better wizard, and wizard is the best spellcaster. Buy the best headband of intellect you can get, then fill out your spellbook, after that you can determine you budget for other items.


How you store the spells is another issue. Baccob's Blessed Books fill up faster than you'd think, and having 1-2 back-up books is not a bad idea (if you have a gm that would mess with your spellbook for drama). If you have a well protected sanctum than I would suggest leaving the biggest spellbook there, and all of your spellbooks should be heavily trapped and warded.

[Valthonis]

Thanks for all the responses! I guess I should have been more detailed in my question. If you don't count the scrolls that you would have bought, what is the "average" number of scrolls that a wizard might have stumbled upon while adventuring? So yes, I would spend a lot of money on my spellbook regardless, but how many of those scrolls would have been "free"?

Edit: I'm perfectly aware that this is more or less a house rule. I was simply wondering if there is a common house rule for determining this approximate number.

[ericp65]

A wizard (or other arcane caster who relies on a grimoire) typically keeps a "field" book for adventuring, and a separate, expanded and annotated "library" book in his/her/its sanctum sanctorum. The library version will contain many more spells than the traveling book.

[VariSami]

Thanks for all the responses! I guess I should have been more detailed in my question. If you don't count the scrolls that you would have bought, what is the "average" number of scrolls that a wizard might have stumbled upon while adventuring? So yes, I would spend a lot of money on my spellbook regardless, but how many of those scrolls would have been "free".

Well, loot encountered during adventures is counted in the starting gold at levels higher than 1. Basically, you may enforce houserules regarding these things but there is an actual guideline which makes receiving scrolls a question of priorities. Really, at the very least the Wizards should not receive extra scrolls unless other classes also receive free stuff. They really do not need a head up compared to the rest.

[eggynack]

Thanks for all the responses! I guess I should have been more detailed in my question. If you don't count the scrolls that you would have bought, what is the "average" number of scrolls that a wizard might have stumbled upon while adventuring? So yes, I would spend a lot of money on my spellbook regardless, but how many of those scrolls would have been "free"?

Edit: I'm perfectly aware that this is more or less a house rule. I was simply wondering if there is a common house rule for determining this approximate number.
None of those scrolls would have been free. The price of scrolls would be accounted for in the character's wealth by level, even if you find it treasure style. Buying spells from a wizard costs spell level*50, so it looks like getting the spells from found scrolls would be cheaper for 0th and 1st level spells, but it'd be more expensive for everything else. Ultimately, you're not really gaining much advantage from just happening to find scrolls in your backstory. The best way I've seen to bypass the cost of buying up spells is trading spells with other wizards. If you want to stick something in your backstory that bypasses spell cost, that'd be the thing to use. I dunno if there are DM's that would allow you to do that in backstory form, but it's probably the simplest method.

[Valthonis]

Hmmz. Yes, this all makes sense. I guess for some reason I assumed that most wizard's spent a lot of time in wizard libraries between adventures searching for random spells that might be considered "public property" there. Once again, thanks for all your responses! Now to design my demiplane/sanctum thing....

Edit: I know this next question is slightly off topic, but I'm the OP so why not? Could anyone point me towards a book that might have a lot of useful info on demiplanes and wizard sanctums?