Who Can Write in a Spellbook?


Rules Questions


5 people marked this as FAQ candidate.

There are many options for "other" classes to use spellbooks. Some of these options are even granted by class features.

Some examples:
Mnemonic Vestment

Lore Oracale Arcane Archivist revelation

Versatile spontaneity

There are many more out there.

The rules for writing in spellbooks are found in the magic section on the CRB

CRB:
Spells Copied from Another's Spellbook or a Scroll: A wizard can also add a spell to his book whenever he encounters one on a magic scroll or in another wizard's spellbook. No matter what the spell's source, the wizard must first decipher the magical writing (see Arcane Magical Writings). Next, he must spend 1 hour studying the spell. At the end of the hour, he must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell's level). A wizard who has specialized in a school of spells gains a +2 bonus on the Spellcraft check if the new spell is from his specialty school. If the check succeeds, the wizard understands the spell and can copy it into his spellbook (see Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook). The process leaves a spellbook that was copied from unharmed, but a spell successfully copied from a magic scroll disappears from the parchment.

If the check fails, the wizard cannot understand or copy the spell. He cannot attempt to learn or copy that spell again until one week has passed. If the spell was from a scroll, a failed Spellcraft check does not cause the spell to vanish.

The writer is referred to as a Wizard throughout.

Other classes that use spellbooks such as the Magus have class features that reference the Magic section of the CRB for rules on how to add spells to a spellbook.

Magus Spellbook:
Spellbooks: A magus must study his spellbook each day to prepare his spells. He cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook except for read magic, which all magi can prepare from memory. A magus begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level magus spells plus three 1st-level magus spells of his choice. The magus also selects a number of additional 1st-level magus spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to his spellbook. At each new magus level, he gains two new magus spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new magus level) for his spellbook. At any time, a magus can also add spells found in other spellbooks to his own (see Arcane Spells).

A magus can learn spells from a wizard's spellbook, just as a wizard can from a magus's spellbook. The spells learned must be on the magus spell list, as normal. An alchemist (see the Alchemist description) can learn formulae from a magus's spellbook, if the spells are also on the alchemist spell list. A magus cannot learn spells from an alchemist.

My question is Does writing in a spellbook require a class feature specifically allowing it or simply the appropriate spellcraft check?


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There is nothing that suggests that anyone without the spellbook class feature can write spells in a spellbook.

So the answer is given the permissive system of Pathfinder, if you don't have something that says you can, you can't.


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Anyone can write in a spellbook. How useful those writings will be to casting spells is an entirely different question. :D


There is the counter argument that it was written for wizards because they were the only ones who could benefit from spellbooks at the time.
There are many rules in the magic section that refer to only things that existed at the time that are assumed to apply to later casters. For example the requirement for rest before arcane caster preparation is assumed to apply to psychic casters even though nothing says it does.


MichaelCullen wrote:

There is the counter argument that it was written for wizards because they were the only ones who could benefit from spellbooks at the time.

There are many rules in the magic section that refer to only things that existed at the time that are assumed to apply to later casters. For example the requirement for rest before arcane caster preparation is assumed to apply to psychic casters even though nothing says it does.

The rest that psychic casters are required is because they share the same feature as other arcane casters... spell slots and the need to renew them. They share nothing however about preparing spells from books, at least in the case of psychics. That argument fails at an appeal to parallelism.


Divine casters also have spell slots and the need to renew them but have no requirement for rest beforehand.

Bloodragers may be a better parallel they have no requirement within their class description for rest before spells are regained and the CRB specifically calls out what classes have this requirement. The Magus's class description specifically requires rest as well. If you make the argument that requirements in the magic section only apply to who they were specifically written for(it calls them out by class), then bloodragers would not need rest and psychics certainly would not.

I am of the opinion that without a class ability allowing it one can not write in a spellbook. But I think their is a decent argument that the rules were meant more generically as much of the magic chapter is.


MichaelCullen wrote:

Divine casters also have spell slots and the need to renew them but have no requirement for rest beforehand.

Bloodragers may be a better parallel they have no requirement within their class description for rest before spells are regained and the CRB specifically calls out what classes have this requirement. The Magus's class description specifically requires rest as well. If you make the argument that requirements in the magic section only apply to who they were specifically written for(it calls them out by class), then bloodragers would not need rest and psychics certainly would not.

I am of the opinion that without a class ability allowing it one can not write in a spellbook. But I think their is a decent argument that the rules were meant more generically as much of the magic chapter is.

I'm pretty sure that the argument can be made that there is no intent to allow spontaneous casters to expand their casting repetoire by their own means with a spellbook. While mnemomic vestments allow limited spellbook access they do not confer the ability to expand that spellbook without the aid of a proper caster of that book's type.


I don't think anyone is arguing that the spellbook would expand their casting repertoire, just that they would be able to use them in conjunction with other items or abilities.

What is your opinion on a lore oracle who has a class ability that uses a spellbook?


MichaelCullen wrote:

I don't think anyone is arguing that the spellbook would expand their casting repertoire, just that they would be able to use them in conjunction with other items or abilities.

What is your opinion on a lore oracle who has a class ability that uses a spellbook?

That you have a character who has quite an incentive to steal or borrow as many spellbooks as she can get her mitts on.

Since this is a rules question...there is nothing that in the mystery that gives her any more spellbook writing ability than a standard fighter.


spell books are not magical that way its not like it refuses to take ink from anyone with out magical requirement. it is just a blank book for all i know.


Another example of an omission is the Arcanist's spellbook class feature.

Arcanist wrote:
An arcanist begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level sorcerer/wizard spells plus three 1st-level spells of her choice. The arcanist also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to her Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new arcanist level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new arcanist level) for her spellbook. At any time, an arcanist can also add spells found in wizards' or other arcanists' spellbooks to her own.

Can an Arcanist copy a spell from a Magus's spellbook? Magi existed before Arcanists was this omission intentional?

I personally do not know the right answer for the Arcanist question.


MichaelCullen wrote:

Another example of an omission is the Arcanist's spellbook class feature.

Arcanist wrote:
An arcanist begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level sorcerer/wizard spells plus three 1st-level spells of her choice. The arcanist also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to her Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new arcanist level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new arcanist level) for her spellbook. At any time, an arcanist can also add spells found in wizards' or other arcanists' spellbooks to her own.

Can an Arcanist copy a spell from a Magus's spellbook? Magi existed before Arcanists was this omission intentional?

I personally do not know the right answer for the Arcanist question.

Yes they can... as long as the spell they are looking to copy is in their OWN spell list. They will have to make spellcraft checks or use the Read Magic spell to decipher the other caster's writing.


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Scribing a spell into a spellbook just take some spellcraft skill.


And right here we have the disagreement.

Grand Lodge

Actually, there is an even further question on this:
Can you pay for someone else to write a spell into a spellbook for you?

Or, as an example, is the Bookish Rogue feat a total waste of time?

Liberty's Edge

kinevon wrote:

Actually, there is an even further question on this:

Can you pay for someone else to write a spell into a spellbook for you?

Yes, you can.

if you are a wizard or other arcane spellcaster that prepare spell from a spellbook you will treat that spell as if coming from a borrowed spellbook, but nothing prohibit people from writing spell in another character spellbook.


The remaining question would then be, how much would that cost? I'd be inclined to say it would be 1.5 the cost of writing it, just the same as it would cost you to get access to another wizard's spellbooks and to scribe it yourself, but that would be my own rule.


Drahliana Moonrunner wrote:
MichaelCullen wrote:

Another example of an omission is the Arcanist's spellbook class feature.

Arcanist wrote:
An arcanist begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level sorcerer/wizard spells plus three 1st-level spells of her choice. The arcanist also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to her Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new arcanist level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new arcanist level) for her spellbook. At any time, an arcanist can also add spells found in wizards' or other arcanists' spellbooks to her own.

Can an Arcanist copy a spell from a Magus's spellbook? Magi existed before Arcanists was this omission intentional?

I personally do not know the right answer for the Arcanist question.

Yes they can... as long as the spell they are looking to copy is in their OWN spell list. They will have to make spellcraft checks or use the Read Magic spell to decipher the other caster's writing.

What about copying a spell from a scroll? I know wizards can but, again, arcanist just specifies from another wizard or arcanist's spellbook. I only ask because it is for a PFS arcanist so I want to make sure.

Shadow Lodge

Paladin of Baha-who? wrote:
The remaining question would then be, how much would that cost? I'd be inclined to say it would be 1.5 the cost of writing it, just the same as it would cost you to get access to another wizard's spellbooks and to scribe it yourself, but that would be my own rule.

I'd go with double, because you're not just paying for materials and access to the copied spellbook but for the person copying's time.

Liberty's Edge

Weirdo wrote:
Paladin of Baha-who? wrote:
The remaining question would then be, how much would that cost? I'd be inclined to say it would be 1.5 the cost of writing it, just the same as it would cost you to get access to another wizard's spellbooks and to scribe it yourself, but that would be my own rule.
I'd go with double, because you're not just paying for materials and access to the copied spellbook but for the person copying's time.

That depend on your interpretation of who can write a spell (only a spellcaster with a spellbook or anyone with spellcraft or maybe Profession scribe) and how paranoid is the spellcaster selling a spell.

If someone I barely know was copying a spell from my spellbook I would be extremely wary and keep an eye on him all the time, so the cost for copying a spell would already include the time I lose watching him do that.

On the other hand in my game word spell seller have "spellbook" that consist of a single spell. They don't sell the access to a spellbook with several spells to be copied, they loan or sell a few softbound pages that contain only the specific spell that was requested. You leave an adequate deposit or copy the spell in the back room of their shop.
If a non-caster with the appropriate skills can make copies of the spell in spellbook format (not a scroll) he can make a decent living selling copies of low level spells for people that hasn't the time to study them now but want to buy them for the future.

A little curious fact:
the perfect crafter for the Page of Spell Knowledge is a guy with Profession (scribe), skill focus in Profession (scribe), master craftsman, Craft wondrous item and masterwork scribing tools.
With that set up and wisdom 10 at level 7 (when you get the craft wondrous items feat) you have +15 to your check and taking 10 you can scribe a level 8 page without knowing the spell and without any rank in spellcraft.
Your perfect calligraphy allow you to generate a document that impart the knowledge of a spell.

Absolutely not RAW, but in my world creating a Page of Spell Knowledge require the Scribe scroll feat (with all its limitations) and not Craft wondrous items.


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The new FAQ makes it clear that other classes can write in spelbooks (at least for PFS purposes)
FAQ

The Exchange

wow - that's a change...

so now, anybody have a list of what character classes have "... abilities reference using a spellbook..."...

The Exchange

tread necro -

so this came up in a recent game...

anybody have a list of what character classes have "... abilities reference using a spellbook..."?

or for that matter, what qualifies as "... abilities reference using a spellbook..."? Does owning a Ring of Spell Knowledge count?


No idea. The PFS FAQ is a house rule, and we don't use it in our games, so I haven't really thought about it.

Liberty's Edge

I agree with blahpers, it is a FAQ that applies to PFS games, not general games.

About the Ring of Spell Knowledge question, I would say it do nothing.
It doesn't give you a class ability, so the FAQ doesn't apply.

Another interesting thing is that RAW a Lore Oracle can't write his know spells, he can only copy them from a scroll, or another guy spellbook or their spellbook (for a Lore oracle with the Arcane archivist revelation having multiple copies of the same sell n the spellbook is a must). To write a spell from memory you need to have it prepared. An oracle (normally) hasn't prepared spells.
Same thing with the ring, it gives a know spell, but the oracle dosn't prepare it.

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