How do people handle finding enemy spellbooks?


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion

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Rezdave wrote:


Scrolls use a Verbal/Material paradigm, and this is where the expense comes in. Unique inks must be specially distilled and prepared for each different type of spell. You can't simply go to the magic shop and buy "scroll ink" but rather must but protection from arrows ink or fireball ink or whatever. I do allow economies of scale, but the unique formulation of the inks is what makes scrolls expensive ... in my world, anyway.

I always thought making the inks was part of the whole process regardless. Inks ARE expensive even in RAW D&D, and yeah you probably should need specific inks/parchment/writing instruments for a specific scroll type.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Spacelard wrote:
thenovalord wrote:
Mistwalker wrote:


I believe that the scribing costs have changed in Pathfinder.

Page 219 of the Core lists the costs for scribing the spells into a spellbook. A 7th level spell would cost 490 gp to scribe, while a 1st level spell costs 10 gp to scribe. So, no longer 100 gp per page.

yep

so am I right the 1st level spell in the book is only worth 5gp?

Yep.

So Mr Wizard is down 5gps everytime he scribes a 1st level spell into his book cos it costs him 10gps to do so.

He's "down 5 gp" for that 1st level spell.

The spellbook will also contain all 0-level wizard spells, except those from any prohibited schools for the owner (PF RPG, pg. 79). Since a wizard already has all the 0-level spells (except from prohibited schools) scribed in his spellbook, that's 12-20 spells worth 2.5 gp each on sale value (30-50 gp). So, the wizard can finance the copying of 6-10 1st level spells and still be fully reimbursed for the cost by selling the spellbook.

This doesn't even consider the presence of spells he already knows (i.e., staples like mage armor, magic missile, sleep, etc.) or does not want. In many cases, there will several spells in a captured spellbook that the wizard will not copy.

In my experience, a wizard who sells a captured spellbook (after copying desired spells from it) will usually make back more from the sale than what was spent on copying spells. Even when this is not the case, the sale will make back most of the costs, which helps keep the wizard close to the rest of the party in wealth. One of the only reasons to keep a spellbook is if it contains spells of a higher spell level than the wizard can currently cast, in which case he should keep it until he can learn/copy them.


Why is everyone concerned so much about player wealth distribution. I mean it is true that as a GM I should try to make various items and treasure so that no particular player is missing out. But really, is it the GM's job to enforce players splitting loot amongst themselves evenly, and play accountant? Really that is the job of the player's, and if one of them is being a jerk and trying to keep all the loot to himself for gold rather than let it go to a player than could use it, than that is a something for players to resolve. Sure if the situation gets seriously out of hand the GM should step in, but really there is no reason for us to enforce exactly even distributions of wealth among characters. If one character gets a lot of wealth for some reason or another, it should be balanced in future sessions by providing loot usable primarily by other players, or having a minor sub quest for other players that give them more wealth, or even having the wealthy PC robbed, mugged, or some other tragedy befall them, not by enforcing equal distribution of wealth with the GM's iron Fist.


When I played with my groups over the years, I was typically to leader and would do the following.

We'd look at all the items, and see who would benefit immediately from them (+2 great axe to the barbarian, +2 holy longsword to the paladin, enemy spellbook to the wizard, etc.).

Once those are distributed, we'd do an initiative roll for order of choice after that, excluding those who already received something until the choices balanced out. So if one player got 2 items, and another got one off the bat in a party of 5, then everyone would do an initiative roll. The one who got 2 items would be excluded for the first 2 selection rounds, and the other just for one. That way players got things they could use, or got something during each treasure encounter.

Anything people didn't choose went to party treasure, sold, and split evenly. Aside from the few evil parties I played in, all the others were quite cooperative with choosing and assigning treasure. It's all about wanting the party to succeed and survive, so take time to talk it out. What's a fighter going to do woth a wand of fireball during a difficult encounter?

Of course, you also have to play your character, so the CN rogue should be allowed to pocket something before it goes out to the party, without any retrubution from other players if he succeeds. If he gets caught doing it, that's another story.

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