More durable spellbook?

[alexander deel]

My wizard has recently lost his spell book to catching on fire, and while I have the "opportunity", is there anywhere that I can find a spell book that hold up better in the field?

For the record, it was Alchemist's Fire...

[Chris P]

alexander deel wrote:

My wizard has recently lost his spell book to catching on fire, and while I have the "opportunity", is there anywhere that I can find a spell book that hold up better in the field?

For the record, it was Alchemist's Fire...

I believe the Complete Arcane has a number of spellbook protections as well as alternate spellbooks. My favorites are the token spell book and tatoo spellbook.

[James Jacobs]

Take sorcerer levels?

Seriously, though... the way D&D handles wizards and their spells is pretty lame, I think. No other class becomes a high-hit point commoner just because one piece of their equipment gets lost. And on top of that, a wizard's bonus feats and the way they have to learn new spells basically drain them of time, money, and XP, while other PCs in the party are ready to go on more adventures.

If I were you, I'd talk with my DM about some house rules that grant wizards more spells, soften the time and cost to learn and scribe spells, and perhaps even allow the wizard to keep his spellbook at home and then use a "Cliff's Notes" version of his own spellbook to prepare spells while out on adventures.

Poor wizards! :(

[Fatespinner]

Yeah, it's an unwritten rule in our games that doing anything to a PC wizard's spellbook that renders the character completely crippled is Uncool(tm). A wizard might be separated from his spellbook for a short period of time (such as when the party is captured and imprisoned, for example), but never should they be forced to start all over by having the book destroyed. It's just mean.

[alexander deel]

Yeah.. I'm looking into some Spellshards right now, or else making my own Rueha’s Flute when we get back to town.. my friend playing a monk said he is going to loan me the gold to craft it if I promise to keep hitting him with Mage Armor.

I think it's kinda funny, 'cause we spent forever getting ready to leave town and then were ambushed about a day out, so now we're going back. I had just gotten 3rd level too..

[Kurocyn]

alexander deel wrote:

My wizard has recently lost his spell book to catching on fire...

First off, I've actually give my input. I would suggest using more exotic, but mundane, materials. A dragon hide cover sounds like it'd be pretty fire retardant (might depend on the dragon of course). Eel scales could provide a good electrical barrier. Monstrous spider webbing worked into the pages might increase their longevity... Just some ideas.

Second, I find this concept entirely funny. I've yet to see this happen, but I would love to see it. "High HP commoner," it makes me laugh... This only reinforces my dislike of casters, wizards mostly, but casters in general.

-Kurocyn

[Xellan]

Spellshards aren't a bad idea. There's also the Kiira(sp?) of the Forgotten Realms (kinda like a Blessed Book, but it's a gem instead of a book). There's also a feat/alternate class feature in one of the final three dragon mags that allows the mage to completely memorize his spellbook.. Eidetic Mage or something like that.

[Dragonmann]

There is a special paper listed, i think in the City of Towers book for Eberron which is fire resistant.

Of course there is Boccob's blessed book.

The spellshard of aureon is the best, if you are playing in eberron. High cost, but you never pay the cost to scribe spells into it. Worth the 6k upfront.

Of course, there is always the spell mastery feat.

[Turin the Mad]

For the STAP, I encouraged my wizards (yes, plural) to take the alternative class feature that swaps out scribe scroll and summon familiar for the necessity to have a spellbook for thier spells. (I also permit PCs to take up to 2 flaws from Unearthed Arcana, so the Wizard can potentially re-acquire Scribe Scroll if they so choose.)

That in and of itself greatly softens the spellbook vulnerability of the Wizard class. I agree that it doesn't make a lot of sense on the whole spellbook thing, so I used the only alternative class feature available that 'legally' end runs around the spellbook requirement while cashiering out the vulnerable and squishy familiar.

Given that a regular spellbook would become a sodden mass sooner or later in the AP just because of the environment, the wizards' players jumped on this with both paws...

[tdewitt274]

"The Finder's Stone" was a nice magic item. For anyone in the Wyvernspur family tree, it acted as a spellbook that could be used without casting ability. Otherwise, it stored Finder Wyvernspur's songs and stories sang/spoken by Finder, like a 3D Holocrystal.

Basically, a multi-faceted gem the size of someone's fist with a piece of paraelemental ice inside. An artifact in it's own right. I believe that it was in the Encyclopedia Magica, but made an appearance in the Finder's Stone Trilogy books and also Finder's Bane.

Funny story on the "high HP commoner". A wizard in the party was always messing with another character. So, the character took a level of Wizard and then snuck into the original Wizard's backpack and removed an important spell. When memorizing spells for the day, the DM said he couldn't take the spell.

[Jeremy Mac Donald]

In general you don't need your spell book except to memorize new spells every day. Store it in a bag of holding or similar carrying case and you won't have these problems.

[Rezdave]

James Jacobs wrote:

If I were you, I'd talk with my DM about some house rules that grant wizards more spells, soften the time and cost to learn and scribe spells, and perhaps even allow the wizard to keep his spellbook at home and then use a "Cliff's Notes" version of his own spellbook to prepare spells while out on adventures.

Older Editions explicitly assumed the wizard had a large Tome at home that was his actual "spellbook" and that he only adventured with his traveling spellbook. That way when a spellbook is lost or damaged "in the field" he simply goes home and rescribes the spells from his tome into a new travelling spellbook.

Travelling spellbooks also frequently act as journals while adventuring, holding notes, sketches, rubbings, etc. and so will be shelved after a time anyway. Wizards may also scribe spells they find, trade or buy along the way into them, then transfer them into the master Tome once they get back home.

I've instituted several HRs to help low-level wizards out:

1) Every wizard knows a certain number of "favored spells" off the top of his head. As long as he prepares them at least 1/week (or reviews them from a spellbook) they remain "favored" and he can prepared them without referring to his spellbook.

Favored spells = INT / Spell Level at each spell level (for 18 Int. that means 18 1st, 9 2nd, 6 3rd ... 2 9th)

2) A wizard gains a number of "open spell levels" equal to her Wizard level. She may designate any spell slot "open" and not prepare it, then choose from among her "favored" spells to cast from the slot as-needed.

In other words, a 1st Level wizard has a base of one 1st level spell which she never needs to prepare because she also has one "open" spell level (though she must prepare any bonus spells she has).

At 2nd level she has two 1st level spells and again needs to prepare neither since she has two "open" levels (but again must prepare any bonus spells).

At 3rd level she has two 1st level and one 2nd level spells. Now she must choose whether to use her three "open" spell levels for her 2nd level spell and a single 1st, or prepare her 2nd level and keep both 1st level slots "open" (she could also leave her bonus slot open in this case).

Note that one gains "open spell levels" and not "slots" thus 2+1 = 3 or 1+1(+1 bonus) = 3 in the example above.

This system allows wizards greater flexibility and utility to the party at low levels, while at higher levels they will generally just keep their highest two spell slots open and prepare everything else.

Granted, an 18th level wizard may decide 18 = 9 + 5 + 3 + 1 and thus balance power vs. flexibility, but that's his choice.

Again, wizards may only cast "favored" spells out of their "open" slots, so the system doesn't become a catch-all for the entire spell library of a high-level wizard.

HTH,

Rez