Allowing PCs max HP, Gifting Feats, and other potential downfalls of my playstyle

[Oxylepy]

Moving from Pathfinder over to 5e and I had some questions about potential game balance issues.

First, the retraining rules from Pathfinder have become staples, especially retraining HP. In Pathfinder this wasn't such a problem, but if those are converted over to 5e, are there any real issues with game balance by allowing PCs max HP?

Over on the Piazo forums I got some good advice on converting retraining over in regards to time and cost, so that has been brought to my attention already.

Second, gifting feats and proficiencies as quest rewards will likely come into play in my games, anything to be cautious about here? Any idea of how much of WBL should be taken for the purpose of each feat trained? I assume that could be very game changing and it should cut into wealth quite a bit.

Third, I tend toward magic item heavy games, and magic items are pretty limited in 5e. How does one adjust for this change in play style, I assume magic items should be treated as relics, any idea on the likely frequency of them when NPCs in villages, towns, cities tend to have class levels ranging from 5 to 20?

Fourth, advice on running ancient world games in 5e? The players are likely going to start sometime around 12000 bce; nomadic tribes and a few cultures beginning agriculture, booze becoming a driving force of civilizations, etc. The world already has a divine presense, however writing hasn't cropped up yet, being reserved for the PCs to design if they wish.

[Professor Gnoll]

In the end, it's not really going to matter, so long as all of your PC's are balanced with each other. Then you can just adjust combat difficulty, and away you go. It's only really going to affect the game if one of your PC's starts to outstrip the others and be significantly more powerful.

[Gastronomie]

None of those are a problem as long as you balance out encounters by making the monsters stronger.

You will need to make encounters a lot tougher than the instructions in the Dungeon Master's Guide, though. Quite a lot.

Also, question: How can there be a lot of magical weapons when it's literally an age in which even iron weapons haven't been discovered (that's around 1500 BC)? Is there a logical explanation, like "there used to be an ancient arcane civilization that has now crumbled to dust, its relics scattered across the lands"? Because if you can't set up an explanation, it will really be weird.

[Professor Gnoll]

Also, question: How can there be a lot of magical weapons when it's literally an age in which even iron weapons haven't been discovered (that's around 1500 BC)? Is there a logical explanation, like "there used to be an ancient arcane civilization that has now crumbled to dust, its relics scattered across the lands"? Because if you can't set up an explanation, it will really be weird.
Ancient shamanistic ritual stone weapons? Relics left behind by the gods? Meteor showers that fell, leaving chunks of space rock and meteoric iron just right for turning into spears and adzes?

[Shaofoo]

I don't really see a problem if you just want to give the PCs max HP per level up beyond the battles going to their side more due to the increased toughness. You could just give them max HP per level and not worry about rerolling if that is how retraining HP works.

Second WBL does not exist in 5e, there is no "At X level I should have Y GP worth of stuff". There are some suggestions in the DMG but there are no hard rules to follow. You can have a game from 1 to 20 where the only stuff you use is what you started out with at the beginning. There are some extrapolated tables that you can find if you want to but as a general rule, you must dictate how rich or poor your players are.

Also feats are big things, they define characters. If you are starting out I would not give feats as prizes since you will probably mess up in that regard. Tool proficiency is in the game as having to spend 250 GP and spending 250 days to get it so that is much less of a problem.

Also magic items is again your call, if you like to bring out the magic items a good rule of thumb is to make magic items all have activated abilities instead of giving a static bonus, instead of a +1 Sword make it a magic sword that can cast magic weapon on itself a couple of times per day, instead of a +1 shield make it a shield that can cast Shield once per day and so on. As I said before this will basically depend on what you would want, would you like players to go to a store and buy magic items like any other item?

And as for running a D&D ancient style game, I assume that it'll be very hard. I would assume Wizards and Bards are banned, I am unsure if a Paladin or Monk can work since they both deal with organizations and I am not sure if that would work well. Weapons are a huge thing as well, you'd probably have to put a ban on most weapons. It might not be impossible but it will be very hard if you actually want to be accurate; of course you can say screw that and have dinos and cave men pal around together if that is what you want, nothing says that your ancient world has to be in lock step with the real ancient world.

[Naanomi]

Free feats do devalue fighters a little bit, so be aware of that. Of course, lack of metal armor and weapons will likely also devalue most fighters as well so...

[Oxylepy]

Also, question: How can there be a lot of magical weapons when it's literally an age in which even iron weapons haven't been discovered (that's around 1500 BC)? Is there a logical explanation, like "there used to be an ancient arcane civilization that has now crumbled to dust, its relics scattered across the lands"? Because if you can't set up an explanation, it will really be weird.

I'm just looking ahead to the future. I like to line up as many ducks as I can before I set off

[Logosloki]

None of those are a problem as long as you balance out encounters by making the monsters stronger.

You will need to make encounters a lot tougher than the instructions in the Dungeon Master's Guide, though. Quite a lot.

Also, question: How can there be a lot of magical weapons when it's literally an age in which even iron weapons haven't been discovered (that's around 1500 BC)? Is there a logical explanation, like "there used to be an ancient arcane civilization that has now crumbled to dust, its relics scattered across the lands"? Because if you can't set up an explanation, it will really be weird.

Gifts from gods and great masters; Weapons of stone, bronze, copper or gold and precious gems; Instead of actually being enchanted themselves people enchant the weapons through willpower; Talismans and foci placed on a weapon rather than the weapon itself.

Pre-iron civilisations tend to give an age of gods before the age of man, magical items are therefore the very items the gods once used.

[Knaight]

Also, question: How can there be a lot of magical weapons when it's literally an age in which even iron weapons haven't been discovered (that's around 1500 BC)? Is there a logical explanation, like "there used to be an ancient arcane civilization that has now crumbled to dust, its relics scattered across the lands"? Because if you can't set up an explanation, it will really be weird.

There's no particular reason that enchanting weapons should be developed either before or after iron working, so this shouldn't be a problem at all.

[JackPhoenix]

First, the retraining rules from Pathfinder have become staples, especially retraining HP. In Pathfinder this wasn't such a problem, but if those are converted over to 5e, are there any real issues with game balance by allowing PCs max HP?

If the characterss are tougher, they'll be able to fight longer without rest or defeat stronger enemies. You can keep it if you want them to feel like superheroes, or present them with harder fights.


Second, gifting feats and proficiencies as quest rewards will likely come into play in my games, anything to be cautious about here? Any idea of how much of WBL should be taken for the purpose of each feat trained? I assume that could be very game changing and it should cut into wealth quite a bit.

There's no WBL in 5e. Characters with extra feat will be more powerful, potentionaly very powerful if you allow feats like Sharpshooter, GWM, Polearm Master


Third, I tend toward magic item heavy games, and magic items are pretty limited in 5e. How does one adjust for this change in play style, I assume magic items should be treated as relics, any idea on the likely frequency of them when NPCs in villages, towns, cities tend to have class levels ranging from 5 to 20?

Magic items are as common or rare as you want them to be. If the characters are still limited to 3 attuned items, they won't be able to use the most powerful stuff at once. That said, the game is balanced without magic items, if the characters have a lot of them, they'll be more powerful and propably could take on harder encounters more easily.

NPCs by default don't have class levels, they use NPC stat blocks from MM. Classes are for player characters and unique NPCs, not random villagers or town guards.

[Oxylepy]

NPCs by default don't have class levels, they use NPC stat blocks from MM. Classes are for player characters and unique NPCs, not random villagers or town guards.

I've done that before, end result was a slew of dead villages the moment the PCs hit level 5.

[JackPhoenix]

I've done that before, end result was a slew of dead villages the moment the PCs hit level 5.

If every NPC has a player class and medium to high level, what are the PC's for? Almost everyone in the world is better, they aren't needed, they aren't special and, IMO, it breaks the suspension of disbelief. Just because the characters are evil and like to slaughter civilians, nobody is a civilian anymore?

[Oxylepy]

Oh, my PCs tend to be participants in an open world. They really aren't special unless they make themselves special. And no, NPCs aren't always higher levels than the PCs, but there usually are some NPCs of equal or higher level, even into epic levels.

Usually the PCs end up existing for survival in the early world games, which ultimately leads to exploration. Thr first time I did an early world the one PC invented written language, created two amulets of infinite wishes and used them to power a flying fortress which he used to etch runes in the world to trap eldritch horrors.

The second time the PCs started out enslaved by the elves (part of the origin story of dark elves), escaped, met a dragon on an island, explored, invented undeath, became the first lich (clone, and create greater undead), then freed the elves from the elves.

[JNAProductions]

Max HP-Up damage slightly, or just have them go on a bit longer without rests.

Feats As Rewards-Limit them to minor feats, mostly stuff that allows +1 to a stat in addition to it. Tavern Brawler (without the stat boost), for instance, would be a good feat to hand out.

Magic Items-Try making cool magic items that DO NOT include static bonuses.

[DanyBallon]

I've done that before, end result was a slew of dead villages the moment the PCs hit level 5.

Not all NPC are commoners; Veteran are roughfly a 4th-5th level fighter, the priest is a 5th level cleric, the mage is a 9th level wizard, the Assassin is a mid level rogue and the Archmage is a 18th level wizard. Guards, bandit, scout, etc. are all equivalent to 1st and 2nd level characters.

5e NPCs are much more varied than 3.P NPCs and they don't require any class level. You just need to figure out one or two main abilities you want your npc to have, set a to hit, an AC, hit dice, average damage and check what would be the appropriate CR and move on to the next npc, nothing more complicated.

[bid]

I've done that before, end result was a slew of dead villages the moment the PCs hit level 5.
A swarm of level 1 NPC is deadlier in 5e with bounded accuracy.
- 8 Str14 = hit+4
- vs AC16 = 3 hits
- 1d6+2 = 5 damage each
Total 15 damage per round per player.

If one shoves you prone or grapples you, it's even worse.

[Oxylepy]

I discussed this with my players last night.
I told them that I brought up on a forum that I use PC classes for NPCs as a standard, and that people on the forum said to not do that because it makes the PCs less special. I told them that the NPCs have builds in 5e and that the average NPC should use those, instead of PC levels. I told them that PCs are special because they have PC class levels and are thus better than the average NPC.

They asked "Where's the fun in that?"

I told them that they would be special and not like average people as they have been in the past.

The youngest said "Sounds dumb, how can you make a name for yourself that way?"

I told him his PC class levels make him better than average people and thus he can go on dangerous quests to help average people.

He said we already do that, if we survive long enough to get there.

One of the players asked, "So, what, we just raid everyone's shops and slaughter towns because they aren't strong enough to defend themselves?"

I said sure, if you want.

They said "Where's the fun in that? The rogue would be useless, and the martials and casters would be too good"

Oh my PCs, they don't want things to change from how they've developed

[DanyBallon]

I discussed this with my players last night.
I told them that I brought up on a forum that I use PC classes for NPCs as a standard, and that people on the forum said to not do that because it makes the PCs less special. I told them that the NPCs have builds in 5e and that the average NPC should use those, instead of PC levels. I told them that PCs are special because they have PC class levels and are thus better than the average NPC.

They asked "Where's the fun in that?"

I told them that they would be special and not like average people as they have been in the past.

The youngest said "Sounds dumb, how can you make a name for yourself that way?"

I told him his PC class levels make him better than average people and thus he can go on dangerous quests to help average people.

He said we already do that, if we survive long enough to get there.

One of the players asked, "So, what, we just raid everyone's shops and slaughter towns because they aren't strong enough to defend themselves?"

I said sure, if you want.

They said "Where's the fun in that? The rogue would be useless, and the martials and casters would be too good"

Oh my PCs, they don't want things to change from how they've developed

They still have the assumption that NPCs are weakling, but it is not true, commoners are, but a lots of NPCs in the MM are equivalent to 1st to 3rd level characters, and like I posted earlier, some are even equivalent to high level character.

NPCs in the MM are there to save you time. Also they gives you good example on how to create new npc without using PC classes. If they want to go on a killing spree, have a custom NPC guard captain (60+ hp, +7 to hit, 2 weapon attack, avg dmg/attack 7, AC 15 and give him an ability to Knock prone on a strength check once per round) and a few militians (30 hp, AC 14,+5 to hit, 5 avg dmg, have an advantage if an ally threatens the same target) and you got yourself a bunch of NPCs that can teach a lesson to lower level characters. And you didn't have to go through all the process to create detailed NPCs.

I find on the fly monster/npc creation being much more easy to do in 5e than it was in 3.P

[Shaofoo]

So the group is okay with random slaughter of a town just because they can do it? And the only reason they won't do it is to spare the Rogue's feelings?

But regardless I think you are looking at this all wrong. PCs don't have a title hanging over their heads that will make them easily recognizable from any other person with similar traits. A PC Fighter and a NPC Fighter starting out should be indistinguishable from each other even though their abilities are different.

I don't think people said not to use PC classes as NPCs because it makes the PC less special but rather because it takes a lot of work and can unbalance the game. An NPC Wizard can frontload all his good spells in a fight while a PC Wizard has to consider the future, things that a player would give pause because he has various fights throughout the day an NPC won't care because usually they only live or matter for the one event.

Want to make every NPC have class levels then do so, if you are willing to deal with the increased time and book keeping then go ahead, no one is going to stop you and your PCs won't be any less special than they are now.

[Knaight]

I discussed this with my players last night.
I told them that I brought up on a forum that I use PC classes for NPCs as a standard, and that people on the forum said to not do that because it makes the PCs less special. I told them that the NPCs have builds in 5e and that the average NPC should use those, instead of PC levels. I told them that PCs are special because they have PC class levels and are thus better than the average NPC.
So you spun things heavily is what I'm hearing. The whole idea that NPC blocks are weaker and not special is yours, and it's not supported by the rules. Exactly one person, which is not "people on the forum" mentioned being special. The two big reasons to use the NPC blocks are that they minimize preparation time, and that they allow for representation of characters better than mixes of the PC classes do for a lot of characters - particularly as the PC classes are all meant to be representations of adventurers, which is only one of many in setting roles.


I told them that they would be special and not like average people as they have been in the past.

The youngest said "Sounds dumb, how can you make a name for yourself that way?"

I told him his PC class levels make him better than average people and thus he can go on dangerous quests to help average people.
That's not even a coherent argument. Putting aside the limitations on games imposed by making a name for yourself being some sort of necessary element in all games, and putting aside how being mechanically distinct from NPCs means diddly squat in terms of in setting recognition, there's still room to make a name for yourself even if you spun the setting such that they all were destined heroes or the like. Just look at greek myth, where plenty of people who were children of gods and mortals to begin with still had to go out and make a name for themself through their deeds.

[Mr.Moron]

Ancient shamanistic ritual stone weapons? Relics left behind by the gods? Meteor showers that fell, leaving chunks of space rock and meteoric iron just right for turning into spears and adzes?

The hides/teeth/bones of particular rare examples of animals may be magic.
Rare magic trees.
Weapons/Items that become magic after the events that happen to them.
Spirits/Souls inhabiting weapons.

If it's something you could justify people being even vaguely superstitious about IRL, you could justify it being magic in D&D.

[Oxylepy]

I'm going to be honest, I really don't like this community, or at least some people in it. I came in for some advice and while receiving some great bits of information, I was quickly informed that I'm wrong about an aspect of the game which is more personal preference than actual game balance. This escalated from there and completely went off topic, considering that at no point did I inquire about if I should run NPCs as player classes.

So, I'm gunna leave. And just going to end any ties I have to the Order of the Stick.

[JNAProductions]

I'm going to be honest, I really don't like this community, or at least some people in it. I came in for some advice and while receiving some great bits of information, I was quickly informed that I'm wrong about an aspect of the game which is more personal preference than actual game balance. This escalated from there and completely went off topic, considering that at no point did I inquire about if I should run NPCs as player classes.

So, I'm gunna leave. And just going to end any ties I have to the Order of the Stick.

Don't leave the comic! It's a great comic!

As for the community... We can get a little nitpicky at times. (Okay, a lot nitpicky.) If that's not to your taste, then feel free to go, but in my experience there's some very kind people here.

[DanyBallon]

I'm going to be honest, I really don't like this community, or at least some people in it. I came in for some advice and while receiving some great bits of information, I was quickly informed that I'm wrong about an aspect of the game which is more personal preference than actual game balance. This escalated from there and completely went off topic, considering that at no point did I inquire about if I should run NPCs as player classes.

So, I'm gunna leave. And just going to end any ties I have to the Order of the Stick.

While you didn't ask about NPCs advice, seeing that you were new to 5e, we tried to show you that there's no need to build NPCs with PC classes to be challenging as those presented in the MM covers a wide range of CR and are good example on how create a challenging NPC on the fly without doing all the bookeeping we used to do in 3.P.

It didn't help that you replied to us that your players feels that using NPCs stats as being stupid when it seems you still don't grasp the extent of what they are in this edition.

No one forced you to use the MM NPCs, we suggest that you use them in order to save precious time for playing instead of doing bookeeping. But if you enjoy creating NPCs with character classes, then go ahead and have fun, that's the main objective of the game after all. :smallsmile:

[RickAllison]

I'm going to be honest, I really don't like this community, or at least some people in it. I came in for some advice and while receiving some great bits of information, I was quickly informed that I'm wrong about an aspect of the game which is more personal preference than actual game balance. This escalated from there and completely went off topic, considering that at no point did I inquire about if I should run NPCs as player classes.

So, I'm gunna leave. And just going to end any ties I have to the Order of the Stick.

Don't leave because a few people are -insert inappropriate insults here-. You will get that in every community.

I like having varied levels of NPCs who may or may not have class levels. In a one-shot I recently did, the town the party was brought to was filled with people who eclipse early PCs (the party was level 20, so they were still the hot-shots).

My advice is to balance the two. For ordinary townsfolk, I would just toss in pre-constructed builds with maybe a few differences (proficiency with certain skills, etc.) and call it good. Average Villageburg might be lucky to have anyone who isn't just a commoner or guard. You start heading to larger villages, and you might find the odd alchemist who is an UA Artificer 3, or the Captain of the Guard who has a Rogue 2 added on to the Veteran template. If you go to the great cities of the world, you might find the King's Guards are simply Knights with different PC levels depending on rank and job (they are the best of the realm!), and many nobles will have tricks up their sleeves to compensate.

Of course, my worlds tend to be more rugged and lethal. While the PCs will likely end up as the most powerful in the realm, they certainly won't start that way. In my eyes, PCs are not extraordinary because they can gain levels, but because they can gain 20 levels, or even 15.

[djreynolds]

Agreed, max HP is fine.

A barbarian can get 7 hp, while a wizard gets 4. its not even an equal equation a barbarian is getting less than 60% of his HP, and a wizard is getting is getting 66/67%

I cannot agree with feats... but I could see maybe awarding something along the lines of a group feat... everyone gets dungeon delver, etc..

I was giving out backgrounds to players with caveats, such as, survive the forest and you get the outlander background but only in forests, seeing as you survived and paid attention to what the guide was doing

But handing out say sentinel cramps the fighter's style.

I do, however, like the BC stuff. No civilized classes, just druids, sorcerers, barbarians, and ranger available.

[Knaight]

I do, however, like the BC stuff. No civilized classes, just druids, sorcerers, barbarians, and ranger available.

Some of the others work surprisingly well. Fighter holds up just fine for instance, as does rogue. Monks work perfectly. There's a bit of refluffing involved in places, and some class features don't translate well (some weapon, armor, and tool proficiency are the big one here), but core concepts hold. You have your straightforward and talented warrior, your sneaky warrior, and a shaman like mystic who is predisposed to fighting with more primitive weapons anyways. The Way of The Four Elements monk even has existing flavor text about symbolic animal tattoos, which fit perfectly if you just go with woad or similar.

[RickAllison]

Some of the others work surprisingly well. Fighter holds up just fine for instance, as does rogue. Monks work perfectly. There's a bit of refluffing involved in places, and some class features don't translate well (some weapon, armor, and tool proficiency are the big one here), but core concepts hold. You have your straightforward and talented warrior, your sneaky warrior, and a shaman like mystic who is predisposed to fighting with more primitive weapons anyways. The Way of The Four Elements monk even has existing flavor text about symbolic animal tattoos, which fit perfectly if you just go with woad or similar.

Even Warlock can work if you take out Tome! He becomes the more sinister shaman archetype who communes with strange entities to gain power.

Clerics are probably out since the PHB calls out that the Druids tended to be the predecessors of the same. Wizards are out for obvious reasons. Bards would be difficult; I think they could be done, but much of the fluff of the abilities doesn't mesh well. Paladins don't make much sense as they tend to follow with orders and their niche as divine-powered martials works with the Ranger.

[Shaofoo]

Any class can work in an ancient setting, even Wizards can work if you refluff the magic into learning from something that isn't a book. Or heck you can go 2001: A Space Odyssey and have your character be the first ever Wizard after touching a mysterious monolith. Of course I wouldn't make the Wizard in an ancient setting be well liked at first, due to the mysterious powers at best he'll be silently ignored and at worst there'll be a lynch mob because they fear his powers.

Of course this could devolve into Sue territory so probably more accepted classes should be done (and not have a pet DMPC be the first special Wizard ever).

[Naanomi]

Dex fighters are ok, but being limited leather and hide cuts down a lot of strength based options

Edit: also hard to keep up with cantrip damage with a spear, club, great club, dagger, and maybe blowgun and shortbow

[Knaight]

Any class can work in an ancient setting, even Wizards can work if you refluff the magic into learning from something that isn't a book. Or heck you can go 2001: A Space Odyssey and have your character be the first ever Wizard after touching a mysterious monolith. Of course I wouldn't make the Wizard in an ancient setting be well liked at first, due to the mysterious powers at best he'll be silently ignored and at worst there'll be a lynch mob because they fear his powers.

Of course this could devolve into Sue territory so probably more accepted classes should be done (and not have a pet DMPC be the first special Wizard ever).

Clay or stone tablets are always an old standard, as are tattoos.

What I haven't seen to nearly the same extent is the idea of storing spells as images instead of words. The closest you get are runes, and even then they're basically hieroglyphs of some sort. Going all the way to images could be a lot of fun, particularly for more sedentary mages. Cave paintings, pottery decorations, weavings, all sorts of things could work just fine.


Dex fighters are ok, but being limited leather and hide cuts down a lot of strength based options

Edit: also hard to keep up with cantrip damage with a spear, club, great club, dagger, and maybe blowgun and shortbow
Shields are likely out, but pikes and lances should still be fine. The lance will be an infantry weapon at this point, but it's already a better representation of a long pike than the pike is, and both of them are just longer spears, which is totally fine. As for ranged weapons, some of the thrown weapons are definitely in (javelins), and there's also the sling. Adding at atlatl is also pretty close to necessary.

[Mr.Moron]

I'm going to be honest, I really don't like this community, or at least some people in it. I came in for some advice and while receiving some great bits of information, I was quickly informed that I'm wrong about an aspect of the game which is more personal preference than actual game balance. This escalated from there and completely went off topic, considering that at no point did I inquire about if I should run NPCs as player classes.

So, I'm gunna leave. And just going to end any ties I have to the Order of the Stick.

This community definitely does have a defined "Correct" play style or set of assumptions about the game:


RAW is LAW!
Homebrew is bad
CharOP++
Minimize random elements
A GM that goes against any of the above is acting in bad faith until proven otherwise.



Which isn't to say every one of these holds for every poster, but taken as a whole these are the prevailing accepted conventions. It's not so bad once you realize this and learn to filter a bit and take things in that context.

[JackPhoenix]

Some of the others work surprisingly well. Fighter holds up just fine for instance, as does rogue. Monks work perfectly. There's a bit of refluffing involved in places, and some class features don't translate well (some weapon, armor, and tool proficiency are the big one here), but core concepts hold. You have your straightforward and talented warrior, your sneaky warrior, and a shaman like mystic who is predisposed to fighting with more primitive weapons anyways. The Way of The Four Elements monk even has existing flavor text about symbolic animal tattoos, which fit perfectly if you just go with woad or similar.

In my bronze age/iron age setting, I've gave the option to change heavy armor proficiency for barbarian's Unarmored Defense and cleric/druid armor and shield proficiencies for monk's version, as heavy armors are very rare (and plate and half-plate doesn't exist at all). Also some weapons don't exist... rapier, greatsword (doesn't work with bronze), all crossbows, halberds. Forbid some spells that doesn't fit the feel of the world

Then I discovered Primeval Thule and felt my work wasted.

[Naanomi]

How are you handling racial weapon proficiency for weapons that don't exist? Mountain Dwarf's armor proficiency is also of a much more limited use (hide armor... hurrah?)

I would be tempted to play a Hill-Dwarf Barbarian; get the Toughness feat, maximize Constitution... Axe and Shield if the latter is available... rock the 420 HP and nearly unparalleled AC in the setting

[Shaofoo]

Clay or stone tablets are always an old standard, as are tattoos.

What I haven't seen to nearly the same extent is the idea of storing spells as images instead of words. The closest you get are runes, and even then they're basically hieroglyphs of some sort. Going all the way to images could be a lot of fun, particularly for more sedentary mages. Cave paintings, pottery decorations, weavings, all sorts of things could work just fine.


So basically, don't dump Str as a Wizard if you must lug around your Spell tablets around.

Of course since you only need a spellbook to switch spells around and learn them, it would be interesting to have your own entire cave as a spellbook, of course you will need to return back home to learn new spells and change spells around but it would be very thematic.