so the wizard class always assumes that your wizard owns an spellbook. However an spell book costs 50 gold and an wizard starts with 4d4 x 10 gold to buy resources if you roll for equipment, making it possible for you to roll so low for wealth that you can never afford an spell book in the first place. What happens then? does your spellbook become something else like rocks in a bag as described in xanatars guide to everything? do you just start with a few spells prepared and then you dont have any more?
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
(a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
A spellbook
yeah but that is ignored if you choose to roll for wealth. Start of chapter 5: equipment of the players handbook.
"when you create your character, you receive equipment based on a combination of class and background. Alternatively, you can start with a number of gold pieces based on your class and spend them on items from the lists in this chapter "
in other words, you dont get an spellbook for free if you decide to roll wealth, since by doing so you forgo starting equipment from background and class. Again this does not change anything
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
(a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
A spellbook
yeah but that is ignored if you choose to roll for wealth. Start of chapter 5: equipment of the players handbook.
"when you create your character, you receive equipment based on a combination of class and background. Alternatively, you can start with a number of gold pieces based on your class and spend them on items from the lists in this chapter "
in other words, you dont get an spellbook for free if you decide to roll wealth, since by doing so you forgo starting equipment from background and class. Again this does not change anything
I, and every DM I've played with in 5e has always ruled that you get equipment based on your Class, plus what you get from Background, or you get what your class gives you as well as rolling for wealth.
What would be the point of playing a Wizard if you don't get the one thing every Wizard needs?
Common sense says give the class what their class starts with and if you're rolling for Wealth, that's additional money for other things you can buy.
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
(a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
A spellbook
yeah but that is ignored if you choose to roll for wealth. Start of chapter 5: equipment of the players handbook.
"when you create your character, you receive equipment based on a combination of class and background. Alternatively, you can start with a number of gold pieces based on your class and spend them on items from the lists in this chapter "
in other words, you dont get an spellbook for free if you decide to roll wealth, since by doing so you forgo starting equipment from background and class. Again this does not change anything
I, and every DM I've played with in 5e has always ruled that you get equipment based on your Class, plus what you get from Background, or you get what your class gives you as well as rolling for wealth.
What would be the point of playing a Wizard if you don't get the one thing every Wizard needs?
Common sense says give the class what their class starts with and if you're rolling for Wealth, that's additional money for other things you can buy.
That is great for you. That is homebrew however.
-
Yes, you can roll for wealth and not get enough for a spellbook. In this case you only have your cantrips until you can afford the spellbook. When you get the spellbook, then you can add the starting spells and play as normal.
A 1st level wizard without a spellbook can still do more damage and has more utility than a 1st level fighter without a sword - so, you'll be fine.
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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.
Whether it is common sense or not doesn't change it from being homebrew.
I'm not against it. Personally I let people roll wealth in addition to the class and background stuff, but I still recoginise it as homebrew. When providing answers it is always best to keep this in mind, as the person you're answering may have a DM who does not agree with your homebrew or is very Rules-As-Written (which is common, especially amongst newer DMs or in AL games).
The question asked was a "what happens when..." / "... is this right?" type of question not, "in this situation what would you do?" - (at least by way its worded, intended or otherwise) which, while detailing homebrew rules you use still has merit and is worth posting, it's not quite as helpful as explaining what the RAW say happens in this situation since only this actually answers this type of question.
I hope this makes sense, it's like 2:40 in the morning and my brain feels fuzzy.
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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.
I think of starting equipment as stuff that the character has accumulated in the time they've practiced as their class and from their background. For example, a wizard is assumed to have spent time practicing their cantrips over and over a long period of time that they don't need spell slots for them. That amount of time into spell research would also have likely prompted the wizard to take notes of spells they were researching, or their spellbook.
Deciding to roll for equipment is an option. If, for some reason the wizard rolls too low to afford a spellbook, I feel that the DM should be lenient enough to put scrolls of magic in the first adventure so that the wizard can copy them into a makeshift spellbook when the situation arises.
i wonder, would some of the more "unorthadox" spellbooks described in xanatar's guide to everything have the same gold cost as regular spellbook. Would having long straps of leather on whom spells are written, wrapped arround an staff really cost as much as an book with vellum pages? would having your spells inscribed in small rocks you found on the ground that you store in a freaking sack be the same as an spellbook whose pages are thin sheets of steel etched into with acid? If so when an player cannot afford their spellbook, you simply tell them to get creative about what medium they use for spellcasting, like halluciengic drugs of certain types teach him spells or they do the rocks-in-a-bag route
or wouldint it be easier for an wizard to get 6d2 gold pieces, getting less gold on average but now they will always be able to afford an spell book and pair of robes so they dont go around naked, or having a rule where if an wizard cannot afford their spell book they get to reroll untill they roll a total of at least 60 gp
that being said playing an low int wizard with no spellbook who just casts cantrips would probably be an interesting challenge, playing the least viable possible character like e ver
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Me personally, I do Class Equipment and Background Equipment, but not letting a Wizard start with a spell book to me is like letting a Cleric start without a holy symbol.
I understand the points being made, and I agree not every DM is the same, I do whoever believe that it is improperly worded on limiting starting class gear.
Assmuming Sage background and Wizard starting equipment (and taking most expensive option if several available):
a dagger (2gp), a component pouch (25gp, not sure why this is more expensive than an arcane focus), a scholar's pack (40gp), A spellbook (50gp)
A bottle of black ink (10gp), a quil & a small knife & a letter from a dead colleague (free, no cost listed), a set of common clothes (5sp), a belt pouch (5sp) +10gp spare change.
Total package: 138gp.
So you have to rolled 2x fours and 2x three's on that starting wealth for a wizard to be better off than taking the starting equipment packages, and even then you would only have 140gp to spend (what will you spend the extra 2gp on?)
OR........
Assmuming Sage background and Wizard starting equipment (and taking cheapest option if several available):
a quarterstaff (2sp), an arcane focus (5gp for a staff), an explorer's pack (10gp), a spellbook (50gp)
A bottle of black ink (10gp), a quil & a small knife & a letter from a dead colleague (free, no cost listed), a set of common clothes (5sp), a belt pouch (5sp) +10gp spare change.
Total package: 86gp 2sp.
So you have to rolled 1x three and 3x two's on that starting wealth for a wizard to be better off than taking the starting equipment packages, and een then you would only have 90gp to spend (what will you spend the extra 3gp 8sp on?)
**
I think you are far better off taking the starting equipment for class/background than rolling if your DM says it is an either or situation....although I kind of want to play a naked wizard at level 1 walking down the road like Chaucer in the beginning of the film a Knights Tale.
i think if you're dead-set on rolling wealth and end up with not enough for a spellbook (which means you didn't cheat on the roles) - that's actually great. It adds a new flavor and a decent low-level challenge.
plus when your wiz is older he can look at the young whipper-snappers and say 'when i was young, i had to walk to wizard school up hill both ways...and was so poor i couldn't even afford a spellbook!'
gives your character something to be proud about.
the idea of doing pure roles for all starting stats is great, imo. especially if you end up with a poor-arse wizard with 9 intelligence. the whole 'look how awesome my day-1 character is with such awesome stats' gets old (just imo). it makes the flaws real instead of just a one-liner at the bottom of the character sheet that no one pays attention to anyway.
i think if you're dead-set on rolling wealth and end up with not enough for a spellbook (which means you didn't cheat on the roles) - that's actually great. It adds a new flavor and a decent low-level challenge.
plus when your wiz is older he can look at the young whipper-snappers and say 'when i was young, i had to walk to wizard school up hill both ways...and was so poor i couldn't even afford a spellbook!'
gives your character something to be proud about.
the idea of doing pure roles for all starting stats is great, imo. especially if you end up with a poor-arse wizard with 9 intelligence. the whole 'look how awesome my day-1 character is with such awesome stats' gets old (just imo).
"THAT'S NOTHIN!, When I were a lad we ad to walk up ' down hill both ways backwards dodging firebolts cast by the 2nd year students coz we were closest thing to target practice!"
Me personally, I do Class Equipment and Background Equipment, but not letting a Wizard start with a spell book to me is like letting a Cleric start without a holy symbol.
I understand the points being made, and I agree not every DM is the same, I do whoever believe that it is improperly worded on limiting starting class gear.
Stay safe. everyone.
Some people also play homebrew settings where you start as prisoners with nothing at all.
some Homebrew hardcore campaigns you start with clubs and that’s it and you have to have a fight and do some RP to even get to level 1 and your class and then there’s a “time skip” for the next session where you all are now fully trained leve 1s of your class.
etc etc etc
bottom line. Not everyone plays the game the exact same way.
i think if you're dead-set on rolling wealth and end up with not enough for a spellbook (which means you didn't cheat on the roles) - that's actually great. It adds a new flavor and a decent low-level challenge.
plus when your wiz is older he can look at the young whipper-snappers and say 'when i was young, i had to walk to wizard school up hill both ways...and was so poor i couldn't even afford a spellbook!'
gives your character something to be proud about.
the idea of doing pure roles for all starting stats is great, imo. especially if you end up with a poor-arse wizard with 9 intelligence. the whole 'look how awesome my day-1 character is with such awesome stats' gets old (just imo).
"THAT'S NOTHIN!, When I were a lad we ad to walk up ' down hill both ways backwards dodging firebolts cast by the 2nd year students coz we were closest thing to target practice!"
yeah obiously like if you roll too low and you ether have not enough money for an spellbook, or you roll so low (rolling 5) that you have to choose between having a spellbook and going naked versus having clothes but no spellbook (so your sensitive areas are covered only by an beard or your very long hair), you are contractually obligated to roleplay the "i am very poor and life was harder back in my day" aspect of the character, i mean how could you not
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Uhmmmm... then this thread is basicly about what could do a mage which he/she couldn't buy an spellbook, right ???
Then why not take the Caligrapher's tools as a job ??? He/she could get an easy book/notebook....... for FREE !!!
Then, selling the notes, saving some money later, guess what he/she could afford.
calligrapher's tools are just ink, 12 pieces of paper, and 3 quills...just looking at the standard spellbook, its 100 pages..and spellbooks aren't just paper books with fancy writing. I'd say you'd still need to buy roughly 50gp worth of materials to make a spellbook. maybe with a proficiency in calligrapher's tools its 40gp.
Uhmmmm... then this thread is basicly about what could do a mage which he/she couldn't buy an spellbook, right ???
Then why not take the Caligrapher's tools as a job ??? He/she could get an easy book/notebook....... for FREE !!!
Then, selling the notes, saving some money later, guess what he/she could afford.
...becuase an normal book and an spellbook is not the same thing, spellbooks are expensive for a reason ya' know, high quality paper made from baby cows
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
The 50 gp spellbook in equipment would be ornate, leatherbound, high-quality paper tomes.
A spellbook, generally, can vary in quality - it's the ink when scribing spells that is expensive, the spellbook itself is just paper or anything that be used like paper. A spellbook could be a bunch of papers scrunched together, or leather-straps, or small rocks. Whatever works and you have accessible.
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.
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so the wizard class always assumes that your wizard owns an spellbook. However an spell book costs 50 gold and an wizard starts with 4d4 x 10 gold to buy resources if you roll for equipment, making it possible for you to roll so low for wealth that you can never afford an spell book in the first place. What happens then? does your spellbook become something else like rocks in a bag as described in xanatars guide to everything? do you just start with a few spells prepared and then you dont have any more?
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
yeah but that is ignored if you choose to roll for wealth. Start of chapter 5: equipment of the players handbook.
"when you create your character, you receive equipment based on a combination of class and background. Alternatively, you can start with a number of gold pieces based on your class and spend them on items from the lists in this chapter "
in other words, you dont get an spellbook for free if you decide to roll wealth, since by doing so you forgo starting equipment from background and class. Again this does not change anything
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
I, and every DM I've played with in 5e has always ruled that you get equipment based on your Class, plus what you get from Background, or you get what your class gives you as well as rolling for wealth.
What would be the point of playing a Wizard if you don't get the one thing every Wizard needs?
Common sense says give the class what their class starts with and if you're rolling for Wealth, that's additional money for other things you can buy.
That is great for you. That is homebrew however.
-
Yes, you can roll for wealth and not get enough for a spellbook. In this case you only have your cantrips until you can afford the spellbook. When you get the spellbook, then you can add the starting spells and play as normal.
A 1st level wizard without a spellbook can still do more damage and has more utility than a 1st level fighter without a sword - so, you'll be fine.
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.
I would consider that more common sense, not homebrew. Every edition of D&D has the wizard starting with a spellbook.
Whether it is common sense or not doesn't change it from being homebrew.
I'm not against it. Personally I let people roll wealth in addition to the class and background stuff, but I still recoginise it as homebrew. When providing answers it is always best to keep this in mind, as the person you're answering may have a DM who does not agree with your homebrew or is very Rules-As-Written (which is common, especially amongst newer DMs or in AL games).
The question asked was a "what happens when..." / "... is this right?" type of question not, "in this situation what would you do?" - (at least by way its worded, intended or otherwise) which, while detailing homebrew rules you use still has merit and is worth posting, it's not quite as helpful as explaining what the RAW say happens in this situation since only this actually answers this type of question.
I hope this makes sense, it's like 2:40 in the morning and my brain feels fuzzy.
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.
I think of starting equipment as stuff that the character has accumulated in the time they've practiced as their class and from their background. For example, a wizard is assumed to have spent time practicing their cantrips over and over a long period of time that they don't need spell slots for them. That amount of time into spell research would also have likely prompted the wizard to take notes of spells they were researching, or their spellbook.
Deciding to roll for equipment is an option. If, for some reason the wizard rolls too low to afford a spellbook, I feel that the DM should be lenient enough to put scrolls of magic in the first adventure so that the wizard can copy them into a makeshift spellbook when the situation arises.
i wonder, would some of the more "unorthadox" spellbooks described in xanatar's guide to everything have the same gold cost as regular spellbook. Would having long straps of leather on whom spells are written, wrapped arround an staff really cost as much as an book with vellum pages? would having your spells inscribed in small rocks you found on the ground that you store in a freaking sack be the same as an spellbook whose pages are thin sheets of steel etched into with acid? If so when an player cannot afford their spellbook, you simply tell them to get creative about what medium they use for spellcasting, like halluciengic drugs of certain types teach him spells or they do the rocks-in-a-bag route
or wouldint it be easier for an wizard to get 6d2 gold pieces, getting less gold on average but now they will always be able to afford an spell book and pair of robes so they dont go around naked, or having a rule where if an wizard cannot afford their spell book they get to reroll untill they roll a total of at least 60 gp
that being said playing an low int wizard with no spellbook who just casts cantrips would probably be an interesting challenge, playing the least viable possible character like e ver
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Me personally, I do Class Equipment and Background Equipment, but not letting a Wizard start with a spell book to me is like letting a Cleric start without a holy symbol.
I understand the points being made, and I agree not every DM is the same, I do whoever believe that it is improperly worded on limiting starting class gear.
Stay safe. everyone.
As a little brain exercise...
Assmuming Sage background and Wizard starting equipment (and taking most expensive option if several available):
a dagger (2gp), a component pouch (25gp, not sure why this is more expensive than an arcane focus), a scholar's pack (40gp), A spellbook (50gp)
A bottle of black ink (10gp), a quil & a small knife & a letter from a dead colleague (free, no cost listed), a set of common clothes (5sp), a belt pouch (5sp) +10gp spare change.
Total package: 138gp.
So you have to rolled 2x fours and 2x three's on that starting wealth for a wizard to be better off than taking the starting equipment packages, and even then you would only have 140gp to spend (what will you spend the extra 2gp on?)
OR........
Assmuming Sage background and Wizard starting equipment (and taking cheapest option if several available):
a quarterstaff (2sp), an arcane focus (5gp for a staff), an explorer's pack (10gp), a spellbook (50gp)
A bottle of black ink (10gp), a quil & a small knife & a letter from a dead colleague (free, no cost listed), a set of common clothes (5sp), a belt pouch (5sp) +10gp spare change.
Total package: 86gp 2sp.
So you have to rolled 1x three and 3x two's on that starting wealth for a wizard to be better off than taking the starting equipment packages, and een then you would only have 90gp to spend (what will you spend the extra 3gp 8sp on?)
**
I think you are far better off taking the starting equipment for class/background than rolling if your DM says it is an either or situation....although I kind of want to play a naked wizard at level 1 walking down the road like Chaucer in the beginning of the film a Knights Tale.
There's also the sage advice that answers this, though that may not be to everyone's liking.
https://www.sageadvice.eu/2018/05/06/if-a-character-multiclasses-into-wizard-how-do-you-handle-not-having-a-spellbook-immediately/
i think if you're dead-set on rolling wealth and end up with not enough for a spellbook (which means you didn't cheat on the roles) - that's actually great. It adds a new flavor and a decent low-level challenge.
plus when your wiz is older he can look at the young whipper-snappers and say 'when i was young, i had to walk to wizard school up hill both ways...and was so poor i couldn't even afford a spellbook!'
gives your character something to be proud about.
the idea of doing pure roles for all starting stats is great, imo. especially if you end up with a poor-arse wizard with 9 intelligence. the whole 'look how awesome my day-1 character is with such awesome stats' gets old (just imo). it makes the flaws real instead of just a one-liner at the bottom of the character sheet that no one pays attention to anyway.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
"THAT'S NOTHIN!, When I were a lad we ad to walk up ' down hill both ways backwards dodging firebolts cast by the 2nd year students coz we were closest thing to target practice!"
(ahhh Monty Python sketches, easy to form into any setting...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1by0-nkKOTs)
Some people also play homebrew settings where you start as prisoners with nothing at all.
some Homebrew hardcore campaigns you start with clubs and that’s it and you have to have a fight and do some RP to even get to level 1 and your class and then there’s a “time skip” for the next session where you all are now fully trained leve 1s of your class.
etc etc etc
bottom line. Not everyone plays the game the exact same way.
Watch me on twitch
yeah obiously like if you roll too low and you ether have not enough money for an spellbook, or you roll so low (rolling 5) that you have to choose between having a spellbook and going naked versus having clothes but no spellbook (so your sensitive areas are covered only by an beard or your very long hair), you are contractually obligated to roleplay the "i am very poor and life was harder back in my day" aspect of the character, i mean how could you not
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Uhmmmm... then this thread is basicly about what could do a mage which he/she couldn't buy an spellbook, right ???
Then why not take the Caligrapher's tools as a job ??? He/she could get an easy book/notebook....... for FREE !!!
Then, selling the notes, saving some money later, guess what he/she could afford.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
calligrapher's tools are just ink, 12 pieces of paper, and 3 quills...just looking at the standard spellbook, its 100 pages..and spellbooks aren't just paper books with fancy writing. I'd say you'd still need to buy roughly 50gp worth of materials to make a spellbook. maybe with a proficiency in calligrapher's tools its 40gp.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
...becuase an normal book and an spellbook is not the same thing, spellbooks are expensive for a reason ya' know, high quality paper made from baby cows
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
The 50 gp spellbook in equipment would be ornate, leatherbound, high-quality paper tomes.
A spellbook, generally, can vary in quality - it's the ink when scribing spells that is expensive, the spellbook itself is just paper or anything that be used like paper. A spellbook could be a bunch of papers scrunched together, or leather-straps, or small rocks. Whatever works and you have accessible.
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.