| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The DC to create a magic item increases by +5 for each prerequisite the caster does not meet. The only exception to this is the requisite item creation feat, which is mandatory. In addition, you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting their spell prerequisites.
Since scrolls are spell-completion magic items, they are specifically excluded from this rule. IMHO it's a bad rule anyway, since any decent wizard has such a high spellcraft score that a +5 to the DC is trivial.
Hi,
let's say you play a campaign where the heroes are stranded on some island and you don't want the wizard to get one certain spell.
-Zordan
Two things to watch out for.
First, when a wizard gains a level, as written he can choose two new spells to learn, so he may choose the spell you don't want him to have.
Second, while the rules for it are a bit scattered, (ultimate magic, core rulebook, game mastery guide) spells can be researched from scratch and new spells invented.
You could say that a wizard can't research spells, including the ones from leveling up, without access to some sort of library or spell research lab. In this case, any spells they gain would have to be custom placed by the DM. To keep it fair, you would have to place at least two scrolls or spell book writings per level.
Depending on the theme of your island, the spells in question could be engravings on the walls of ruined temples, stone tablets, embroidered into tapestries or on tribal tattoos of enemies.
This is a bit rough on the player, but I think it could also reinforce the "stranded on some island" theme that you're going with. It adds a sense of desperation for the wizard to escape.
Hi,
I stumbled upon this:
let's say you play a campaign where the heroes are stranded on some island and you don't want the wizard to get one certain spell.
The problem is, all the wizard has to do is get enough gold to scribe a scroll of that spell. Magic item creation says, you can create a magic item even if you do not have the required spell (only the DC increases by +5).
As soon as the scroll is written, the wizard can "learn" the spell and copy it to his spellbook.Imho, that sounds ridiculous and was not intended ...
-Zordan
Wizards can take any spell they can cast as part of level advancement, for free.
No scroll required.
The GM is free to rule certain spells do not exist in his campaign.
If the campaign is centered around being stranded on an island, there may be a P.L.O.T. device disrupting planar travel.
If you want the wizard to not be able to get one certain spell, tell the player that up front. Don't try to hack around rules and circumstances to try to keep him from getting it.
Above all, this, particularly if you're modifying any feature that allows the wizard to choose a wizard spell to learn. Don't let a player make a character then pull the rug out from under them with a house rule.
Also, when you are are setting your limits, try to discourage meta-investigative forays by a clever player wanting to know each and every spell disallowed. You will be surprised at what an edge this knowledge can give.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
That I must disagree with. If you're going to modify a class ability that has very definite rules, your modification should be equally definite. The player is staking a lot in their character and deserves to know what its capabilities are. Nobody wants to start a campaign making a blaster only to find out five levels in that the GM hates fireball and thus bans all AoE spells over 2nd level.
You could approach this situation in a different way: For example, if you don't want your player to take Teleport, you could make the plot advance to the point where they don't want to leave the island by the time they have access (i.e. They have to accomplish something).
Alternately, you can play within limits. For Teleportation, above, the island being on another plane will prevent players from escaping.
I've had a house rule on gaining spells from level advancement that give the player three options upon advancing a level: 1) Wait until they can access an extensive library and research a spell they have "heard of" to make it their own. 2) Find another caster who can demonstrate the spell they have "heard of" for them. 3) Have experienced the spell actually cast sometime in their past - either by magical device or creature casting it - which is the option that allows the player to select a new spell right away (they've been thinking about that experience some time and have a "Eureka" moment).
Most spells the player wants the character has experienced, but occasionally there is a spell the player wants that the character has not actually experienced - or should even know about based on game play experience. So, this covers the idea of "maybe they heard about it" without simply being a weird and unexplained giveaway - the PC just instantly knowing the spell.
Works better with INT types over CHR types and have had no issues with it.
If you want the party to stay in the island don't ban spells, just ban the chance for that spells to work. Like... a magical stone hidden somewhere in the most dangerous part of the island, protected by an almost unbeatable guardian?
In my homebrew setting there are some stretches of ocean where the interdimensional geometry is turbulent, mostly this means that teleport doesn't work, requiring physical travel between some places.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If you want the party to stay in the island don't ban spells, just ban the chance for that spells to work. Like... a magical stone hidden somewhere in the most dangerous part of the island, protected by an almost unbeatable guardian?
So basically ban them and do it in the worst way?
Yeah, the wizard gets two free spells every level even without this rule.
As a GM, the best thing to do for any campaign is to plan for how you're story is going to handle fly, teleportation, and plane shift at each level. If your story hinges on those things not working, then you should get creative. Banning spells outright isn't typically fun for anyone. There is a reason high level campaigns rarely involve being shipwrecked.
If you don't want your wizard to fly around the island willy nilly, then make flight more dangerous with a flock of pterodactyl. However, make it more fun with a flock of pterodactyl nested at a cave entrance that has the skeletal remains of a long lost explorer and his wayfinder with a cool ioun stone.
If you don't want your wizard to simply teleport away from a deserted island, then give him a reason to want to stay on the island. What's that drumming sound I hear far off for 5 minutes each night? Your eyes must have stared at this place hundreds of times, but this time you finally see through the illusion over stone entrance. This is where that drumming sound must be coming from ...
Or, just have the island too far away to teleport. I cast teleport and focus on Magnimar, says the Kraylzak. You feel your body being unmade and suddenly hurled across the landscape. You come to, expecting the aroma of spiced potatoes, only you are very wet and land is no where in sight. You must have underestimated how far away you were. Worse yet, a pair of dorsal fins is headed towards you. Roll for initiative!
Yeah, the wizard gets two free spells every level even without this rule.
As a GM, the best thing to do for any campaign is to plan for how you're story is going to handle fly, teleportation, and plane shift at each level. If your story hinges on those things not working, then you should get creative. Banning spells outright isn't typically fun for anyone. There is a reason high level campaigns rarely involve being shipwrecked.
If you don't want your wizard to fly around the island willy nilly, then make flight more dangerous with a flock of pterodactyl. However, make it more fun with a flock of pterodactyl nested at a cave entrance that has the skeletal remains of a long lost explorer and his wayfinder with a cool ioun stone.
If you don't want your wizard to simply teleport away from a deserted island, then give him a reason to want to stay on the island. What's that drumming sound I hear far off for 5 minutes each night? Your eyes must have stared at this place hundreds of times, but this time you finally see through the illusion over stone entrance. This is where that drumming sound must be coming from ...
Or, just have the island too far away to teleport. I cast teleport and focus on Magnimar, says the Kraylzak. You feel your body being unmade and suddenly hurled across the landscape. You come to, expecting the aroma of spiced potatoes, only you are very wet and land is no where in sight. You must have underestimated how far away you were. Worse yet, a pair of dorsal fins is headed towards you. Roll for initiative!
By the rules there is no "too far" for greater teleport, and a knowledge(geography) check should let him know how far away destination B is, so ideally he should not be teleporting "too far". Most GM's don't even make players worry about this, but if they decide to have bad things happen, such as arrive at the wrong place the character would know, and therefore the player should know that previous unenforced rules were being enforce.
Well, actually the book has not penalty for trying to go too far, so the GM is making up his own solution, and the player should know about it.