Be aware that sometimes wizards and others that have acquired a collection of spellbooks will, for a hefty fee, allow you to peruse them and copy spells from that. In this case it’s the 50GP/L + the “owner’s fee. There is a guy in one of the Waterdeep modules that does this. My character from the module worked a deal with him to add the spellbooks he found to those available and split the profits - actually fairly lucrative.
Fine inks and components to copy spells are not items you could buy in a shop. They aren't actually items, just as you wouldn't buy a feather or charcoal in a shop. The 50 gp doesn't represent anything specific and fine ink is just an example. Therefore you should not be impacted by shopkeeper pricing. The cost is to keep wizards from just getting every spell easily and the cost is 50 gp or 25 for your specialty. That is the rule as written.
What is the value of a spellbook once your done with it? You defeat a wizard take his spellbook copy his spells into your book, now his spellbook must be worth something, right?
What is the value of a spellbook once your done with it? You defeat a wizard take his spellbook copy his spells into your book, now his spellbook must be worth something, right?
Depends on the spells it offers. A blank one is 50 gp. Every spell increases that.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
How does the magic economy work in the world? Is information easy to get with people sharing freely or does each magic user hoard every scrap for themselves? If you're a wizard, there are two ways to get a spell outside of leveling up; copy from a spell scroll or copy from another wizard's spell book. The spell scroll is destroyed in the process and has a (semi-)defined price as a consumable magic item in the DMG. In addition there is a chance of failure if you miss your Arcana check so the cost of knowing a spell is some expected value function for how many scrolls you will have to buy to learn it. A spell book isn't consumed when you learn a spell from it. Does that make it more valuable or less? The marginal value is the same to you (you know the spell), the marginal cost is lower (there is no destroyed spell scroll). Can you talk with any wizard at the tavern and copy as many spells as you wish? The spell book is worth ~50 GP. Does it require some major quest to become a benefactor to the library to gain access to the restricted areas? The book could be more valuable than a pile of spell scrolls. That is a huge range dependent on the DM's world.
found it DMG item description, wow buy or sacrifice a scroll requires a skill check and requires time and additional gold. Seems like a lot vs transferring from a spellbook.
RAW a new wizards spellbook, is it magical? Does it sell for half value? It has 6 1st level spells what is it worth?
50g for the book how much for the spells (50g per level to copy them) so 300g for a total value of 350g or 125g if sold for half its value. That seems really cheap but if that’s what it is.
I personally seeing the time requirement and seeing the cost of hiring a spellcaster I’m inclined to sell a spellbook for full value which helps balance with the expense of transcribing from a scroll. Spell economy is intense and I for one don’t see mages sharing their ‘secrets of reality’. Libraries of spell books, that’s very extravagant.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Be aware that sometimes wizards and others that have acquired a collection of spellbooks will, for a hefty fee, allow you to peruse them and copy spells from that. In this case it’s the 50GP/L + the “owner’s fee. There is a guy in one of the Waterdeep modules that does this. My character from the module worked a deal with him to add the spellbooks he found to those available and split the profits - actually fairly lucrative.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Fine inks and components to copy spells are not items you could buy in a shop. They aren't actually items, just as you wouldn't buy a feather or charcoal in a shop. The 50 gp doesn't represent anything specific and fine ink is just an example. Therefore you should not be impacted by shopkeeper pricing. The cost is to keep wizards from just getting every spell easily and the cost is 50 gp or 25 for your specialty. That is the rule as written.
What is the value of a spellbook once your done with it? You defeat a wizard take his spellbook copy his spells into your book, now his spellbook must be worth something, right?
Depends on the spells it offers. A blank one is 50 gp. Every spell increases that.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Say you took it off a new wizard it has 6 first level spells?
I guess what would you be able to sell it for?
full value or half or? To buy a blank spellbook costs 50g.
How does the magic economy work in the world? Is information easy to get with people sharing freely or does each magic user hoard every scrap for themselves? If you're a wizard, there are two ways to get a spell outside of leveling up; copy from a spell scroll or copy from another wizard's spell book. The spell scroll is destroyed in the process and has a (semi-)defined price as a consumable magic item in the DMG. In addition there is a chance of failure if you miss your Arcana check so the cost of knowing a spell is some expected value function for how many scrolls you will have to buy to learn it. A spell book isn't consumed when you learn a spell from it. Does that make it more valuable or less? The marginal value is the same to you (you know the spell), the marginal cost is lower (there is no destroyed spell scroll). Can you talk with any wizard at the tavern and copy as many spells as you wish? The spell book is worth ~50 GP. Does it require some major quest to become a benefactor to the library to gain access to the restricted areas? The book could be more valuable than a pile of spell scrolls. That is a huge range dependent on the DM's world.
Where does it say scrolls are destroyed?found it DMG item description, wow buy or sacrifice a scroll requires a skill check and requires time and additional gold. Seems like a lot vs transferring from a spellbook.
RAW a new wizards spellbook, is it magical? Does it sell for half value? It has 6 1st level spells what is it worth?
50g for the book how much for the spells (50g per level to copy them) so 300g for a total value of 350g or 125g if sold for half its value. That seems really cheap but if that’s what it is.
I personally seeing the time requirement and seeing the cost of hiring a spellcaster I’m inclined to sell a spellbook for full value which helps balance with the expense of transcribing from a scroll. Spell economy is intense and I for one don’t see mages sharing their ‘secrets of reality’. Libraries of spell books, that’s very extravagant.