Random wizard spells?

[Ralanr]

Hey guys, I learned recently that Wizards do have to hunt for their spells, and I was wondering if there was a program that generated random wizard/or any kind of spells for 5th edition (any other editions would be cool, but mainly 5th) for certain levels.

Is there such a thing? And if not then how do you all do this?

I'm not dming by the way. I offered to look for my DM cause I wanted to see it for myself.

[Safety Sword]

Hey guys, I learned recently that Wizards do have to hunt for their spells, and I was wondering if there was a program that generated random wizard/or any kind of spells for 5th edition (any other editions would be cool, but mainly 5th) for certain levels.

Is there such a thing? And if not then how do you all do this?

I'm not dming by the way. I offered to look for my DM cause I wanted to see it for myself.

I don't know about a random spell generator. Don't really want to!

I would determine spells that PC wizards pick up very carefully and so wouldn't use a random generator. It really can change the balance of your party and game so it's a case by case thing for me.

[Dalebert]

I imagine certain spells would sort of be considered staples and be fairly common, like Magic Missile or Shield. You'd probably find certain spells repeating a lot in different books. I wouldn't go pure random, but maybe throw in just a couple of somewhat random spells.

This does feel like a gaping need that is currently unfulfilled to my knowledge. I have in my wizard's inventory "9th level spellbook". The DM still hasn't decided what's in it. That same DM is in another game playing a wizard and just found a book. Same story. He's waiting for the DM to figure out what's in it.

If a random table was created, I think certain spells should have a higher rate of occurrence than others by virtue of being considered staples.

Maybe we could start brain-storming in this thread and end up with some tables!

[Slipperychicken]

And if not then how do you all do this?

Step 1. Take all the spells, count them up. Let N equal the total number of spells.

Step 2. Assign each spell an integer (whole number) from 1 to N, with each spell having a unique integer. This is very easy to do if you know excel or a similar program.

Step 3. Order them all on a table, next to their respective numbers.

Step 4. When you need a randomly selected spell, use a random number generator (something like this one (https://www.random.org/) if you don't have programming skills and/or happen to be lazy), to generate an integer from 1 to N.


Of course, this method is crude and assigns an equal probability to all spells. If desired, you can make some spells more likely by giving them more integers (for instance, Sleep might be more common than Clone or Simulacrum). The likelihood that a given spell will be selected from a set is equal to [the number of integers which result in that spell] divided by [the total number of integers in the set, including that spell]. You can also divide spells into categories if desired (perhaps you don't want wizard spellbooks to contain cleric spells), perhaps using one of the "spell sorter" spreadsheets before assigning weights to them.

[kaoskonfety]

In most of my settings where wizards are a thing there will be some sort of formal organization, ranging from a formal master-apprentice system and expectation to academies. These would generally be the primary source for new spell learning - for a price. This is part of the core idea with wizards - organized learning.

You master will likely set a quest or duty in exchange for what knowledge the feel you need for the problem you have presented, his spell list will eventually be yours with a few tweaks. You can ask for fireball, but he thinks you need lightning bolt (or only has lightning bolt), you get lightning bolt.

Academies will be both easier and harder - you will be expected to contribute and you are not likely to have run of the place.
-Low level (1st-3rd) and Utility spells with no risk to the caster or others are likely freely available for a small scribing fee or 'donation'. A secure student library.
- 4th level + and Single target damaging spells and small area effects are likely also fairly freely available, as would most utility spells that may cause indirect harm to the caster and others (Fabricating a building badly, blowing you int check on contact other plane...) with perhaps a larger fee and a membership requirement. Rare books section in a university library.
- 6th level + and Large area affect damaging spells, death effects and direct mind-control (dominate, not charms which I would list under "indirect harm spells") I limit access to from academy sources, you need to be a full member in good standing, have an actual guild approval or similar. You scribing said spell is a matter of record and misuse for any magic treated like a betrayal of the organization. Access like: Original manuscript libraries under high security, sign in, the contents never leave, the librarian has power word:kill prepared (not disintegrate might hit the books...).
-Yes, they have Wish on the books, are you senior faculty? If not, go away. It's wish, I have no direct compare? Nuclear weapon codes?

Defeated wizards (often trapped) spell books would be the next most common. This is near totally DM controlled and will only definitely contain what he was just trying to kill you with. I make a point of placing the wizards theme over direct spell power.

For treasure placement on spell scrolls and similar I'm going to have to side with idea that what gets used and is common is what you are likely to find. Combat spells that are good will be out there because everyone wants one, but don't forget that many wizards won't be battle hardened PC's - rituals like Alarm and Lemonds Tiny Hut are far more useful to more people and get traded about more than Magic Missile or Fireball.

From the hip answer - I'd go with roughly the following for "random spell level" distribution and some quick dicing or snap decision to determine the exact spell (less that 20? roll a d20 or less and count down, more than 20 even, top half, odd lower half, roll again and count down): Writing a program, however simple, for this would feel like I would need to be using said program for decades to be "worth the time" (seconds per case, less than 20 cases per year) - and I'm not much of a programmer by any means.
1st level 50% 1-50
2nd level 25% 51-75
3rd level 13% 76-88
4th level 7% 89-95
5th level 3% 96-98
6th level 1% 99
7th level 1% 100

With anything over 7th level NOT placed randomly (or replace "7th" with "7th to 9th" and a say 50-35-15 distribution on these...) - finding new spells past 5th level feels like it should be comparable to finding the rarer magical items. Both highly rare and somewhat character changing.

This sort of random placement has resulted in me handing the PC very powerful scrolls at lower levels and giving them the choices to one use magic item it up, or trade it for membership/extensive access to scribe spells/ membership upgrade/to the master for a modest number of lower level scrolls. Tends to work out and feels reasonable in play.

[broli]

well. lets work this one out. my idea is to have 2 rolls. spell level and then the actual spell

if i were the DM, i would not allow sertain lvl of spells to be randomly dropt.
so a good table would be (rolling percentile )
1- 40: LVL 1
41-60: LVL 2
61-70: LVL 3
71-84: LVL 4
85-94: LVL 5
95-100: LVL 6

then, you gonna need to do the same weighted random roll on each spell of each level
i would assume each spell to be the same weight, except for a few special ones.
for example, the wizard list of lvl 1 is 30 spell long.
An easy fix is to use MATH!! 100/30, with a really fast rounding, its something like 3% for each spell, leaving you 10% to give out.
so, the first spell in the list (alphabetical) would be 1-3, second would be 4-6, third 7-9, ect ect
if you roll 90% you can choose to give a staple spell, like magic misile, feather falling, ect

this is what as a DM i usually do. have a heavy weight on the lvl, and then the fastest math aproach to the specific spell
if they are lucky to roll a lvl 6 scroll, then let it be anything

on top of the randomg generated one, make sure to include scrolls handpicked. if they asaulted a necromancer lair, its ok to have a random shield or protection from*, but make sure they find necromancy scrolls

[Dalebert]

I believe if it's a scroll, the tables in the DMG already handle its level, or at least get you close. For instance, 1st and 2nd level spells fall into common, I believe; 2nd and 3rd into uncommon; something like that. The level of the spell affects it's value and rarity as a magic item. That table might be a bit generous for the higher level scrolls compared to the DMG. The PCs find a scroll in a 1st level dungeon and there's a 1 in 20 chance to find a level 6 spell? Wowzers! Those are worth like... a lot. Not looking it up right now but they're RARE and VALUABLE, and your odds of finding them should be based on the treasure pile they're in.

Another factor is what is the context? For instance, if you find the spellbook of a 3rd level wizard, you know that he will have about half a dozen 1st level spells and probably two second level spells--basically starting spells for a wizard plus two more first for leveling to 2nd and two 2nd for leveling to 3rd. What type of wizard he is and what he's been directing his efforts toward will affect his choices. A necromancer might have Vampiric Touch. A transmuter might have Enlarge/Reduce.

I think the tables we need most are weighted percentile tables for each level of spells. Maybe something for cleric and (and druid and other) spells as well though those aren't as important since all clerics have access to all cleric spells anyway.

[Shining Wrath]

It ought to be setting dependent, I'm afraid, and each DM needs to craft their own.

Also, can a wizard learn from a Warlock's Tome?

[Ralanr]

It ought to be setting dependent, I'm afraid, and each DM needs to craft their own.

Also, can a wizard learn from a Warlock's Tome?

I don't know. Honestly when I look at the spell list I keep forgetting which spell is which class (I know they have the lists right before the index. But I wish they labeled them in the mage glossary/index. If they do then I'm blind)

[Slipperychicken]

Also, can a wizard learn from a Warlock's Tome?

I'd rule that wizard spellbooks, ritual books, and warlock tomes are basically the same thing for the purpose of copying from one to another. It's not even like we have the arcane/divine distinction anymore.


I don't know. Honestly when I look at the spell list I keep forgetting which spell is which class (I know they have the lists right before the index. But I wish they labeled them in the mage glossary/index. If they do then I'm blind)

I know that feel. I'm already working on a excel sheet (for personal use, obviously) which contains all the spell descriptions (basically a spell-sorter, where you can mouse over a spell name, and see the full entry). If WotC made some spell/monster/item databases which supported filtering and such, and regularly updated it with new spells as they came out, they could probably make some money off it.

[rhouck]

Hey guys, I learned recently that Wizards do have to hunt for their spells, and I was wondering if there was a program that generated random wizard/or any kind of spells for 5th edition (any other editions would be cool, but mainly 5th) for certain levels.

Is there such a thing? And if not then how do you all do this?

I'm not dming by the way. I offered to look for my DM cause I wanted to see it for myself.

It used to be a thing (a generator that would populate a spellbook with random spells per various inputs), but it was killed by a WotC cease and desist :smallmad:

Sorry, that's not overly helpful, but someone DID think that your idea was a good one and took the time to put it together... it just fell victim to CR40 lawyers.

[ghost_warlock]

Hey guys, I learned recently that Wizards do have to hunt for their spells, and I was wondering if there was a program that generated random wizard/or any kind of spells for 5th edition (any other editions would be cool, but mainly 5th) for certain levels.

Is there such a thing? And if not then how do you all do this?

I'm not dming by the way. I offered to look for my DM cause I wanted to see it for myself.

Just so we're clear, you do mean hunt for ones beyond the two per level that they automatically get, right?

[Ralanr]

Just so we're clear, you do mean hunt for ones beyond the two per level that they automatically get, right?

N...no...I don't remember reading that...

EDIT: Read it. Had a laugh with my roommate who is the wizard. Honestly did not see that. As for other spells, since he gets two per level, we'll probably just steal the books off the corpses of wizards we kill.

[Dalebert]

We were playing that module with the friendly necromancer, some red wizard or some such. Do you folks know which one that is? Is it Rise of Tiamat? Anyway, we were expecting to find his spellbook but the DM said the module doesn't say anything about it so we didn't find one. That was frustrating. The module doesn't really expect the PCs to kill him (because he's friendly) so do you think that's just an error or lazy writing, perhaps due to the tedium of having to decide what's in his book?

[Ralanr]

We were playing that module with the friendly necromancer, some red wizard or some such. Do you folks know which one that is? Is it Rise of Tiamat? Anyway, we were expecting to find his spellbook but the DM said the module doesn't say anything about it so we didn't find one. That was frustrating. The module doesn't really expect the PCs to kill him (because he's friendly) so do you think that's just an error or lazy writing, perhaps due to the tedium of having to decide what's in his book?

That might be lazy writing. I can't imagine that there are many evil focus quests, so they probably focus on the party being good.

I haven't seen the module though. So I don't know.

[Saffellbot]

N...no...I don't remember reading that...

EDIT: Read it. Had a laugh with my roommate who is the wizard. Honestly did not see that. As for other spells, since he gets two per level, we'll probably just steal the books off the corpses of wizards we kill.

Managing wizard spell books can be a challenge for a DM. Especially if you have power level concerns about casters. It is entirely possible to prohibit wizards from learning spells on level up, and can only learn spells from scrolls (the secrets of controlling arcane magic are long lost). Similarly you state that a wizards spell book is only readable by the person who created it. On the other end of the spectrum you could have wizard colleges that only charge a small fee to copy from a spell book maintained in the library.

Some tools:

http://donjon.bin.sh/5e/random/#magic_item

If you set "what" to magic items, and "any type" to scrolls you can randomly generate a scroll of any rarity as needed.

http://donjon.bin.sh/5e/spells/

Spell list sortable by all sorts of things.

[Celcey]

Some tools:

http://donjon.bin.sh/5e/random/#magic_item

If you set "what" to magic items, and "any type" to scrolls you can randomly generate a scroll of any rarity as needed.

http://donjon.bin.sh/5e/spells/

Spell list sortable by all sorts of things.

Holy mother of pearl... that's amazing.