Deciphering & Copying Spells into a Spellbook

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Does this look correct? Am I missing anything?

1. Decipher spell. DC 20+ Spell Level. 1 hour per spell level.

2. Study spell. 1 hour. DC 15+ spell level.

3. Write spell into spellbook. 1 hour per spell level.

Thank you.

[Curaigh]

Pretty much correct. I would adjust it a little, but only because we are not sitting at a table face to face and I don't know if you are missing anything or you just assumed the rest is already understood and agreed upon. :)

1. Decipher spell. Spellcraft DC 20+ Spell Level. 1 hour per spell level. Failure means waiting a day to try again. Read magic automaticallly succeeds.

2. Study spell. 1 hour. Spellcraft DC 15+ spell level. Take 10 is an option.

3. Write spell into spellbook. 1 hour per spell level, (30 minute minimum). One page per spell level. [X] gp per spell (5 for cantrip, 10 for 1st level, 40 for second level, etc..)

[wraithstrike]

You can also just use read magic instead of trying to decipher arcane magical writing.

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Thank you, both.

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Curaigh,

I noticed that you marked out the time to decipher the spell. How long does deciphering a spell take?

[Curaigh]

Spellcraft doesn't specifically list its action. It probably varies depending on the text being deciphered since the skill can be used to decipher the rituals carved into all the columns and all the obelisks in an abandoned cyclopean temple. In that case I think the hour you listed might be appropriate.

Under acquiring a new spell it says a wizard must first 'study' the arcane writing. Study could mean an hour after eight hours of rest, or it might mean three rounds unnoticed by your target, or it might mean a standard or a move action (I think some archetypes/feats get studied combat as a swift action.)

However, the default for most skills is a standard or full round action. Reading a spell from a scroll is a standard action as well. And a spell is 1 to 9 pages long. I would rule deciphering a spell is a standard action in most cases and a full round action when not (cyclopean temples notwithstanding. :)

[wraithstrike]

It's normally done out of combat so it doesn't normally matter. However if it is done in combat I would say go with what Curaigh suggested.

[shaventalz]

The read magic spell says you can read at the rate of one page (250 words) per minute. It seems reasonable to me that using spellcraft to decipher something should take at least as long as a spell designed specifically to do so. That would put deciphering a spell at anywhere from 1 to 9 minutes.

But no, I don't know of anywhere that actually says how long the skill takes.