Spell Purchasing for Wizards Created Above 1st Level

[howandwhy99]

I'm making up a wizard at 13th level and I only have so much to spend. Following the guidelines in both the PHB and DMG it's difficult for me to determine exactly what spells cost that are not gained through normal level advancement. Below are my findings.

A wizard begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level wizard spells (except those from her prohibited school or schools, if any; see School Specialization, below) plus three 1st-level spells of your choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus the wizard has, the spellbook holds one additional 1st-level spell of your choice. At each new wizard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new wizard level) for her spellbook. At any time, a wizard can also add spells found in other wizards’ spellbooks to her own.

So, a 13th level Wizard would have the following spells in her spellbook for no cost:
All 0-level spells,
5+ 1st
4 2nd
4 3rd
4 4th
4 5th
4 6th
2 7th

Spells Copied from Another’s Spellbook or a Scroll

A wizard can also add a spell to her book whenever she encounters one on a magic scroll or in another wizard’s spellbook. No matter what the spell’s source, the wizard must first decipher the magical writing (see Arcane Magical Writings, above). Next, she must spend a day studying the spell. At the end of the day, she must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell’s level). A wizard who has specialized in a school of spells gains a +2 bonus on the Spellcraft check if the new spell is from her specialty school. She cannot, however, learn any spells from her prohibited schools. If the check succeeds, the wizard understands the spell and can copy it into her spellbook (see Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook, below). The process leaves a spellbook that was copied from unharmed, but a spell successfully copied from a magic scroll disappears from the parchment.

If the check fails, the wizard cannot understand or copy the spell. She cannot attempt to learn or copy that spell again until she gains another rank in Spellcraft. A spell that was being copied from a scroll does not vanish from the scroll.

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.

So, other than spells gained at a new level, there are three ways Wizards can add spells. Copying from another wizard's spellbook, another wizard's scrolls, and independent research.

The DMG also includes a fourth way in the "Learning New Spells" section not included the SRD. Perhaps its only a variant rule, but an option is given for DMs who require game time to be spent on spell research to gain new spells. The cost is 2x the price for an NPC to cast the spell.

[b]Purchasing access to a spell by level*[/b]
Level	Borrowed**	Scroll		Research(NPC)	Independent***
0	0?		12.5		10		1000
1	50		25		20		1000
2	100		150		120		2000
3	150		375		300		3000
4	200		700		560		4000
5	250		1125		900		5000
6	300		1650		1320		6000
7	350		2275		1820		7000
8	400		3000		2400		8000
9	450		3825		3060		9000
*Notice: these do not include expensive focus, material component, or XP costs.  Spells that require these are higher than the base cost listed here.
**Borrowed spellbook costs may be more according to the DM's call.  See "usually equal to" in the quote above.
***It should be noted these costs are repeated if the Spellcraft check is failed.

[b]Book inscription costs in gold piece value[/b]
Level	Cost
0	100
1	100
2	200
3	300
4	400
5	500
6	600
7	700
8	800
9	900

[b]Combined purchasing and book inscription costs by level*[/b]
Level	Borrowed	Scroll		Research(NPC)	Independent
0	100		112.5		110		1100
1	150		125		120		1100
2	300		350		320		2200
3	450		675		600		3300
4	600		1100		960		4400
5	750		1625		1400		5500
6	900		2250		1920		6600
7	1050		2975		2520		7700
8	1200		3800		3200		8800
9	1350		4725		3960		9900
*Notice: these do not include expensive focus, material component, or XP costs.  Spells that require these are higher than the base cost listed here.

Spellcraft checks are required to learn spells. The checks are made against DC = 15 + spell level. (Specialists receive a +2 to their roll for spells within their school)

Failure to learn the spells means the PC can try again after ranks in Spellcraft have increased. Presuming a wizard always increases her Spellcraft rank each level, I've come up a means to determine the number of attempts the wizard gets for each spell based on level.

Caster Level - [+-]((spell level x 2) - 2) = The number of spellcraft attempts to learn

Remember, each check needs to be made based on the Spellcraft Skill Modifier for the appropriate level.
(i.e., the wizard's first attempt to learn a 1st level spell is based on the Spellcraft modifer she has at 1st level. - probably 4 plus her Intelligence modifier. Her next attempt would be at the 2nd level skill modifier, etc. Until the skill check was successful.)

Simplified Guidelines
1. Choose (with your DM) one of the four methods for each spell the wizard wishes to learn. These may differ depending upon the DM's judgement of the availability of the spell.
2. Roll a Spellcraft check for each spell desired, starting at the first caster level the spell is available to the wizard.
(2a. For each failed attempt at Independent spell research, charge the listed cost)
3. When each Spellcraft check succeeds, pay the appropriate purchase and inscription costs.


How does this look? Does anyone see any errors? Any misjudgements on my part?

 

[Thanee]

We do that a lot more simple...

150gp per spell level (50gp/lvl to aquire a copy + 100gp/lvl to scribe it).

1st level spells only cost 125gp, since it's cheaper to aquire a scroll.
Boccob's blessed book removes the 100gp/lvl scribing cost.

No rolls required.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Zaister]

Any self-respecting wizard should always be able to take 10 on the spellcraft check to learn a new spell.

 

[Li Shenron]

A reason why in high-level games I always roll up a sorcerer

 

[irdeggman]

And just another reason why I dislike starting out as high level characters.

 

[Patlin]

150 per level makes some sense, but in actualy play it seems I get about half my spells from spellbooks aquired from enemy wizards we have defeated.

Perhaps 125 per level would account for this? I'd suggest this as a house rule.

 

[Shin Okada]

We do that a lot more simple...

150gp per spell level (50gp/lvl to aquire a copy + 100gp/lvl to scribe it).

1st level spells only cost 125gp, since it's cheaper to aquire a scroll.
Boccob's blessed book removes the 100gp/lvl scribing cost.

No rolls required.

Bye
Thanee

Our play group do the same. Higher level wizards usually take 10 and just automatically make success in required spellcraft checks.

 

[Patlin]

Oh, and also have a look at a Blessed Book (in Eberron, Aureon's Spellshard) to save your wizard a bucket of money. I usually take Craft Wonderous Item and build one myself.

 

[dcollins]

In my campaign I allow extra spells for high-level wizards for the cost of a scroll plus scribing fees.

 

[ExMachina]

We do that a lot more simple...

150gp per spell level (50gp/lvl to aquire a copy + 100gp/lvl to scribe it).

1st level spells only cost 125gp, since it's cheaper to aquire a scroll.
Boccob's blessed book removes the 100gp/lvl scribing cost.

No rolls required.

Bye
Thanee

According to the description of Boccob's Book, it only eliminates 25gp per page? Not the 100gp/level...

Or has this been errata'd somewhere?