Time to study a new spell

[KalEl el Vigilante]

Greetings,
How much time does it take to learn a spell from a borrowed spellbook to copy it? The Spellcraft skill says 1 hour per spell level, but the Magic chapter (Arcane Spells/Arcane Magical Writings/Adding Spells to a Wizard Spellbook) says you must spend 1 hour (flat) after deciphering it.

[Vatras]

The time in my CRB is the same in both cases. In the Adding Spells section it is also 1 hour/spell level and cantrips at 30 minutes, like under Spellcraft.

Maybe there were corrections between printings?

[Thunderrstar]

From the magic chapter

"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)."

Then he can copy it into his spell book thus:

"Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook
Once a wizard understands a new spell, he can record it into his spellbook.

Time: The process takes 1 hour per spell level. Cantrips (0 levels spells) take 30 minutes to record."
Spellcraft states that learning process to take the same time as copying a spell vit no reguard to the time it takes to understand it in the magic chapter.
In effect the question becomes does learning and coping a 4th level spell take 8 (4+4) hours or 5 (1+4)

I say 5 hours as I read the magic chapter as being more specific than the skill chapter.

This fact is that the OP has discovered a contradiction in the RAW this actually needs to get an Erratum.

[Saethori]

I didn't find it to be confusing. This is how I understand it:

First, the wizard needs to decipher it. This can be as simple as preparing and casting Read Magic.

Next, he needs to spend one hour studying the spell. At the end of this, he makes a Spellcraft check to see if he successfully analyzed the spell. If he fails, he can't understand the mechanics of the spell (or at least that scribed copy) just yet.

Finally, he begins the scribing process, which takes an hour per spell level (treating cantrips as 0.5 level as they often are). At the end of this, the spell is scribed.

[Thunderrstar]

Saethori wrote:

I didn't find it to be confusing. This is how I understand it:

First, the wizard needs to decipher it. This can be as simple as preparing and casting Read Magic.

Next, he needs to spend one hour studying the spell. At the end of this, he makes a Spellcraft check to see if he successfully analyzed the spell. If he fails, he can't understand the mechanics of the spell (or at least that scribed copy) just yet.

Finally, he begins the scribing process, which takes an hour per spell level (treating cantrips as 0.5 level as they often are). At the end of this, the spell is scribed.

Yes it looks like that and that is what I would rule, but the Skill description of Spell craft says differently:

Spellcraft wrote:

Action: Identifying a spell as it is being cast requires no action, but you must be able to clearly see the spell as it is being cast, and this incurs the same penalties as a Perception skill check due to distance, poor conditions, and other factors. Learning a spell from a spellbook takes 1 hour per level of the spell (0-level spells take 30 minutes). Preparing a spell from a borrowed spellbook does not add any time to your spell preparation. Making a Spellcraft check to craft a magic item is made as part of the creation process. Attempting to ascertain the properties of a magic item takes 3 rounds per item to be identified and you must be able to thoroughly examine the object.

Thus the confusion and need for an erratum.

[Saethori]

I suspect the version in Spellcraft is overly simplified; it may actually be referring to the scribing process, or even the understanding and scribing as a whole; it mentions learning the spell, which has often been used to mean spells you know in your spell book.