Wizards acquired arcane knowledge

[TG Cid]

Hello again

Whats with the spellbook?
-Is Spell acquisition dependent on in game opportunity?
-Does the DM hold the power to limit your spells more so than other classes.
-Do you have to spend money to get spells beyond your starting spells? of only the wizard's spell list?
-Can you write spells into your spellbook from any class if it is from a scroll or such?

I guess what I'm asking is how does someone play a wizard's progression?

Thanks for the help.

[Millstone85]

Your are entitled to add two spells to your spellbook every time you level up. This doesn't cost anything.

You can also add spells to your spellbook when you find someone else's spellbook or a spell scroll. This requires time and costly material components.

In any case, you are limited to the wizard spell list.

[Unoriginal]

Your are entitled to add two spells to your spellbook every time you level up. This doesn't cost anything.

You can also add spells to your spellbook when you find someone else's spellbook or a spell scroll. This requires time and costly material components.

In any case, you are limited to the wizard spell list.

This. Hard to add anything more.

[holywhippet]

The wizard can get around the limit of spells prepared a bit with their version of the ritual caster ability. Other classes (cleric, druid) need to have a spell prepared to cast it as a ritual and other classes (bard, sorcerer) have to know the spell (effectively they always have it prepared). A wizard can cast a ritual spell as long as it is in their book regardless of whether they have it prepared or not.

[DeadMech]

Whats with the spellbook?
-It's the place you write your spells as a wizard. You can not prepare wizard spells unless they are written in your book and you have access to it. 50gp unless you started with one as a wizard. Contains 100 blank pages. You start with 6 level 1 wizard spells in it of your choosing. Every spell takes 1 page per spell level. You write 2 new spells in it each time you gain a new wizard level. If you find spell scrolls containing spells on the wizard spell list or another wizard's spell book then you may spend 50gp and 2 hours per spell level of the spell you find to copy it into your spellbook. Your DM might make you buy the ink in advance of this process, others might handwave it. Depending on your wizard subclass some spells might be cheaper to learn. You may also copy spells already in your spellbook or ones you already have prepared at a reduced cost of 10gp and 1 hour per spell level. You may not prepare spells out of someone else's spellbook even if you are in possession of it. You have to write them into your own spellbook first. Because wizards have terrible handwriting and use their own shorthand. You might have to make some sort of check to see if you can understand spells you find but I can't find those rules written down right now. Since you don't prepare cantrips I don't believe you can find and copy down new ones and will be limited to how many your class knows by level. As you progress you may need to buy extra spell books to contain all your learned spells. Having backup spellbooks in case you are separated from or have your original spellbooks destroyed can be a bit expensive but a good idea. Though if your DM routinely takes away your spell books for extended periods of time you might want to find a different DM.

Is Spell acquisition dependent on in game opportunity?
-Your two free spells per level up are not. Unless a DM outright bans certain spells from their game, in which case pick a different spell. But anything beyond that certainly is dependent on what you find.

Does the DM hold the power to limit your spells more so than other classes.
-Yes, I believe so. Sorcerers learn less spells than wizards but that has nothing to do with the DM. I'd have to re-read every class to be certain and I'm not up to it right now. Most DM's will let you find new spells in some fashion at some point. Spell scrolls are on the default treasure drop tables, though they leave what spells are on them up to the DM. A DM might decide never to give you opportunity to gain new spells beyond your level up spells. I would disagree with this style of DM'ing as more spells learned is only really more power for a wizard under ideal factors. You still can only prepare a certain number of spells and you can only really tailor your prepared spell list to counter what you are facing if you know what you are facing ahead of time. Players preparing for encounters instead of just jumping headlong into them should probably be rewarded anyway.

Do you have to spend money to get spells beyond your starting spells? of only the wizard's spell list?
-Anything beyond your starting and 2 level up spells has to be paid for and yes everything has to be from the wizard spell list.

Can you write spells into your spellbook from any class if it is from a scroll or such?
-Nope. Just wizard spell list spells.

I guess what I'm asking is how does someone play a wizard's progression?
-Generally... each level pick two spells out of your highest spell level that you know you will want. Treantmonk wrote a wizard guide you can find with some basic google-fu. Advice on spell picks and more is in there. Generally I try to have a mix of spells each spell level. Some offensive, some defensive, some utilty. Some requiring concentration, some without. You may get more mileage out of upcasting a lower level spell than trying to learn higher level spells that deal the same damage type or target the same saves or that do similar things as spells you already know. Try to max out your Intelligence quickly if you depend on enemies failing saves since few things suck as much as casting just the right spell on just the right enemy at just the right time... and watching it shrug it off. Resilient Constitution is a good feat if you have concentration spells who's effects you want to continue enjoying. Or warcaster. Not both though.

If you want roleplaying advice that will have to come another time from me. It's late. Assume though that your wizard is always experimenting and learning new things. If you know what spells you are going to take next level, feel free to make reference to your character working on them during downtime or remarking on things useful to their study while adventuring. Think about things like what your wizard's short hand might look like. It's wonderful to share knowledge and make the world a bit less of an ignorant place but on the other hand the things written in your book are legitimately dangerous. Not just if someone with bad intentions gets a hold of it but if someone inexperienced were to attempt to perform things beyond their abilities. No one will hold it against you if you are a little paranoid. Your spellbook is worth more money than most people you encounter will ever hold. You are generally the least resistant person in any combat. Worst of all, you probably know more than any of your friends about the dangers that lurk in this world or any others. How could anyone sleep restfully at night knowing sometime between now and eternity the demons of the abyss may find their way into our world, destroy and defile anything in their path, and ultimately rip and drag the land and it's people back with them into the abyss? Or knowing that it might be a line in a thesis you wrote just the day earlier that either causes or prevents it.

[Millstone85]

Every spell takes 1 page per spell level.Nope. 5e has no rule regarding how many pages a spell takes.

[Unoriginal]

Nope. 5e has no rule regarding how many pages a spell takes.

Indeed. You can write all the spells you gain and find in the one spellbook.

Then again a backup spellbook is generally a worthwhile investment.

[DeadMech]

Nope. 5e has no rule regarding how many pages a spell takes.

I don't like being wrong... but I appear to be so. That has to be an editing mistake right? Why bother mentioning a spellbook contains 100 pages if that limit doesn't mean anything? Although that might explain why Boccob’s Blessed Book never made a return.

[Vingelot]

Whats with the spellbook?
A DM might decide never to give you opportunity to gain new spells beyond your level up spells. I would disagree with this style of DM'ing as more spells learned is only really more power for a wizard under ideal factors. You still can only prepare a certain number of spells and you can only really tailor your prepared spell list to counter what you are facing if you know what you are facing ahead of time.

Yes, and besides, that's kind of the shtick of the Wizard class: All other classes just know the spell the have access to; the wizard (a.k.a. the researcher) "hoards" spells, but has to choose which ones to prepare. Of all the casters, this makes him the most versatile, but the downside is that he needs to prepare more carefully.

[darknite]

If the subtext of the OP's post is, "Can the DM interfere with my wizard getting more and/or better spells?", the answer is yes.

The Wizard will get two spells per advanced level to add to their spellbook for free but everything else depends them getting spells from events in the world, which is controlled by the DM. If you have a DM who capriciously nerfs Wizards by putting unreasonable and arduous requirements on expanding their spellbooks (they're out there), it can be a pain.

[Millstone85]

That has to be an editing mistake right? Why bother mentioning a spellbook contains 100 pages if that limit doesn't mean anything?That's very possible, but then it is an error they appear to have no intention to fix.