Spell Books

[tomc]

Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip

So really, any starting Wizard should be able to start the game with a chest and book of spells.

This is cool. I like the idea of a wizard having a plan for their education and advancement, and the one you lay out above is excellent for an organized, disciplined mind. Which one expects most wizards to have.

The other side of the coin is that a brash and impatient youth may not want to spend a year or so working, when they can start their adventuring career now, and have the money (and a good backstory) in a few weeks. Or not, in which case they'll be dead and beyond worrying about it. The impulsiveness of youth, and all that.

[hcobb]

Detect / Analyze Magic might not be the best choices for a reduced DX casting.

The nice thing about Spellsniffer (which can't be cast from a book) is that your party goblin can roll against DX 9 over and over to activate it and then work from IQ 17 for the chance to be lied to. This means that only a sixth of her item descriptions are lies. (Best to have two goblins in the party.)

[Axly Suregrip]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Detect / Analyze Magic might not be the best choices for a reduced DX casting.

With regards to starting wizards, maybe not everyone wants that same goblin wizard with maxed out IQ. So, a beginning human wizard for example cannot have spellsniffer.

A book with Detect Magic & Analyze Magic is better than nothing. And since we are saying the wizard is casting this at his leisure, he can cast as many Detect Magic spells as needed to feel comfortable with the results (once per day on same item, see pg 156). Note ideal, but still useful.

Or you don't get Analyze Magic in your book and learn that one instead. Get which spells you want in the book and you get a starting Wizard that is helpful at home and in combat.

[Axly Suregrip]

Originally Posted by tomc

This is cool. ... The impulsiveness of youth, and all that.

Thank you. Yes, it should not be mandated. A rash youthful hedge wizard may not even know literacy. The more flavors the more fun.

[hcobb]

Here's the spells I'd add to the list:

Drain Strength: If you've got 5 minutes for casting then you can spread the resting out across the party.

Cleanse Poison.

Scour.

Summon Scout.

And at IQ 14 Telepathy (to deal with language issues.)

[Original_Carl]

I haven't had enough campaign play to really get a handle on how to tweak the magic system outside of the RAW. I have some ideas, but nothing concrete.

I'm a huge Jack Vance fan, so my view of magic in my game worlds is that of a very advanced working unified theory of science being manipulated by people who have little to no knowledge of those underlying theories. This is done by memorizing the algorithms to unleash the energies necessary to achieve the desired result. It's kind of a "standing on the shoulders of giants" thing. That's why it's so tightly defined (few spells), the spells can't really be tweaked, and new spells aren't a thing.

Even the greatest wizards could only encompass a handful of the most powerful magics in Vance's Dying Earth. This sounds like Wizard to me. No wizard in The Labyrinth is a walking spell encyclopedia.

Later, the source of all magic is intimated to be based around the indenture of a race of genie-like beings known as Sandestins who exist outside of time. Not sure what I'll do with that, but having a even a relatively weak Sandestin in your indenture would make you a very powerful wizard.

[hcobb]

If you want to go all Vancey-pants then make Write Scroll take hours instead of days. And allow literate heroes who know Alchemy to read these scrolls. (Perhaps at an additional die rolled to cast?)