It's time someone had a really close look at how spell acquisition works. That someone, is me.
2nd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide
Early in Chapter 7, the DMG outlines four ways to acquire new spells:
- going up in levels
- copying from spell books
- scroll research
- study with a mentor
The guide then turns to a discussion of spell books, and the costs of preparing them. Finally, there is relatively thorough coverage of researching new spells (which should arguably have been listed at the start of the chapter, as the fifth way of acquiring new spells.)
These descriptions appear to be disparate, and don't necessarily work together neatly. This is of particular importance at higher levels, when a party is looking to manage spell availabilty across all spellcasters, and introduce new spells to add flavour or solve particular problems.
Also relevant is the cost to create spell scrolls. Firstly, you may want to add to your spells per day by having a trusty favourite on a scroll, only using it when you've run out of spells, or are in a particular situation. More importantly, if you want to research a spell using a scroll as a base, how much would it cost on the open market? Realistically, more than it would cost to create it yourself, were you able to do it - why would an NPC sell a scroll at a loss?
Chapter 10 of the DMG deals with magical item fabrication, including a lengthy section on spell scrolls. What is lacking is a definition on what it costs, and how long it takes (arguably, pretty fundamental.)
The magic item tables in 2nd edition do not include gp values of items, so that can't be used as a guide.
The 3rd edition formula is spell level x caster level x 25gp as a "buy price" for PC's. A third level Fireball, at caster level 6, would cost 450gp on the market; a ninth level Wish, caster level 20, would cost 4500gp. This implies it should cost less than 4500gp for a 20th level wizard to put Wish on a scroll.
The older 1st edition suggests that scrolls cost 300gp x spell level. That's 900gp for a Fireball, 2700gp for a Wish.
I don't find either of these to be satisfactory solutions at the higher level spells.
Proposed rule mechanics for buying spells on scrolls on the open market
First, there is no guarantee the market has what you want available to buy, so you make a check to see if it's available.
The chance your desired spell is available is 100 minus the spell's level squared. A first level spell is 99% available for sale, a ninth level spell is 19% available for sale. Another check can be made after one month.
As for the number available - a "town" will have 1d4; a "city" will have 1d6, and a "capitol" will have 2d4.
The assumption is that you are looking in a market that would support spell scroll availability in the first place, such as a major city with wizard school or magic using guild.
The cost will the 100gp x the spell's level, plus 100gp x the spell's level squared.
Level - Cost
1 - 200gp
2 - 600gp
3 - 1200gp
4 - 2000gp
5 - 3000gp
6 - 4200gp
7 - 5600gp
8 - 7200gp
9 - 9000gp
This should be the base cost, and is a quick and easy reference. However, PC's wishing to roleplay the negotiation may be able to get better prices. Certain scenario's might see the NPC vendor seeking a higher price.
With these parameters, can we work out the appropriate cost for making the scroll in the first place?
Fabricating the spell scroll magical item
The rules suggest that only a wizard of ninth level or above can create scrolls and potions. This would suggest that all spell scrolls are at least cast at ninth level (rather than sixth, as the DMG item descriptions suggest). The DMG also suggests that scrolls are cast at one level higher than the level required for access to that level of spell.
On that reasoning:
- 5th level spell scroll is cast at 10th level
- 6th level spell scroll is cast at 13th level
- 7th level spell scroll is cast at 15th level
- 8th level spell scroll is cast at 17th level
- 9th level spell scroll is cast at 19th level
Furthermore, that should imply that you cannot create the scroll with the higher spell levels until you reach those levels. This is only a slight modification to the rules-as-written, requiring you to be one level higher than the level needed to cast the spell.
How much will it cost?
For this, we go back to the rules on acquiring new spells, and use the research rules.
Firstly, to do research, you must have a lab. The research is more efficient if you have a better lab. The lab's value will range between 1000gp and 10,000gp.
The cost of researching a new spell is 100gp - 1000gp per spell level. This implies that a 10,000gp lab should see you creating spells at 100gp per level; the 1000gp lab will cost you 1000gp per level.
If you were researching a new spell to go into a spell book, you would have had to create the book as well, pages costing 50 - 100gp each, according to the DMG (but only 50gp per page under my revision, see below).
For a spell scroll, the "page" cost will simply be 50gp per level squared.
Assuming a 10,000gp lab:
1 - 50gp page plus 100gp
2 - 200gp page plus 200gp
3 - 450gp page plus 300gp
4 - 800gp page plus 400gp
The same cost structure will continue up to ninth level spells, but I will suggest that the lab value rules change at fifth level and higher, such that the minimum lab value required is 3000gp x spell level.
5 - 1250gp page plus 500gp (min. 15,000gp lab)
6 - 1800gp page cost plus 600gp (min. 18,000gp lab)
7 - 2450gp page plus 700gp (min. 21,000gp lab)
8 - 3200gp page plus 800gp (min. 24,000gp lab)
9 - 4050gp page plus 900gp (min. 27,000gp lab)
How long will it take?
The time taken will be one week per spell level, as opposed to two weeks per spell level for new spell research.
At the end of the time, the wizard rolls their chance to know. A failure means they can continue for another week and make another check. The additional cost will be 50gp per spell level for each of these weeks. The wizard can continue until successful, or they give up.
These rules should make it profitable for a proficient wizard to make money. Many wizards may lose money on spell scrolls for sale if they have a low value lab, or a poor chance of success.
It is probably cheaper to create the scroll for yourself, but it takes time. Buying a scroll in the market may take time to actually find, but you can do other things during the month you are waiting to make another check (such as research new spells!)
Spell book page costs
The difference between a spell book spell and a scroll spell is that on a scroll, the magic is contained within it. From a book, you need to memorise, then the magic comes from the caster. On that basis, the page cost for a spell book should be much cheaper. The DMG gives costs for "travelling" and "standard". However, this seems to be an unnecessary complication.
A simple rule would be that a page in a spell book costs 50gp, and takes 1 day to prepare. A 100 page spell book would therefore cost 5000gp and take 100 days, or just over 3 months, to prepare.
You can prepare blank pages ahead of time - you don't have to do it at the time you are researching or copying spells. You could also pay another wizard to do it for you, by negotiating the value of their time, and paying the 50gp per page cost.
Researching a new spell
The commentary above covers the situation for new spell, but I will re-do the table to account for the "page cost" difference.
Assume 10,000gp lab.
1 - 1+(d6-1) x 50gp plus 100gp (150gp - 400gp), plus 100gp per fail
2 - 2+(d6-1) x 50gp plus 200gp (300gp - 550gp), plus 200gp per fail
3 - 3+(d6-1) x 50gp plus 300gp (450gp - 700gp), plus 300gp per fail
4 - 4+(d6-1) x 50gp plus 400gp (600gp - 850gp), plus 400gp per fail
The same cost structure will continue up to ninth level spells, but I will suggest that the lab value rules change at fifth level and higher, such that the minimum lab value required is 3000gp x spell level.
5 - 5+(d6-1) x 50gp plus 500gp (750gp - 1000gp), plus 500gp per fail
6 - 6+(d6-1) x 50gp plus 600gp (900gp - 1150gp), plus 600gp per fail
7 - 7+(d6-1) x 50gp plus 700gp (1050gp - 1300gp), plus 700gp per fail
8 - 8+(d6-1) x 50gp plus 800gp (1200gp - 1450gp), plus 800gp per fail
9 - 9+(d6-1) x 50gp plus 900gp (1350gp - 1600gp), plus 900gp per fail
The lab determines the costs per spell level.
The page cost is far less, being just 50gp per page.
The time taken is longer though, at two weeks per spell level.
A failure at the end of the time, however, will require a further injection of cash at the "per level" costs your lab grants you. Ideally this is only 100gp, but could be 1000gp. Another check is made after 1 week.
Copy from scroll to spell book
The DMG says "time and cost is half normal".
Applying that, the time is 1 week per level of spell.
Page costs apply as per the above table (spell level + d6 - 1).
Research costs are 50gp per spell level.
The scroll is consumed as part of the research, so there is no "fail" cost (it's the cost of the scroll)
1 - d6 x 50gp page + 50gp, 1 week
3 - d6+2 x 50gp page + 150gp, 3 weeks
5 - d6+4 x 50 gp page + 250gp, 5 weeks
9 - d6+8 x 50gp page +450gp, 9 weeks
Copying from a spell book
The costs are just the page costs.
The time is one week per level.
If you don't make your "chance to know", you don't bother trying, so there is no cost and no risk.
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