Are wizards able to prepare their spells more often than clerics?

[The Rot Grub]

In the campaign session I was GMing on Saturday, the party was clawing its way out of an underground complex filled with monsters. All of their casters had used up their daily spells, and so they set up camp within a temple and barricaded the doors to replenish their spells.

It was about 1PM in-game. I whipped out the Core Rulebook to see what the rules in the Magic chapter were for spell preparation. I had a cleric, a wizard, and a sorcerer in the party. I don't have the CRB with me now, but from my close reading it looked like divine casters needed to wait for a specific time per day before they could pray/meditate for their spells. In contrast, for the wizard and sorcerer it looked like their only requirement was to rest 8 hours.

So did that mean that at 9pm, the wizards and sorcerers could replenish their spells, but the cleric could not and would need to wait for the next morning? Is there some language I'm missing that limits the arcane casters here? I know that their Class sections say "spells per day," but I expected this limitation to be repeated in the rules for resting in Chapter 9 but it looks like they're not (for arcane casters only, that is).

[Oladon]

No, it's 1/day for either class... it's just that divine casters don't have to have rested 8 hours before preparing theirs.

[The Rot Grub]

That makes sense. But for clarity's sake, especially since in our scenario counting hours matters: does that mean 24 hours must pass since the last time they prepared? Or simply the next passage of midnight?

[Oladon]

It's pretty much up to you as the DM. Here's another discussion of this which might help you with your decision.

[LazarX]

Since we have the occasional wizard who likes to walk around with half his spell slots hanging open I phrase things this way.

1. Spell slots are refreshed ONCE per day. This can be done no sooner than 24 hours since the last time this was done.

2. Preparation of spells into those slots can be done at any time, subject to the usual mechanics for doing so.

[wraithstrike]

A day is 24 hours. An adventuring day assumes, 8 hours of adventuring, 8 hours of downtime, and 8 hours of rest, but you can still only prepare spells once per 24 hour period.

That is why used slots count against that day<---That is in the book. I will go find the quote.

[wraithstrike]

Quote:

A wizard's level limits the number of spells he can prepare and cast. His high Intelligence score might allow him to prepare a few extra spells. He can prepare the same spell more than once, but each preparation counts as one spell toward his daily limit. To prepare a spell, the wizard must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell's level.

[The Rot Grub]

Thanks for the rule cite. Okay, and also upthread thanks for that link. I think I'll go with the "24 hours since the last time you prepared spells" rule to determine what the day is.

[James Risner]

wraithstrike wrote:

A day is 24 hours. An adventuring day assumes, 8 hours of adventuring, 8 hours of downtime, and 8 hours of rest, but you can still only prepare spells once per 24 hour period.

This argument is as old as the hills.

Either you ignore the "spells per day" phrasing of spell slots or not.

[Lifat]

Well. Very sure that it is meant to be once per 24 hour cycle that spell slots are refreshed. But as LazarX wrote, a wizard can leave spellslots open and then prepare a spell in that slot later in the day, once he knows what he needs (still need the spell in his spellbook).

[Gauss]

All prepared spellcasters can leave spell slots open. Not just wizards. Whenever I play a cleric I usually leave a spell slot open per spell level.

CRB p220 wrote:

When preparing spells for the day, a divine spellcaster can leave some of her spell slots open.