Partial literacy in Sorceror's Tounge

[David Bofinger]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

casting spells from a book is not only impractical, it is also an unnecessary mechanic IMO. Are you really going to spend 60 turns to cast LIGHT? We never saw any PC take that action in play and although I'm sure that's not universal, scrolls get the job done much more efficiently and economically.

Light spells are handy partly because they can be thrown on as many items or people as need them, routinely. A wizard can cast from a book half a dozen in half an hour, while other people are making camp for the night, or before entering the labyrinth, or to throw one down a well to see what's at the bottom.

It's expensive to set up: $5,000 to $6,000 plus some time spent attuning plus $10 a week will get you the ability to cast a dozen or so useful spells: Light, Detect Magic, Analyze Magic, Summon Gargoyle, Dark Vision, Aid, Glamour, Open Tunnel, Repair, Look Your Best, Scour, Meal...

But casting light from a scroll costs $300 a shot. That's not cheap even if you cast one, and quite impractical for adding plenty of light.