[3.5] Creating a Wizard Above First Level - Spellbook

[MrBananaBeak]

Hey guys,

I'm starting a new campaign at 6th level, and one of my PCs is creating a generalist wizard. How do I determine how many spells he gets in his spellbook beyond the SRD 1st level spells?

Naturally, a good wizard would actively seek out other wizards and bargain for spells from their spellbook. They would also use scrolls purchased or found while adventuring to learn new spells. What would be a good way to determine this?

[TSED]

Wizards get two spells per level. Beyond that, they need to buy and scribe scrolls (just do the regular costs for those from their WBL).

[sideswipe]

collegiate wizard feat from complete arcane allows you to learn 4 spells each level up and start with 6.

so a wizard starts with all cantrips, 6+int first level spells and +4 spells for free (of any level you can cast when leveling up including the new level) when you gain a level.

normally this is 3+int and 2 per level.

putting a spell in your spellbook,
you need pages in your spellbook = to the level of the spell wanted.
you must either have access to another spellbook or a scroll of the spell.
you must have 100g of special ink per page of the spell you are gaining.
you must spend a day studying it and then make a spellcraft check to understand it. if you understand you spend the gold on ink, and you now know the spell in your book. if you fail you spend nothing but can no longer learn that spell until you level up again. then you may re attempt to understand the scroll.

any questions?

[MrBananaBeak]

Nope, thanks a lot guys! Looks like he either needs to burn a feat or shell out some cash.

[Gemini476]

Nope, thanks a lot guys! Looks like he either needs to burn a feat or shell out some cash.
Or just settle for getting 2/level, which isn't all that bad.

I do believe that its also a great deal cheaper to copy from others spellbooks, but I don't remember what they charge.

[Dread_Head]

All the information on adding spells to a spellbook is here in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/arcaneSpells.htm#addingSpellstoaWizardsSpellbook).


In most cases, wizards charge a fee for the privilege of copying spells from their spellbooks. This fee is usually equal to the spell’s level × 50 gp.

This is cheaper than scrolls for every spell level higher than 1st so it's up to you whether you let him write into his back story that this is how he learnt his spells or not.

[Bakkan]

Another thing you may consider (that a DM did for me) is allowing the PC to be a member of a mage's guild, where he has access to spellbooks to copy from for free (he still has to pay the 100gp/page cost of scribing), but he has duties to the guild, such as paying dues or performing services.

[SinsI]

And don't forget that if you are in a world with no readily available scrolls/ spellbooks with the spells you want, the cost rises up dramatically:
for each spell level, you spend a week doing research and 1000 gold. In the end, you also do a DC 10 + spell level spellcraft check - if you fail it, your attempt (and gold) is wasted.

[morkendi]

Generalists gives 1 per level and collegiate wiz gives 6 at first plus int mod then 4 every lvl after. So after all 0lvl and 6+int mod for first, he would get 5 every level for free. My dm has a cost to study spells after that that comes from wbl, but we have to spend the cash and then make a spellcraft roll to learn it and copy to book.