Spells written down are how many pages?

[Stripe]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0306.html

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Isn't that hard though Bruno? Keeping track of what spells are in what book? Wouldn't that just get annoying?

I'm not sure what's hard - and it's certainly easier than keeping track of how many arrows you have left, how much energy is left in your power item, and if your Energy Reserve has recharged yet. Let alone "who has those healing potions we stole from the crazy alchemist? Tell me it wasn't Bob, who just fell in the Sarlac pit."

The spells don't move around, get used up, grow and shrink with time, etc. You just write down the spell in a list, and keep a running total of pages used. It's like keeping track of how many points you've spent on skills - it's just arithmetic.

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Wouldn't that just get annoying?

... compared to keeping your points sorted out?

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Bruno

... compared to keeping your points sorted out?

I think he refuring to the old DnD encumbrance issue have which traveling books to take with you into the dungeon and which to leave at base came and which to leave in your tower. Aka what spells you have to convince you part to back track for.

Not an issue under standard GURPS rules but might be with some Modular Abilities builds

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Bruno

The spells don't move around, get used up, grow and shrink with time, etc. You just write down the spell in a list, and keep a running total of pages used. It's like keeping track of how many points you've spent on skills - it's just arithmetic.

Still that just seems, I don't know like extra work, maybe its just my visualization of it is all. I'm over thinking it I guess, I do that a lot. Meh, off to bed for me I've stayed up way to long.

Ghostdancer

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

I think he refuring to the old DnD encumbrance issue have which traveling books to take with you into the dungeon and which to leave at base came and which to leave in your tower. Aka what spells you have to convince you part to back track for.

Not an issue under standard GURPS rules but might be with some Modular Abilities builds

Yeah I think I've got some sort of TSR leaver-on in the old noggin.

Ghostdancer

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

I think he refuring to the old DnD encumbrance issue have which traveling books to take with you into the dungeon and which to leave at base came and which to leave in your tower. Aka what spells you have to convince you part to back track for.

Not an issue under standard GURPS rules but might be with some Modular Abilities builds

Ah, I was thinking more like "And the PCs find the wizards spellbook, and a sheaf of loose notes from his spell research! Which contain... I have no idea." Sort of stuff.

Spellbooks are loot (for learning new spells! or for selling to other wizards), and an interesting bit of colour, not really... *waves hands around* equipment in my brain anyways. I suppose they are equipment for Scholars, but that frankly makes it more important IMO to keep track of what's in them, like with a regular spell list.

Besides, once you steal a locked chest and get the theif to make a new key for it, you can keep them at the Inn while you're adventuring ;)

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Ah, I was thinking more like "And the PCs find the wizards spellbook, and a sheaf of loose notes from his spell research! Which contain... I have no idea." Sort of stuff.

Spellbooks are loot (for learning new spells! or for selling to other wizards), and an interesting bit of colour, not really... *waves hands around* equipment in my brain anyways. I suppose they are equipment for Scholars, but that frankly makes it more important IMO to keep track of what's in them, like with a regular spell list.

Besides, once you steal a locked chest and get the theif to make a new key for it, you can keep them at the Inn while you're adventuring ;)

Well if you have Ally (Nodwick) how big those book are is a non issue ;)

This big confusion in this thread in D&D a spell book fill both those roles. if to took down a Wizard you could limit it to his "Working book" and had find his Lab/Library to get all his spells 8)

[The Benj]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Thanks TBC, I've got that out and about and playing with some numbers.

I guess I'm leaning towards about 2,500 words per spell; of course this isn't just text, its also diagram's of proper 'gestures', the best 'magically' charged ingredients to use, the typical methods of enchantment, and so on. So that equates to about (using Bruno's method of around 250/page) ~10 pages/spell (doubled for VH). Seems reasonable enough to me, any other suggestions comments from folks?

Don't forget that this figure assumes typed pages. Handwritten pages are MUCH less information dense.

[The Benj]

Originally Posted by Stripe

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0306.html

An amusing rant (and it IS a rant, just in comic form), but easily dismissed. The rest of the pages are clearly taken up by diagrams, information on what to think while you cast it, the rituals required to ready yourself to cast the spell that day and, most importantly, amusing anecdotes that are essential to understanding the function of the spell. :)

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by The Benj

Don't forget that this figure assumes typed pages. Handwritten pages are MUCH less information dense.

Depends on who's writing them. On average, yes, but I've known some people who could write both minutely AND neatly enough to match a good typewriter or word processor.