A wizard can learn a spell from a scroll by copying it into their spellbook, or from another wizard's spellbook by copying it over. Does this imply that I could simply purchase a non-scroll sheet of parchment with a spell on it with intent to copy it? If so, what's the price for such a thing?
I once had a gm rule that purchasing a new spell for your spellbook costs half as much as a scroll of the spell, but I'm now finding out that he was wrong about a lot of things.
Also, how much of this situation changes if I'm a Witch and not a Wizard? Someone said I can burn scrolls and feed them to my familiar to learn spells, but I can't find that rule anywhere either.
If the answer is "I don't know, ask your GM," it's worth knowing that my GM is a rookie and doesn't know the answer either.
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The answer is under the Magic rules in the Core Rulebook.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/magic.html#adding-spells-to -a-wizard-s-spellbook
In most cases, wizards charge a fee for the privilege of copying spells from their spellbooks. This fee is usually equal to half the cost to write the spell into a spellbook (see Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook). Rare and unique spells might cost significantly more.
You typically need to find an NPC wizard that knows the spell and is willing to let you handle his spellbook, pay him half the cost of the spell's scribing cost for the privilege, then pay the scribing cost itself to copy it into your book and spend the appropriate time required. The DM has final say over whether there's a wizard in the area that knows the spell or is willing to teach it to you, and the DM can arbitrarily increase the listed price if they wish by RAW depending on the attitude of the NPC. If you kill an NPC wizard and loot their spellbook, you can copy the spells it contains for no more than the cost of the scribing materials and passing the spell's Spellcraft check.
The rules for witches are in the Advanced Player's Guide.
Familiar Teaching Familiar: A witch's familiar can learn spells from another witch's familiar. To accomplish this, the familiars must spend one hour per level of the spell being taught in communion with one another. At the end of this time, the witch whose familiar is learning a spell must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). If the check succeeds, the familiar has learned the spell and the witch may utilize it the next time she prepares spells. If the check fails, the familiar has failed to learn the spell and cannot try to learn that spell again until the witch has gained another rank in Spellcraft. Most witches require a spell of equal or greater level in return for this service. If a familiar belongs to a witch that has died, it only retains its knowledge of spells for 24 hours, during which time it is possible to coerce or bribe the familiar into teaching its spells to another, subject to GM discretion.
Learn from a Scroll: A witch can use a scroll to teach her familiar a new spell. This process takes 1 hour per level of the spell to be learned, during which time the scroll is burned and its ashes used to create a special brew or powder that is consumed by the familiar. This process destroys the scroll. At the end of this time, the witch must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). If the check fails, the process went awry in some way and the spell is not learned, although the scroll is still consumed.
Allow me to elaborate in regards to my GM:
He's played one single game of Pathfinder so far, after which our GM - me - stepped down because the pressure of being GM was too great. He barely knows how the game works and basically depends on me to explain or rule how things work. Thus, "The GM has final say" just brings it right back to me to advise him again, which me brings it back to here asking you guys for advice.
It's frustrating, coming here and having people so quickly jump to saying "Ask your GM." : /
Apparently I was a bit unclear: my character is a Witch. The Wizard rules are fascinating, but I specifically need the rules for how this all works for Witches.
Does this imply that I could simply purchase a non-scroll sheet of parchment with a spell on it with intent to copy it? If so, what's the price for such a thing?
A scroll is a magical item, and carries the spell. If you use something nonmagical, it might contain some description of the spell, but that's not enough to cast or learn from it.
In case you still care about the price of a non-scroll sheet: According to Ultimate Equipment a sheet of parchment costs 2 silver pieces, paper increases the price to 4.
I once had a gm rule that purchasing a new spell for your spellbook costs half as much as a scroll of the spell, but I'm now finding out that he was wrong about a lot of things.
Price for a scroll: Spell level * caster level * 25 gp
Learning a spell: Spell level^2 * 10 gpSo for level 1 he was pretty much right: Buy for 1*1*25 = 25, learn for 1*1*10 = 10. It's a bit more off for higher level, e.g. a Fireball scroll (level 3): Buy for 3*5*25 = 375, learn for 3*3*10 = 90. So a bit more than factor 4.
Yep, witches can't copy spells directly from a wizard's spellbook.
They either have to burn a scroll, or find another witch.