Why is it that wizards are the only class that actually require you to spend gold to learn new spells? If you want to change your spells from the ones you have prepared, other spellcasters just seem to need to spend some time thinking about it and then, they just know other spells, as in the Player just has to look at the spell list for that class and can just pick what they want.
Wizards however seem to only be able to cast from what they have in their spell book, which at level one, is limited to six level ones with only a handful of them prepared. And it you want access to other spells, you have to first find another spell book and then spend two hours and 50 gold just to copy it into your spell book.
That means not factoring in the spells you learn for free from levelling up, you are going to spend the majority of your gold just learning new spells.
Each time you gain a wizard level, you can add two wizard spells of your choice to your spellbook for free. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Wizard table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook. -PHB pg. 114
So really wizard gets an unparalleled number of free spells, the time and money only applies to spells beyond those. No other spell class has access to this, so it seems like a pretty fair balancing check. You can still be an exceedingly useful caster without spending a single gp on your spellbook.
The gold cost represents the high quality ink and parchment and things used to copy the spell and its runes and sigels and what ever else into the spellbook.
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Grianne Wildpaw: Wood Elf Druid level 12 (8W-4L)- - Coliseum of Conquest: Master of Faerie Fire. Just don't ask her to spell it.
Grianne Wildpaw: Wood Elf Druid level 6 (2W-1L)- - Coliseum Reborn : Master of a Myriad of forms.
Runt, the Stormchosen: Half-Orc barbarian level 5 -- The Guild
The gold cost represents the high quality ink and parchment and things used to copy the spell and its runes and sigels and what ever else into the spellbook.
You sure, because that would mean anyone who got that stuff as part of their starting equipment should get the first few for free
The gold cost represents the high quality ink and parchment and things used to copy the spell and its runes and sigels and what ever else into the spellbook.
You sure, because that would mean anyone who got that stuff as part of their starting equipment should get the first few for free
Not many characters have the funds to get the proper quality of supplies (read: not many can afford the 50 gp/spell level quality of stuff - just the cheaper stuff for normal writing), but sure - if a player has their character pre-spend their money on having a stash of appropriate materials to copy spells with later, rather than wait to pay when they know exactly what they'll need, that's allowable.
Now, to the original question of the thread:
Why is it that wizards are the only class that actually require you to spend gold to learn new spells?
Because wizards are the only class that gets access to the wizard spell list, which is the "best" spell list from the designer's perspective because of the sheer variety of effects and the potency available, and they are the only class that doesn't have a strict cap on the number of spells available to them without being 'thrown a bone' by the designers because their spell-casting is expected to include specific party-enabling spells (clerics, druids, and paladins get free access to prepare anything from their class spell lists as a boon because people expect healing and returning from the dead from them).
Plus, the wizard gets to cast any rituals in their book, while other classes that are ritual casters by default only get to cast rituals that they prepared.
So, basically, the wizard has been given tons and tons of benefits when it comes to their spells... and gold piece costs for some of those benefits have been included so that it doesn't feel "too good" for them to get all that they get, and as a legacy nod to the old days when magic-users got no spells after a certain other than the ones they spent some money on.
...you are going to spend the majority of your gold just learning new spells.
Unless you aren't getting much money at all, you probably won't spend the majority on learning new spells. There aren't enough spells that are actually relevant to a particular campaign for it to be not significantly diminishing returns every time you add a new spell to your spell-book, especially since you already get so many spells from leveling up.
you are going to spend the majority of your gold just learning new spells.
My SKT divination wizard has a spell book with 47 spells. Rest of party owns wagons, horses, lots of things. I own my spell books... And I love it.
Every day, I roll my portents and then select spells. I constantly switch based on what we e expect to encounter, resistances, etc. I swap spells based on my portents usefulness to guarantee hits or oppenent failed saves.
The wizard is the most flexible and effective class in the game (IMHO) and the gold for spell books is the cost we pay. And, it is not much more than plate armor... 😉
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DM -- Elanon -- Homebrew world
Gronn -- Tiefling Warlock -- Amarath
Slim -- Halfling Cleric -- CoS (future Lord of Waterdeep 😁)
We are about to ding 11th. (24 of 47 were "free") And with milestone leveling, we went 1-6th pretty quick but spent months of real time at 6th level and accumulated quiet a bit of wealth.
Also, I got some money from the druid he didn't have any use for it...
Why is it that wizards are the only class that actually require you to spend gold to learn new spells? If you want to change your spells from the ones you have prepared, other spellcasters just seem to need to spend some time thinking about it and then, they just know other spells, as in the Player just has to look at the spell list for that class and can just pick what they want.
Wizards however seem to only be able to cast from what they have in their spell book, which at level one, is limited to six level ones with only a handful of them prepared. And it you want access to other spells, you have to first find another spell book and then spend two hours and 50 gold just to copy it into your spell book.
That means not factoring in the spells you learn for free from levelling up, you are going to spend the majority of your gold just learning new spells.
Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher
Each time you gain a wizard level, you can add two wizard spells of your choice to your spellbook for free. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Wizard table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook. -PHB pg. 114
So really wizard gets an unparalleled number of free spells, the time and money only applies to spells beyond those. No other spell class has access to this, so it seems like a pretty fair balancing check. You can still be an exceedingly useful caster without spending a single gp on your spellbook.
The gold cost represents the high quality ink and parchment and things used to copy the spell and its runes and sigels and what ever else into the spellbook.
Grianne Wildpaw: Wood Elf Druid level 12 (8W-4L)- - Coliseum of Conquest: Master of Faerie Fire. Just don't ask her to spell it.
Grianne Wildpaw: Wood Elf Druid level 6 (2W-1L)- - Coliseum Reborn : Master of a Myriad of forms.
Runt, the Stormchosen: Half-Orc barbarian level 5 -- The Guild
Tomoe Gozen: Human Fighter Samurai level 5 -- Cronero (Solo Campaign)
--
DM -- Elanon -- Homebrew world
Gronn -- Tiefling Warlock -- Amarath
Slim -- Halfling Cleric -- CoS (future Lord of Waterdeep 😁)
Bran -- Human Wizard - RoT
Making D&D mistakes and having fun since 1977!
We are about to ding 11th. (24 of 47 were "free") And with milestone leveling, we went 1-6th pretty quick but spent months of real time at 6th level and accumulated quiet a bit of wealth.
Also, I got some money from the druid he didn't have any use for it...
--
DM -- Elanon -- Homebrew world
Gronn -- Tiefling Warlock -- Amarath
Slim -- Halfling Cleric -- CoS (future Lord of Waterdeep 😁)
Bran -- Human Wizard - RoT
Making D&D mistakes and having fun since 1977!