To understand my plight, I must explain our campaign. We all started at second-level and were falsely/wrongly imprisoned on an island with our equipment taken away. I'm playing a Dragonborn Wizard and after our last game we got enough experience to hit level three, and I've managed to get another spellbook off of one of the guards who was also a wizard. My question is, when we bust out, and I manage to acquire the funds, can I write in all of the spells from my previous book or not?
I know from the sidebar on p.114 of the PHB that I can copy spells I've prepared into a new one, so what I'm asking for is a little clarification regarding this. According to the RAW, I would only be able to copy in the spells that I have had prepared from the day before I lost/had my spellbook stolen, yes?
Also how would I learn the two free spells from leveling up? I know I should talk with my DM about this, but I just wanted to get some more opinions on this matter.
I think this is in part going to be down to your DM and how generous they want to be.
From the "Your Spellbook" sidebar we can see
If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal.
Under copying a spell we also see
Copying that spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation.
My interpretation of this is that the spellbook you have stolen is not your spellbook and so any spells already in there are in an unfamiliar notation.
A strict DM might rule that you need to acquire a new blank spellbook (or find your original) before you can add your currently prepared spells into it and start to learn any spells from the stolen book (which I think is RAI). A generous DM might allow you to add your currently prepared spells to the stolen spellbook and allow you to make Arcana checks (and the time & gold to copy a new spell) in order to decipher and annotate the other spells in the book so that you can prepare them.
Having just hit level 3, you may be able to hold off adding these until you have a spellbook that is considered yours.
Ultimately though, talk to your DM. Find out how they want to handle it. I take it you are still in the prison? If so your DM may be following the cliche of having an evidence chest in the guard room containing all your stuff.
Yes, we are still in the prison. Originally I too thought that we might find our possessions in the barracks or some storage facility, but according to one of the inmates helping us that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least not near the prison. Apparently he and the warden are “intimate,” but who knows, maybe he’s lying for whatever reason. Regardless this is rather moot until we can escape.
Our DM is rather laidback, so I’m sure I can put my spells in the new book, and I have an int score of 18, so I think I can figure out the spells notations.
Once again, thanks. You are a gentleman and a scholar.
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To understand my plight, I must explain our campaign. We all started at second-level and were falsely/wrongly imprisoned on an island with our equipment taken away. I'm playing a Dragonborn Wizard and after our last game we got enough experience to hit level three, and I've managed to get another spellbook off of one of the guards who was also a wizard. My question is, when we bust out, and I manage to acquire the funds, can I write in all of the spells from my previous book or not?
I know from the sidebar on p.114 of the PHB that I can copy spells I've prepared into a new one, so what I'm asking for is a little clarification regarding this. According to the RAW, I would only be able to copy in the spells that I have had prepared from the day before I lost/had my spellbook stolen, yes?
Also how would I learn the two free spells from leveling up? I know I should talk with my DM about this, but I just wanted to get some more opinions on this matter.
Thank you
I think this is in part going to be down to your DM and how generous they want to be.
From the "Your Spellbook" sidebar we can see
Under copying a spell we also see
My interpretation of this is that the spellbook you have stolen is not your spellbook and so any spells already in there are in an unfamiliar notation.
A strict DM might rule that you need to acquire a new blank spellbook (or find your original) before you can add your currently prepared spells into it and start to learn any spells from the stolen book (which I think is RAI). A generous DM might allow you to add your currently prepared spells to the stolen spellbook and allow you to make Arcana checks (and the time & gold to copy a new spell) in order to decipher and annotate the other spells in the book so that you can prepare them.
Having just hit level 3, you may be able to hold off adding these until you have a spellbook that is considered yours.
Ultimately though, talk to your DM. Find out how they want to handle it. I take it you are still in the prison? If so your DM may be following the cliche of having an evidence chest in the guard room containing all your stuff.
Thank you for replying.
Yes, we are still in the prison. Originally I too thought that we might find our possessions in the barracks or some storage facility, but according to one of the inmates helping us that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least not near the prison. Apparently he and the warden are “intimate,” but who knows, maybe he’s lying for whatever reason. Regardless this is rather moot until we can escape.
Our DM is rather laidback, so I’m sure I can put my spells in the new book, and I have an int score of 18, so I think I can figure out the spells notations.
Once again, thanks. You are a gentleman and a scholar.