How New Spells are Acquired (WSC)

Once the initial spellbook is created, wizard player characters will doubtless be anxious to add to their spell lists as quickly as they can. The DM should monitor how easily spells can be acquired, making sure that the process is neither too fast nor too slow. An average wizard might add one or two spells per level. An aggressive wizard might average as many as three or four spells per level. A DM allowing more than four spells per wizard level is probably being too generous, and can expect wizard characters to dominate the campaign. There are four ways to acquire new spells:

• Wizards are assumed to be doing a certain amount of spell research between adventures. As a result, each time a wizard receives a new spell level, he also receives a new spell of that level. This “free” spell is subject to all normal limitations: the wizard cannot exceed the maximum number or level of spells his Intelligence allows; and the selection is limited by school, kit, the “Chance to Know” roll, and might be further limited to the spells known by a mentor.

• The character finds a spellbook with the desired spell. Once a read magic spell has been used to render the spell accessible, a “Chance to Know” roll based on the wizard's Intelligence is made. If successful, the wizard can thereafter memorize the spell directly from that source. The spell can be copied directly into the character's own spellbook.

• The character finds a scroll with a spell that the wizard could memorize if it was in his spellbook. Once a read magic spell has been cast upon the scroll, a “Chance to Know” roll is made for the new spell. If successful, the wizard can copy the spell directly into his or her spellbook. This process destroys the portion of the scroll containing the transferred spell. If unsuccessful, the wizard can still use the scroll (that is, to cast the spell once).

Optionally, DMs running a magic-restricted campaign may rule that having a scroll only reduces the normal research cost and time by half. The scroll spell is destroyed in the research process. (This ruling will either require that all wizards maintain a library and laboratory, or mat1 special facilities be made available, such as a wizard college.)

• The character can research a spell independently. This requires a library and a laboratory, which must be set up before the process can begin (this tends to tie the wizard to a given location). Guidelines are given in the DMG, the Tome of Magic, and Player's Option: Spells & Magic for spell research. Optionally, the DM may allow successfully researching a spell to compensate for a failed “Chance to Know” roll.

Some magics, such as the write spell, allow a spell to be transferred to the wizard's spellbook even if the “Chance to Know” roll is railed or the spell is of higher level than the wizard can currently cast. These magics in no way allow such a spell to be memorized for use by the wizard.

Spell Maximums and Minimums

The original AD&D rules specified a mini mum number of spells depending on the wizard's Intelligence, which simply guaranteed of a certain number of spells of each spell level. A wizard who worked through an entire level list of spells from the Player's Handbook (or its campaign world equivalent) without acquiring the mini mum number of spells was allowed a second chance for spells missed in the first pass (assuming the wizard still had access to those spells through collected books or scrolls). With the greatly increased number of spells in later editions, this rule was unnecessary and was dropped. Those wishing to use the rule can assume the minimum is half the allowed maximum.

The spell maximum is a function of the wizard's Intelligence, and is an intentional and significant control on the wizard's ability to gain spells. Once the maximum number of spells has been gained from a level list, the wizard cannot learn any more spells of that spell level. Ever. The only way to increase the number of spells available to the wizard is to increase the character's Intelligence.

Example: While the PC's Intelligence deter mines how many and which spells can be learned, this knowledge is by no means automatic. Nearly every spell that the character learns after the initial spellbook must be found and recorded. If Reedolent the Prestidigitator (Intelligence 15) has a repertoire of 7 first-level spells and finds a scroll with another, there is a 65% chance the new spell can be understood. If the spell can be comprehended, Reedolent can record it in his spellbook (thus, destroying that portion of the scroll). Reedolent is now the possessor of 8 spells, just 3 short of the maximum number of first level spells he can know.

Option: “Intelligence 19” The maximum number of spells that can be known with a 19 Intelligence is 24. The maximum number of spells that can be learned by creatures of less than quasi-deity status is 30 spells per spell level at a 20 Intelligence. Option: “Altering Spell Lists” The DM may, under special conditions, allow a wizard to “clear” a spell from his spell list, reworking his neural synapse pat terns to allow the acquisition of a different spell. The process is time-consuming, dangerous, and rarely done; each occurrence is individually adjudicated by the DM. A month or more for intense concentration and purification of the mind and body is a prerequisite. Exact procedures vary. Typical regimens include: a long and uncertain magical ritual with cost, material component requirements, and success chances equal that of researching of a spell of equal level; direct intervention of a deity-level power invoked at great expense and risk; or a dangerous variation of the psionic discipline psychic surgery, requiring at least two weeks per spell level of complete bed rest and cession of all magical operations during that time, and costing a point of Intelligence if unsuccessful. Once the older spell has been “cleared,” the result is just as if the wizard missed his “Chance to Know” roll for that spell: Memorization of the cleared spell for casting is impossible. It is permanently removed from the wizard's spell list (although it may remain in his books). Now that the wizard has recreated the ability to acquire a new spell of the desired level, that spell can be acquired according to the normal procedures for such activity.

Unusual Magical Disciplines

Within the common discipline of wizard spellcraft, each wizard is assumed to have a personal arcane script, a private symbology keyed to himself alone. However, there are other magical disciplines that are so different from each other and the common system as to require mastery of a completely different training, practice, and lifestyle. The obvious example is priestly magic. This discipline is so different from common wizard spellcraft that the followers of each discipline cannot use the spells (including scrolls) of the other. Further examples of unusual spellcasting disciplines include:

• Illusionist Magic: The illusionist specialist cannot read normal magical books and scrolls, nor can their books and scrolls be deciphered by common mages. When gaining levels, they cannot receive spells from non-illusionists and vice versa. Instead of using read magic, illusionists use read illusionist magic. (This example is from the 1st Edition game, but is still used in many campaigns. For example, in the Forgotten Realms setting, illusionist writing is in a special language called Ruathek.)

• Bard Magic: The bard's magical writings are a mixture of magical script and musical notation. These are completely indecipherable to nonbard wizards, although the general bent of the magic might be discerned with study. Bardic spell notations are useful only to other bards, but bards are able to master read magic and its equivalents and can gain access to wizard scroll use. As noted in the Dungeon Master1 Guide, the results of this can be unpredictable. * Other Magical Disciplines: The above examples can be expanded upon within an individual campaign. For example, in the Forgotten Realms setting, the old magics of the Old Empires area are founded on an entirely different magical discipline. While the “spells available” list overlaps with the standard campaign list, magical writings from this area cannot be accessed by northern wizards without the appropriate variation of the read magic spell, read southern magic. Likewise, saurial wizards don't use spell books at all, but elaborately carved staves that serve a similar function. Other cultures might use intricately knotted ropes, or delicately woven feather patterns to serve the same purpose. Normal wizards cannot use these magics unless they have learned the entire alien magical discipline (the equivalent of gaining a new class).

Unless Player's Option rules are being used, wizards cannot learn alien magical disciplines. If the Player's Option character construction rules are being used, an alien magical discipline can be learned at a cost in character points equal to that of adding clerical spells to a wizard character.

Finding Scrolls

If the DM uses alien magical disciplines, then some thought should be given to how often scrolls of the discipline are found. Too many odd disciplines in a campaign may make scrolls containing their magics too rare.

One way to ease this is for the DM to test scrolls in a treasure if a character with an alien discipline is present: There is a straight l-in-6 chance per scroll that a character with an odd discipline finds a scroll he can use.

Magic in the Worlds

Elemental magic in the traditional Forgotten Realms', World of Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and Mystara settings is based on air, earth, fire, and water. This varies in other settings: In the oriental setting, air, earth, fire, and water are joined by a fifth element, wood, and wizards are called wu jens. In the Al-Qadim setting, the four basic elements are traditional, but are called the Provinces of Flame, Sand, Sea, and Wind. Also, a special type of wizard here, the Shai'ir, receives spells on demand from small elemental genies known as gen. In the Maztica setting, special craft magics exist, called pluma (feather) and hishna (animal) magic. In the sword-and-sandal Dark Sun setting, spellcasters are preservers or defilers, depending on whether or not their magic drains the living energy of that world. Here, psionics are as important as magic. In the Birthright setting, bloodline abilities augment normal magics; scions of evil bloodlines are called awnsheghlien, and those of heroic bloodlines are called ehrsheghlien. In the Spelljamming setting, flying ships are propelled by spellcasters using magical power sources called major and minor helms. In the swashbuckling Red Steel setting, latent magical abilities called legacies result in baneful mutations (the red curse) unless controlled by exposure to the rare ore cinnabryl. The depletion of this ore is cause for concern. In the Ravenloft setting, the Demiplane of Dread, gothic horror in form of dark lords, each a godlike power trapped in a private domain, keeps adventurers on the run, looking for a way out and making special fear, horror, and Ravenloft powers checks. The Planescape setting presents new settings from the inner Elemental Planes to the Outer Planes, where the gods live. Casting magic here often requires special spell keys, and the denizens are divided into factions along alignment lines.

Abbreviations of Source Material

PHB = Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook

DMG = Advanced Dungeons & Dragons DUNGEON MASTER Guide

PO:SM = Player's Option: Spells & Magic

WoG = World of Greyhawk Campaign Setting