Casting from Spell books and Cleric magic selection


Beginner Box


I'm a new GM and new to PF. We ran through the supplied dungeon, and I am preparing for further adventures. Now, I've run into some questions.

Wizards have the ability to cast spells from a scroll without using up one of their prepared spells. Wizards also have the ability to copy scrolls to their spellbook so that they can prepare that spell for the next day.
Does copying the scroll ruin the scroll or can they still hold onto the scroll to cast from it later?
Can a wizard prepare two other spells from their spell book and then cast a third spell from a scroll that they also have in their spell book?
I assume wizards are expected to carry their spell book around, so that they can prepare from them in the future. Can they cast a spell by reading from their spell book even if they haven't prepared it? (Thus, the wizard can just keep pulling out his spell book to keep casting Mage Armor without having to use up a prepared spell slot.)

Clerics do not have a spell book. Do they get to choose from the whole list of spells every day when preparing their spells?

Thats what I've got for now.


Riuken wrote:
3) Scrolls are destroyed when used. Not sure if you knew that or not, just that some of your statements make me question it.

Nope. I was unaware of that. Where in the BB rules is that stated, just so I can point to it?

Does the scroll itself get destroyed, or just erased, or GM chooses?
Under the BB rules, is scroll creation allowed or documented?

Riuken wrote:
5) Yes, clerics get to chose from their whole list. The only exceptions are spells that conflict with their or their diety's alignment. Example: a lawful good cleric of Iomedae cannot cast unholy blight or chaos hammer.

Under the BB rules, I don't see listed anything about conflicting with the diety's alignment. I also only see listed "good" spells, such as protect from evil, and not protect from good or from law. Is this because the BB is designed for simpler characters and requires that all PC clerics be good guys?

Riuken wrote:
If you have more questions, all answers and more can be found at Paizo PRD on magic from the Core Rulebook.

Thank you for the help and the link. I am trying to rely on the BB rules, since that is what I own and can show to the players.

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

People are mentioning rules from the Core Rulebook that aren't in the Beginner Box, so I'll answer your questions from scratch using only the Beginner Box rules. Actually, I'm also going to remove Riuken's post because I think it'll confuse other Beginner Box players who find that post.

1) Copying the scroll into your spellbook ruins the scroll (Gamemastery Guide page 52, "Copying Wizard Scrolls"). Casting a spell from a spellbook ruins the scroll (page 52, Read the Scroll).

(Ignore Riuken's comment about making more scrolls, as the Beginner Box rules don't include rules for making magic items.)

2) There's no limit to how many scrolls a wizard can use per day (if a wizard had 100 scrolls of magic missile, he could cast one per round until he ran out of scrolls). It doesn't matter if the scroll if of a spell he knows, a spell he doesn't know, or a spell he has prepared--the scroll is a separate thing that has nothing to do with the spells in his head.-

3) Yes, wizards should carry their spellbooks so they can prepare spells after resting. Without the spellbook, they can't prepare spells.

You can't cast a spell straight from the book; you have to prepare it in your head and cast it from your head.

4) Clerics do not have a spell book, correct. Each day they can browse the entire list of cleric spells when deciding what to prepare.

(Ignore the comment about alignment restrictions for cleric spells, that's a Core Rulebook rule and the Beginner Box doesn't have any spells that would be affected by that rule anyway).

(You probably should ignore the PRD link to the Magic chapter of the Core Rulebook, too, as it's talking about concepts like spell schools and spell descriptors that aren't in the Beginner Box.)

Silver Crusade

I apologize for the oversight in not sticking to beginner box. I had assumed you were making a transition into full Core Rulebook. I do hope you do, there is much more to see from this great game, though whatever you do I hope you have fun with it.

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

No fault to you, Riuken. :)


Riuken wrote:
I apologize for the oversight in not sticking to beginner box. I had assumed you were making a transition into full Core Rulebook. I do hope you do, there is much more to see from this great game, though whatever you do I hope you have fun with it.

Possibly, eventually. But we have been playing for a week so far, so we are starting simple :)

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