Maybe slightly off topic, for this thread, but I've been giving some though to pools of potential recruits if Pathfinder settings.

Spoiler: Pathfinder Caster Demographics
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Suppose 15+ in a mental ability score is considered the threshold for being deemed a good candidate for training as a spellcaster. This is the minimum needed to access spells on time without magical ability score boosts or aging.



Basic Array
Presumably, most NPCs have the Basic Array of ability scores (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8).

Human/Half-Elf/Half-Orc (+2 any score races)
50% chance highest pre-mod score (13) falls in mental ability
1 in 6 chance human +2 falls on highest pre-mod score (13, boosted to 15)
1 in 12 chance of having a post-mod 15 in a mental score
~8.33% of basic array Humans are good candidates for spellcaster training
equally split between Int/Wis/Cha-class candidates
Int-casters: ~2.78%
Wis-casters: ~2.78%
Cha-casters: ~2.78%

Elf (+2 Int race)
1 in 6 chance pre-mod 13 falls on Int and gets boosted to 15
~16.67% of basic array Elves are good candidates for spellcaster training
none of them are good candidates for Wis/Cha classes
Int-casters: ~16.67%
Wis-casters: 0%
Cha-casters: 0%

Dwarf (+2 Wis race)
1 in 6 chance pre-mod 13 falls on Wis and gets boosted to 15
~16.67% of basic array Dwarves are good candidates for spellcaster training
none of them are good candidates for Int/Cha classes
Int-casters: 0%
Wis-casters: ~16.67%
Cha-casters: 0%

Gnome/Goblin/Halfling (+2 Cha races)
1 in 6 chance pre-mod 13 falls on Cha and gets boosted to 15
~16.67% of basic array Gnomes/Goblins/Halflings are good candidates for spellcaster training
none of them are good candidates for Int/Wis classes
Int-casters: 0%
Wis-casters: 0%
Cha-casters: ~16.67%



Heroic Array
Some NPCs, it’s unclear how many, have the Heroic Array of ability scores (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8).

Human/Half-Elf/Half-Orc (+2 any score races)
50% chance highest pre-mod score (15) falls in mental ability (don’t need racial +2)
if 15 lands in physical ability, 3 in 5 chance 14 lands in mental ability (at least 1 chance for +2 to line up)
if 15 lands in physical and 14 in mental, 2 in 4 chance 13 lands in mental (2 chances for +2 to line up) and 2 in 4 chance it lands in physical (1 chance for +2 to line up)
if both 15 and 14 land in physical ability, 3 in 4 chance 13 lands in mental (1 chance for +2 to line up)
1/2 + 1/2 * (3/5 * (2/4 * 2/6 + 2/4 * 1/6) + 2/5 * 3/4 * 1/6) = 60% of heroic array Humans/Half-Elves/Half-Orcs are good candidates for spellcaster training
in retrospect, there were easier ways of calculating that
Int-casters: ~22.22%
Wis-casters: ~22.22%
Cha-casters: ~22.22%
note that some individuals are good candidates for two different types of caster training

Elf (+2 Int)
similar to Human/Half-Elf/Half-Orc, but 13 or 14 in mental score has 1 in 3 chance of lining up with +2 Int, not 1 in 6 chance of lining up with +2 any
that is, there is no chance racial +2 was wasted on physical score
1/2 + 1/2 * (3/5 * (2/4 * 2/3 + 2/4 *1/3) + 2/5 * 3/4 * 1/3) = 70% of heroic array Elves are good candidates for spellcaster training
alternately, there’s a 50% chance that either 15, 14, or 13 lands on Int and in the 50% of cases where none of them do, there’s a 40% chance that the 15 will land on Wis or Cha
by either method, 70%
Int-casters: 50%
Wis-casters: ~16.67%
Cha-casters: ~16.67%

Dwarf (+2 Wis race)
70% good candidates
Int-casters: ~16.67%
Wis-casters: 50%
Cha-casters: ~16.67%

Gnome/Goblin/Halfling (+2 Cha races)
70% good candidates
Int-casters: ~16.67%
Wis-casters: ~16.67%
Cha-casters: 50%

Hobgoblin/Kobold (races with no mental bonuses or penalties)
50% good candidates
Int-casters: ~16.67%
Wis-casters: ~16.67%
Cha-casters: ~16.67%

Ogre (-2 Int, -2 Cha race)
Wis-casters: ~16.67%
Other: 0%

Orc
Scarred Witch Doctor: ~16.67%
Other: 0%




Back on 3.5, if the total amount of money the kingdom is spending on it's numerous military Wizards is a major burden, or if whatever it is that these "special inks" are made from is in short supply, there are some options for making cheaper spellbooks.

At ECL 8, a Geometer can add any spell to a spellbook for only 100 gp, regardless of level. And the Arcane Shorthand feat from Dragon 358 can cut that down to 50 gp. If you have some Geometers churning out spellbooks for all your other Wizards, you can save a lot of money outfitting your higher-level squads. The savings aren't anywhere near as large for the lower-level Wizards, but you can use some of the budget you free up from the high-level squads to help out with them.

Though it's always seemed strange to me that you can't cut pages out of a Blessed Book and rebind them into a smaller book. Or just craft a smaller version to start with. If you're self-crafting, it's 6,250 gp for a 1,000-page book. That's 6.25 gp per page. And with the above combo making each spell take up only half a page, regardless of level, that's 3.125 gp per spell.

So, when done efficiently, all the spells known by a 1st-level Gray Elf Collegiate Elven Generalist Wizard can be written for 237.5 gp. That's less than a suit of banded mail, and not much more than a breastplate or suit of splint mail.