I've been trying to find an answer to this for a little while. Searching through the forums, the best I could find was that it depended on the DM. I've also found answers stating that it takes an hour and 50 gp per spell to learn a spell. I know that with the feat, Ritual Caster, it says you can learn any spell and add it to your ritual book provided you have a book or scroll of it and use 2 hours + 50 gp per level of spell.
But what would be the case if an Arcane Trickster Rogue, an Artificer, a Wizard, a Druid, or anyone else wanted to add more spells to their repertoire of usual spells? I couldn't find an answer in the PHB or the few other sources I was digging around in, and didn't really get any clean RAW answers from Googling the problem either. Would someone be able to help me out here and give me some advice? Thanks for the help!
Rogues and artificer are stuck with their chosen spells and can swap them out one at a time on leveling. Druids and artificers know all the spells on their list but can only prep a certain number at a time. Wizards can add more wizard spells to their book if they find a copy.
The ritual caster feat lets you copy into your book any spell that's on the list that you chose, but you have to find a copy first, which is DM dependent.
For both wizards and anyone with ritual caster, the cost is 2hr+50gp per level to copy the spell, in addition to any costs incurred obtaining the copy you're using to copy from.
Edit: Misremembered artificers swapping out cantrips on long rest as them swapping spells on level up.
For a Wizard, Pact of the Tome Warlocks, and ritual caster feat players, each level of a new copied spell takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp (except spells added due to leveling). No others have a spell book so they are stuck, except for spells replacement due to leveling.
The artificer and druid already know all the spells on their class spell list, but have to prepare them after a long rest, same is true for clerics and paladins. Every other spellcaster except Wizard (I'll get to that in a bit) can only learn new spells when they level up. This is all explained in each class's spellcasting feature description by the way.
Wizards are special. They have to prepare the spell they know (like artificers, clerics, druids, and paladins), but they dont know every spell on their class list. Instead they have a spellbook that contains all the spells they know. They can add 2 spell automatically when they level up, but are also able to spend time and money to copy wizard spells they don't know into their spellbooks from scrolls and other books.
The ritual caster feat and book of ancient secrets eldritch invocation copy the Wizard spell book rules, but only for rituals.
No, I know all that information. I meant in the case where a PC wants to learn a spell that's not normally available to their class. For example, if the Arcane Trickster got a hold of a Wizard's spell book, would they be able to learn spells from it by spending time + gold learning it. Thanks for the clarification on the Ritual Caster feat though. And whoops, didn't see any of the posts above you DxJxC. Just saw an update and went to that post.
So basically, there's no way to learn spells outside of your class/subclass is what it sounds like I'm reading from everyone else. Unless the DM says otherwise, of course.
The only ways for most characters (everyone but tome warlocks and bards) to learn outside their class/subclass are magic initiate or ritual caster, both of which require you to choose a specific class for your access.
The only ways for most characters (everyone but tome warlocks) to learn outside their class/subclass are magic initiate or ritual caster, both of which require you to choose a specific class for your access.
Huh, alright then. I'll still see if anyone else has anything to say, but I can understand that. I suppose our DM is just allowing us to go around that and learn spells provided we have a spellbook to learn them from (and the proper resources). He's also allowing us to tear pages from the book and use them as a scroll, essentially losing the ability to learn from it to use it immediately.
So basically, there's no way to learn spells outside of your class/subclass is what it sounds like I'm reading from everyone else. Unless the DM says otherwise, of course.
Generally speaking, yes. As Lunali mentioned there are specific feats and (sub)class/race features that let you learn spells outside of the class's spellcasting feature. But these are exceptions, not the rule and have their own restrictions associated with them.
No, I know all that information. I meant in the case where a PC wants to learn a spell that's not normally available to their class. For example, if the Arcane Trickster got a hold of a Wizard's spell book, would they be able to learn spells from it by spending time + gold learning it. Thanks for the clarification on the Ritual Caster feat though. And whoops, didn't see any of the posts above you DxJxC. Just saw an update and went to that post.
So basically, there's no way to learn spells outside of your class/subclass is what it sounds like I'm reading from everyone else. Unless the DM says otherwise, of course.
Part of the game's balance is based on each class having a specific list of spells available to them and specific rules for how many of those spells they know or have prepared. Some classes(like the Cleric) have access to all of the spells on their list of appropriate level, and prepare a subset of them after each long rest. Others(like the Ranger) have a set number of spells they know from their list, and that number increases as they level up. To avoid getting stuck with a spell you find you never use, when you level up you can(in addition to picking a new spell when the number you know increases) swap one of your known spells for another one on your list. The Wizard is unique, not only do they learn more spells as they level up than other classes, they don't keep those spells in their head, they keep them in a book. Similar to the Cleric, after each Long Rest they choose a certain number of spells from their book to have ready for casting that day. If they find a scroll or another spellbook that contains a Wizard spell of a level they can cast, they can add it to their spellbook to increase the number they can choose from when preparing each day. Only the Wizard has the ability to increase the number of spells they can choose from to prepare each day outside of leveling up.
Some race, class or feat options let you learn spells outside what your class lets you. These are explicitly stated in the options that grant them. Beyond that, the game does not include an option for someone to simply find a scroll and learn it. Doing so would significantly affect the balance of the game. If your group wants to add a rule to allow it, obviously that's up to you. But it's going to make casters more powerful, so be aware.
The idea of tearing the pages from a spellbook to use them as spell scrolls is probably not going to unbalance the game, provided the other rules for casting from a scroll are maintained.
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I've been trying to find an answer to this for a little while. Searching through the forums, the best I could find was that it depended on the DM. I've also found answers stating that it takes an hour and 50 gp per spell to learn a spell. I know that with the feat, Ritual Caster, it says you can learn any spell and add it to your ritual book provided you have a book or scroll of it and use 2 hours + 50 gp per level of spell.
But what would be the case if an Arcane Trickster Rogue, an Artificer, a Wizard, a Druid, or anyone else wanted to add more spells to their repertoire of usual spells? I couldn't find an answer in the PHB or the few other sources I was digging around in, and didn't really get any clean RAW answers from Googling the problem either. Would someone be able to help me out here and give me some advice? Thanks for the help!
Rogues
and artificerare stuck with their chosen spells and can swap them out one at a time on leveling. Druids and artificers know all the spells on their list but can only prep a certain number at a time. Wizards can add more wizard spells to their book if they find a copy.The ritual caster feat lets you copy into your book any spell that's on the list that you chose, but you have to find a copy first, which is DM dependent.
For both wizards and anyone with ritual caster, the cost is 2hr+50gp per level to copy the spell, in addition to any costs incurred obtaining the copy you're using to copy from.
Edit: Misremembered artificers swapping out cantrips on long rest as them swapping spells on level up.
For a Wizard, Pact of the Tome Warlocks, and ritual caster feat players, each level of a new copied spell takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp (except spells added due to leveling). No others have a spell book so they are stuck, except for spells replacement due to leveling.
The artificer and druid already know all the spells on their class spell list, but have to prepare them after a long rest, same is true for clerics and paladins. Every other spellcaster except Wizard (I'll get to that in a bit) can only learn new spells when they level up. This is all explained in each class's spellcasting feature description by the way.
Wizards are special. They have to prepare the spell they know (like artificers, clerics, druids, and paladins), but they dont know every spell on their class list. Instead they have a spellbook that contains all the spells they know. They can add 2 spell automatically when they level up, but are also able to spend time and money to copy wizard spells they don't know into their spellbooks from scrolls and other books.
The ritual caster feat and book of ancient secrets eldritch invocation copy the Wizard spell book rules, but only for rituals.
No, I know all that information. I meant in the case where a PC wants to learn a spell that's not normally available to their class. For example, if the Arcane Trickster got a hold of a Wizard's spell book, would they be able to learn spells from it by spending time + gold learning it. Thanks for the clarification on the Ritual Caster feat though. And whoops, didn't see any of the posts above you DxJxC. Just saw an update and went to that post.
So basically, there's no way to learn spells outside of your class/subclass is what it sounds like I'm reading from everyone else. Unless the DM says otherwise, of course.
The only ways for most characters (everyone but tome warlocks and bards) to learn outside their class/subclass are magic initiate or ritual caster, both of which require you to choose a specific class for your access.
Huh, alright then. I'll still see if anyone else has anything to say, but I can understand that. I suppose our DM is just allowing us to go around that and learn spells provided we have a spellbook to learn them from (and the proper resources). He's also allowing us to tear pages from the book and use them as a scroll, essentially losing the ability to learn from it to use it immediately.
Thanks for the clarification.
Generally speaking, yes. As Lunali mentioned there are specific feats and (sub)class/race features that let you learn spells outside of the class's spellcasting feature. But these are exceptions, not the rule and have their own restrictions associated with them.
Part of the game's balance is based on each class having a specific list of spells available to them and specific rules for how many of those spells they know or have prepared. Some classes(like the Cleric) have access to all of the spells on their list of appropriate level, and prepare a subset of them after each long rest. Others(like the Ranger) have a set number of spells they know from their list, and that number increases as they level up. To avoid getting stuck with a spell you find you never use, when you level up you can(in addition to picking a new spell when the number you know increases) swap one of your known spells for another one on your list. The Wizard is unique, not only do they learn more spells as they level up than other classes, they don't keep those spells in their head, they keep them in a book. Similar to the Cleric, after each Long Rest they choose a certain number of spells from their book to have ready for casting that day. If they find a scroll or another spellbook that contains a Wizard spell of a level they can cast, they can add it to their spellbook to increase the number they can choose from when preparing each day. Only the Wizard has the ability to increase the number of spells they can choose from to prepare each day outside of leveling up.
Some race, class or feat options let you learn spells outside what your class lets you. These are explicitly stated in the options that grant them. Beyond that, the game does not include an option for someone to simply find a scroll and learn it. Doing so would significantly affect the balance of the game. If your group wants to add a rule to allow it, obviously that's up to you. But it's going to make casters more powerful, so be aware.
The idea of tearing the pages from a spellbook to use them as spell scrolls is probably not going to unbalance the game, provided the other rules for casting from a scroll are maintained.