Libram Magica

[MedievalMan]

To be honest it one section of the rules I really have not read, seeing as it hasn't come up in any of my games so far.

[Metroknight]

I just handed out the first spell to be used out of your spell appendix. A spell caster just found a scroll that has the spell "Analyze Magic". He has not had time to study it yet but he will.

[SmootRK]

I just handed out the first spell to be used out of your spell appendix. A spell caster just found a scroll that has the spell "Analyze Magic". He has not had time to study it yet but he will.

That one is Solomoriah's own creation. I like how it works.

[Joe the Rat]

A quick thought on research. Base rules do not allow you to transcribe from scrolls to spellbooks.

If this isn't house-ruled out (and not necessarily everyone will), then having a modifier to research (cost, time, and/or success) for having a sample of the magic that could be reverse-engineered would be appropriate.

[SmootRK]

A quick thought on research. Base rules do not allow you to transcribe from scrolls to spellbooks.

If this isn't house-ruled out (and not necessarily everyone will), then having a modifier to research (cost, time, and/or success) for having a sample of the magic that could be reverse-engineered would be appropriate.

I have always allowed for transcribing from scrolls (paying the standard fees), but I suppose you are right... that does not actually appear in the core rules and is therefore a house rule.

Perhaps I can add a small section on learning spells from scrolls (or similar sources).

[Metroknight]

I guess my way is a house rule also. I usually require the character to memorize the spell then expend the spell when writing it into their book. The better the material used and if they take longer time, the better the chance to inscribe it. I do this for when they are learning a new spell from another spell caster. They have to memorize it then inscribe it into their book.

[Solomoriah]

I don't allow transcribing from scrolls. My reasoning is this: The spell book contains instructions (the caster's own notes) describing how the spell works. A scroll contains an instance of the spell, fully powered and ready to go, with only the need to read the words. The whole explanatory bit is not there... the scroll doesn't tell you how it works, it just gives you the words you need to activate it.

However, having said that, I suppose it might be possible to reverse engineer a spell from a scroll. I'd make it harder and more expensive than learning one from another caster or from a spellbook.

[SmootRK]

I don't allow transcribing from scrolls. My reasoning is this: The spell book contains instructions (the caster's own notes) describing how the spell works. A scroll contains an instance of the spell, fully powered and ready to go, with only the need to read the words. The whole explanatory bit is not there... the scroll doesn't tell you how it works, it just gives you the words you need to activate it.

However, having said that, I suppose it might be possible to reverse engineer a spell from a scroll. I'd make it harder and more expensive than learning one from another caster or from a spellbook.

I can work with this.

from the core rules:

Magic-Users may learn spells by being taught directly by another Magic-User, or by studying another Magic-User's spellbook. If being taught, a spell can be learned in a single day; researching another Magic-User's spellbook takes one day per spell level. Either way, the spell learned must be transcribed into the Magic-User's own spellbook, at a cost of 500 gp per spell level transcribed. A beginning Magic-User starts with a spellbook containing read magic and at least one other first-level spell, as determined by the GM, at no cost.

So directly transcribing from a scroll (not having the full documentation of the spell) would be both longer and more costly, and have a risk of failure. I would edit the text to:

Magic-Users may learn spells by being taught directly by another Magic-User, by studying another Magic-User's spellbook, or even by transcribing directly from a spell scroll. If being taught, a spell can be learned in a single day, while referencing another Magic-User's spellbook takes one day per spell level. To learn from a spell scroll, the Magic-User must fully decode the spell, taking 1 week per level of the spell and costing 500 gp per spell level to research. The chance of successfully decoding a scroll is 50% + 5% per level of the Magic-User, minus 10% per level of the spell (however maximum of 95% chance of success); any failure ruins the scroll and it is lost. In each case, including scroll research, the spell learned must be transcribed into the Magic-User's own spellbook, at a cost of 500 gp per spell level transcribed. A beginning Magic-User starts with a spellbook containing read magic and at least one other first-level spell, as determined by the GM, at no cost.

So, basically learning from a scroll costs double, takes weeks instead of days. And there is risk of incorrect decoding (and loss of the scroll).

[Joe the Rat]

Costs and time between from-scratch research and being taught, and it depletes the scroll - I think that's a good point.

[MedievalMan]

This is a related question so I will ask it here. How would you guys randomly generate a spell-book?