THE ARCHAIC LANGUAGE

ARCANE SPELLS and SPELLBOOKS


Part of the universe itself - the greater dragons know this truth.

The ubiquitous currents in time and space, a theme perhaps, certainly an intrinsic characteristic of existence itself, it resonates through the fabric of all creation.

Yes, the greater dragons know this truth.




THE ARCHAIC LANGUAGE

SPELLCRAFT

READ MAGIC

SPELL MASTERY

SPECIALIZATION

CAPTURED SPELLBOOKS

SPELLBOOK FORM

SPELLBOOKS

ACQUISITION OF
NEW SPELLS

SPELL RESEARCH (Normal)

SPELL RESEARCH (Special)

SCRIBING SPELLS

SCROLLS

PREPARING and CASTING

MATERIAL COMPONENTS

SORCERERS and BARDS


THE ARCHAIC LANGUAGE

It is a magical thing, this 'language.'

Archaic, some would name it - at least those who truly know it proceeded even the ancient races of dragons in the same way the stars proceeded worlds. Though those epic and draconic creatures know the Archaic tongue and know it well, and though they understand the language was not of their own making, they have long lost interest in communicating amongst themselves in any different tongue, and any former languages they may have known or used have long ago fallen by the wayside. If it weren't for the necessity of occasionally speaking with lesser races, they would not deign to utter any other form of speech.

And now for many eons, when ever possible, the ancient dragons have used only the Archaic tongue, one of the primal languages of heaven and hell and all that passes in between. And that is the truth of it. Yes, the greater dragons know this truth. And that is why so many call this language Draconic, perhaps never knowing its true name. But there is a difference.

Archaic didn't evolve like most languages. It is a property of the universe, a thing to be discovered by the clever or perceptive - not something to be invented, nor a language that evolved or changes over time. Of course under the right circumstances the Archaic language may more easily be seen or discovered, but even then to effectively grasp its intonations and conceptions, it helps to be highly intelligent and unusually perceptive. Besides, it is a difficult language to master, for it is not just of sounds, nor only symbols, but of the mind as well.

Certain thoughts have a shape, a form, and a definite pattern in astral lights and shadows, the stuff few mortals touch upon save in their deepest of dreams. And if those thoughts accompany certain sounds, an attunement with nature may occur. And if that attunement finds purchase, if it corresponds in time and space with the correct sorts of materials or right patterns of energy, the powers of nature itself may be unlocked.

This is the beginning of Archaic or Arcane magic, so called since the language is Archaic. Still, many call it Draconic, and why not? Dragons are, after all, some of the oldest and most magical creatures in existence. So immersed in this now native tongue are dragons, they often feel they must 'lower' themselves to speak a lesser patois. Understandably, they dislike anything that moves them away from their glorious attunement with the cosmos.

NOTE: Greater Dragons, or True Dragons, are NOT the dragons typically found in many D&D scenarios, but are instead ancient beings of nigh divine proportions. True Dragons are usually always sleeping, only stirring from such deep slumbers once every few eons, if that, and they may not even resemble what typically passes for a dragon. If fact, one could rest upon a True Dragon and never discern its true nature, perhaps taking it for a natural part of the world. The dragons of most D&D scenarios - that actually contain dragons - are usually lesser creatures, often thought to be a pale manifestation of a True Dragon's dreams. Despite this avatar like nature of a sleeping True Dragon, lesser dragons may not appreciate their true nature, and think of themselves only as ancient and powerful beings in their own right. Suffice it to say, what one typically encounters as a dragon is often not a True or Greater Dragon. Nevertheless, even such lesser creatures are not to be trifled with lightly. But I digress.

Be that as it may, the practitioners of archaic magic are mostly known as wizards. They have other names, but generically, wizard or even mage or magi are the most common. If a gender designation is important, they are sometimes collectively referred to as warlocks for males or witches for females, though the term 'witch' often has other connotations and possibilities. The term, wizard, applies equally to such a one of either gender. But I digress.

The Archaic language is a collection of runes and symbols that are subtle reminders to those who know it, of the sounds, the shapes, as well as the thoughts or ideas they represent. Not sound nor neither shape nor thought alone will suffice. All components are required for the complete Archaic word or whole idea.

A moderately clever and imitative man might learn the sounds, or even reproduce them with high precision in some fashion, and still never see a flicker of magic. Why? The corresponding thought is not in his head at the exact time he utters the sound, nor is he likely to have with him the right materials, if required, or hold them in the right positions, or even position his body in the right way, for even the body itself, with its intricate paths of chi and flowing rivers of life's energy may form the right material, patterns, shapes, or essential components of the Archaic tongue. This language was not, is not, and never will be about mere sounds. It's far more encompassing than that, and it's all terribly complex. Even a clever man, taught by another clever man already well versed in the Archaic tongue, might take years of study and practice and merely begin to get it right.

But once they begin to grasp the connection of sound and idea, of material and position, once it takes hold, once it starts to work for them, look out. Each success burns its pathway into the brain, making a home for the proper thought of the correct shape, establishing the proper memory, giving the brain a clearer image of what works - for it has worked - they know it worked - it does work - they saw it work - and the certainty it will work again is not to be underestimated should they wish to reproduce the effect.

After someone gets the gist of it, they can only get better at it. So they practice this language, they practice these little cantrips in the Archaic tongue. It may have taken years to achieve this level of understanding, but now that they are there, if they continue to work hard, they may go far. The more fearful amongst the masses often suspect they may go too far, but that's another story.

Yet there is an awful lot of it, this Archaic tongue. More than the gods know. It is part of the universe, after all, an aspect of the whole of all creation, a fundamental part of a macrocosm of grandeur and majesty beyond the realm of complete mortal understanding. Even ancient dragons still marvel at its intricacies, and long-lived elves are eternally fascinated by it. Suffice it to say - given its voluminous nature - it's handy to write it down, what little you do know of it.

Ink on a page. A two-dimensional image suggesting a three-dimensional shape, in turn, for those who know the language and are familiar with the particular symbol, reminding them of a four-dimensional shape and sound or complete Archaic idea. An Archetype, one might call it. It's hard to bend one's mind around that. But hey, there is a trick one may employ to help.

Ink.

Ink? Just ink?

No, but special ink, comprised of a myriad of ingredients exotic and mundane, rare and common, massively expensive and/or cheap as dirt, but most importantly, also of an ingredient with an alchemical tie to the brain it is designed to jog.

Blood.

Blood?

Yes, blood. The wizard's own blood, in fact. Well, his or her DNA, to be precise, not that most wizards know or need to know biochemistry to make this work, mind you. But a part of oneself on the page, empathetically and sympathetically linking itself to one's own mind, subtly reminding, with sympathetic connections, the brain coursing with that very same blood. This added connection easily helps remind the wizard how the 2-space image appears in 3-space, and the shape and sound combination should exist as one Archaic idea, and then subsequently does exist in 4-space as a complete archetype.

Just looking at the archaic symbol may be enough to do things. It's a simple reminder to the enlightened what the pictographic symbol truly represents - its archetype, its true shape, its true sound, and its true thought. If all this is simultaneously held in the mind, its existence is assured. And now that it exists, then and there in time and space, it potentially does things - magical things - interplanar things - if only allowed to do them.

Truly, it's a fascinating subject, the Archaic language. But I digress.

All practitioners of arcane magic must learn Archaic. Unlike mortal languages, however, it is not easily measured how fluent one may be as they pick up the language in the most piecemeal fashion, and there is so much of it - more than any one entity may know or will ever know - one will never truly know just how fluent they are. It's too vast for that. Yet once they begin to grasp its rudiments, once they actually are able to work magical effects with it, it can truthfully be said they 'know' the Archaic tongue.

Yet clearly it is possible to pick up just the sounds of this language and still make something intelligible of them. Something more mundane, something not really magical at all as it is missing its higher cognitive components. This is where a genuine distinction between Archaic and draconic must be made.

Draconic, with a capital 'D,' is the same as Archaic. But with a small 'd,' draconic represents the lesser aspects confined to mere sounds. So important is this distinction, should one ever need to start a sentence with the lesser 'draconic' word, one has license not to capitalize it. draconic, you see, is not the same as Draconic.

The draconic language properly contains a lower dialect totally devoid of the cerebral components of the Archaic language. It is still possible to communicate in this language using just its sounds. But those who know the truth of it know full well draconic is a subset of Archaic. All who speak Archaic also know draconic, but not all who know draconic truly appreciate the full intricacies of the higher cerebral Archaic tongue, or are necessarily capable of casting arcane spells. This is why a creature like a Kobold or a Lizardman knows draconic, but aren't particularly magical. They come into the knowledge as a race and through their ancient connection to the greater dragons.

And while Archaic is perfect in form and thought and sound - an unchanging part of creation waiting to be discovered - the sounds of draconic continue to evolve and may be perverted through time and space. So Archaic and draconic are not the same things, not really, but are well connected to one another, yes.

Oddly enough, one thought, one sound, one idea of Archaic may take on many forms in written glyphs. That is why different pictographs may represent the same archetype. The written portion of Archaic is, after all, just a reminder of the whole, and what reminds one of a particular thought may not be the same for each wizard.

To be reminded of an elephant, you could draw its trunk, or its ears, or its tail, or perhaps something else. Pictographic representations of the whole, they may be quite subjective and hard to understand at first, until another recognizes the true idea behind a particular symbol. Thus, two different wizards who both know the same idea may write them rather differently on a page. Yet each symbol reminds its own author of the true archaic idea connected to it. This is why it is not always easy for one wizard to read the magic of another. Even if they both know the same spell effect, it may be represented differently enough to be confusing.

SPELLCRAFT

Spellcraft: A useful skill. One might almost think learning the Archaic tongue was necessary to practice Spellcraft, and they'd be close, but not quite right. There are other, lesser means to identify a spell or magical function without actually understanding it. Yet many of the skill's normal uses do require one be a wizard or sorcerer or bard, all of whom must know the Archaic tongue if they wish to employ arcane magic. Another may also easily feel knowing Archaic implied knowledge of Spellcraft, and they'd be close, but not quite right. Those lesser means of identification are part of the skill, and not all Archaic things are easily identified due to their subjective nature as the visible portions, or pictographs, are often merely subtle reminders at best, and not complete or whole thoughts unto themselves. Those lesser clues help identify things a great deal.

So Archaic is not Spellcraft, and Spellcraft is not Archaic, though more often than not they will reside in one individual as a pair of complementary skills. But don't confuse the two.

With Spellcraft one may be able to discern written Archaic symbols. There may be just enough similarities between how they'd normally represent the idea themselves, and the way someone else chose to write it. Success often depends on sufficient similarities for recognition. However, one need not know the spell themselves to glean what the spell probably does, at least in principle, so another may fairly grasp what a written spell will do, even if they can't cast a similar spell of their own (yet).

After failing a Spellcraft attempt for some applications, one may have to wait until level, intelligence, or the Spellcraft ability itself (Rank) increases before another attempt may be made. Or one may use the power of the Read Magic cantrip. That is what it does, after all. Some lesser uses merely require one to wait a full day before making another attempt. See the PHB, page 74.

READ MAGIC

Read Magic is a wonderfully useful spell. It surrounds the two-dimensional written archaic pictographic symbol and makes plain the three-dimensional shape and sound, and thus the four-dimensional Archaic idea becomes apparent to the caster of the Read Magic spell. Like not knowing what that tail is at first, this cantrip allows them to turn the corner and see the whole elephant at once. 'Oh, it's an elephant.'

Perhaps they knew this archetype before but had a different pictograph for it, or maybe it is a new archetype to them. In either case, the power of the Read Magic spell reveals the true nature of the written Archaic form, and once cast, the caster will be able to read the recorded Archaic glyphs.

Of course if someone is handy - a person who already wrote those symbols or has already read them through skill or spell - and they wish to share this information with another practitioner, they may do so. No Spellcraft check or Read Magic spell would then be required as they have the pictographic representations explained to them.

SPELL MASTERY

Read Magic is so frequently employed in one's early magical career that it becomes burned into one's brain in permanent fashion. This is known as SPELL MASTERY. If a mage holds mastery over a spell, they no longer need a written form of it to clearly recall how it may be employed. No spellbook is required while preparing such a spell.

OPTIONAL: At character generation, the DM may allow your wizard to hold spell mastery over a number of cantrips (0th level arcane spells) equal to your PC's INT modifier. If the modifier is less than or equal to one, spell mastery over Read Magic is still assumed. If the modifier is greater than one, the wizard may pick additional 0th level cantrips and hold mastery over THOSE few spells as well.

Cantrips, you see, are what wizards practice in order to learn higher-level spells, and they have cast them so frequently that some few may become second nature to them, and thus effectively be mastered.

Further mastery may be taken as a FEAT and then must be paid for as normal. Each time mastery is taken a number of spells equal to the PC's INT modifier may be mastered. These must be selected from any spells the PC already has in his or her spellbooks.

The Feat, Spell Mastery, comes about by taking considerable time to exactingly study one or more spells - the number of spells is equal to one's INT modifier. During the coming days, the wizard will cast one spell, then painstakingly relearn it exactly the same way and in exactly the same conditions, then cast it again. They will do this over and over and over again until they practically drop from exhaustion. Then the next day they can do it again. This practice, unfortunately, is rather demanding and draining, and may only be accomplished sparingly and for few spells (i.e. you want it, you have to have a feat coming).

Spell components are not actually spent doing this as the spell may be stopped just prior to completion, thus preserving material components, for example. But by the time the spell is cast to that point, it has done its work on now familiar neural pathways.

Finally, the wizard learns the spell so well and it becomes so familiar to them, they no longer require their spellbook reminders to prepare that spell. Effectively, a copy of it has been permanently written into their brain. At such a time, a wizard may be said to hold mastery over that spell, or more simply, he or she is a master of that spell.

SPECIALIZATION

The Archaic language is, naturally enough, a unified whole and without internal contradiction, though aspects of it may seemingly be contrary to other aspects of it, or seem counter intuitive, especially if one becomes overly familiar with a small sub section of the cohesive whole.

Wizards who specialize in one school may so firmly embrace and ingrain portions of the Archaic tongue into their beliefs and thoughts that they often have difficulty with other parts of the same language. Of course, by virtue of this greater familiarity, they excel at magic within their own school of specialization, but it comes at a high price - complete and utter failure to grasp some different portion of the Archaic tongue which continually seems contrary to what they know so well. Schools of magic, you see, specialize in certain archetypes and ideas and cling to them so tenaciously, they have great difficulty understanding other schools in the same way a normal person really can't understand a foreign or alien tongue.

BORROWED OR CAPTURED SPELLBOOKS

While possible to eventually understand the writing of another wizard - Spellcraft check DC 20 + spell level - unless the spell energy itself is locked up in the written word, such as with a generate scroll - see below - the connection between one wizard and another wizard's glyphs is never what it could be. It lacks the empathetic and sympathetic connections and gentle reminding nature of a wizard's own blood-infused inks.

To prepare a spell from a spellbook that was not made by one's own hand - or more to the point, one's own DNA-infused ink - a wizard must be prepared to spend longer and make a greater effort to accomplish the same results. Thus, even after becoming familiar with the spells within via Spellcraft or Read Magic or just having it explained to them, they still have to make a Spellcraft check - DC 15 + spell level. If they fail, they cannot prepare that spell from that source on that day, but may try again another day.

NOTE: The difference in Spellcraft check DC's is the difference between merely reading it and knowing what it does - DC 20 + Spell Level - and actually being able to learn it - DC 15 + Spell Level.

If they succeed in this Spellcraft check, it still takes a wizard 10 additional minutes/level of spell to prepare that spell. This time is above and beyond the normal required resting periods, or fraction of the one-hour period in which they may normally prepare spells from their own spellbooks.

Also, if they wish to prepare the other wizard's spell again the next day, they have to reacquaint themselves and make the Spellcraft check yet again - DC 15 + spell level. Can they learn it again? You might think it would be a certainty, but it's not. Why? Casting it wiped it from one's mind. It's a fresh start. Though a wizard may not enjoy mastery over most of his or her spells, they are not totally erased from the brain either, once they learn it, since their more frequent use has started to imprint a particular neural pathway with those particular energies. But I digress.

Once read, they never have to use Read Magic again or make the Spellcraft reading check of DC 20 + spell level. They know those particular symbols represent an elephant now, for example. They always know what the magic is after they successfully read it at least once. But preparation of another's spells is a different matter.

The only way around this added delay and extra daily skill check is to scribe those captured spells into one's own spellbooks using one's own special inks. This empathetic process alone will help began to make a less ephemeral, less volatile memory of the spell. Thereafter, the special connections makes those subtle reminders far easier, and after properly resting, a wizard may learn up to their entire daily compliment of spells in a single hour while using their own copies.

SPELLBOOK FORM and COST
(Ask Your Local DM)

ORLANTIAN SPELLBOOKS

Through the centuries of magical development, one particular form of spellbook has arisen on the planet Orlantia, as well as standard conventions and typical costs. Though they may yet differ in materials and cost from place to place or world to world, the following generally holds true for spellbooks found on or from Orlantia.

Leather bound, often waterproofed with a mild alchemical preparation, each spellbook is roughly 10 to 12 inches tall, about 6 to 8 inches wide, and varies in thickness. In fact, as vellum pages are only sewn in after they are successfully scribed, they may slowly grow thicker as one acquires more spells. New books are often pretty darn thin. Pages may be carefully removed and replaced, as well. Yet these traveling books would be durable soft-cover books, their outer leather covers strong, but pliable.

Each volume has three leather flaps that seal the book's openings, and each flap is secured by two metal snaps after it wraps around an open edge. Properly closed, the book may even be submerged for a time without getting the pages within wet. This is not a recommended practice, but it happens. After a time, the pages may get wet, but the waterproof protection, usually applied after the pages are scribed, may yet protect them for days. Eventually, prolonged immersion in flowing water will likely destroy the tome, but they are remarkably durable. They might even last decades in still water. Their magical nature, in fact, also helps inasmuch as pages never seem to become dull, yellow, or brittle due to old age or the page's own acidic content. Naturally, sufficient abuse will destroy the book.

It is a peculiarity of strings of magical archaic symbols that they harmoniously exist with others of similar power and balance. Yet, vast discrepancies in power may exist, but they sometimes cause peculiar effects and disharmonious discords in the empathetic link between book and mage if written together. However, this annoying effect may be avoided if a single tome contains only spells of one particular power level. That is why all cantrips are usually found in one book, all 1st level spells in another book, all 2nd level spells in yet another book, etc., etc., etc.

As further protection for the entire collection of traveling spellbooks, many wizards obtain a finely crafted leather bag. Also treated with protections, they are resistant to water, stains, and are flame retardant. Such protection often confers additional protection to any books within - (i.e. +2 to all saves.) The pack itself may weigh 3 to 4 pounds and may cost between 10 gold pieces for common ones to as high as 500 gold pieces for more ornate and perhaps finely decorated ones. Most cost about 25 gold pieces and have electrum fittings and locks and keys, and strong leather straps and loops so they may easily be carried in a variety of manners. Such a wizard's spellbook bag may hold up to 20 separate books, but this would weigh as much as 65 pounds and few wizards can tote them all. Fortunately, there is little need to carry that many spellbooks.

SPELLBOOKS
(TRAVELING and HOME)

Traveling spellbooks contain around 50 pages each and may weigh between 1 to 3 pounds. Nearly empty ones weigh less, while nearly full ones weigh more. I say around 50 pages as each level book actually contains an integral number of pages of the spell's level plus 1. 6th level spells, for example, contain pages in multiples of 7, so a full 6th level spellbook would likely have 49 or 56 pages. An 8th level one would have multiples of 9, so 45 or 54 pages.

Home spellbooks are somewhat larger tomes and may weigh 5 to 20 pounds, even holding special thick leather partitions between levels to avoid disharmony. They are also always hardbound books. Despite the possibility of holding more than one level of spell in one book, most wizards keep each spell level in separate tomes for other reasons - don't keep all your eggs in one basket sort of thing.

Each home spellbook may contain 100 pages or more, but never more than 500 pages. It is indeed rare to find these tomes on the trail or being carried around since they are too valuable to risk. Most wizards find very safe places for them. If they do not own a home or stronghold or tower of their own, and they are a worshiper in good standing with the local church or temple, the temple may care for these tomes for them. Regular donations are appreciated, naturally ;-)

ACQUISITION OF NEW SPELLS

Often awarded to young students of wizardry by their mentors, a present of two traveling spellbooks may nicely send them on their way. One is for cantrips while the other one is for 1st level spells. They may be written by the mentor, though using the blood of the student, or the mentor may present empty volumes and materials and allow the student to copy some few spells from his or her own tomes. Students, by this time, may no doubt have a loose collection of many scribbled spells or partial spells, but most take this opportunity to recopy their repertoire in a more professional manner, often with an eye toward future times when they may have a vast collection resembling their mentor's own.

Each spell typically takes one page plus one page per level of the spell. 0th level cantrips thus take one page each, 1st level spells take two pages each, 2nd level spells take three pages each, etc. up to 9th level spells that take 10 pages each. That's why, for example, a 9th level spellbook would contain pages in multiples of 10.

Not coincidentally, this scribing process takes one day per page. That is, one day plus one day per level of the spell being scribed. Part of the length of this time comes about as great care is taken to become familiar with the spell.

This scribing process to one's spellbook uses exotic blood-infused inks and must be done with a feather from a magical creature, or may be done with a normal, quality feather quill that has been dipped in holy water that day. Wizards are expected to collect their own magical feathers, though they may come across them for sale here and there. And at least for a few spells now and again, it is assumed they may simply do all this scribing for a minimal cost of 10 gold pieces per page. This includes ink, special ingredients for the ink, vellum, feather quills, and other materials. But the occasional vial of holy water might run 25 GP, so magic feathers, if they can be found, can save a wizard a great deal of money there.

Specially formulated inks may already be prepared and for sale by wizard guilds or individual mages, if you know where to look or who to ask. They lack only the final ingredient - a small amount of the wizard's own blood. Such bottles often come with enough ink for 10 pages worth of spells. Not coincidentally, a magical feather or holy water-dipped feather may write about 10 pages before its replacement is required. If used, holy water should be replaced periodically - at least as often as the bottle of ink runs dry. This combination of ink and feather would normally cost about 100 gold pieces per bottle - and that's about 10 GP/page's worth.

Lucky is the wizard who finds a vial of this special ink. If the ink is already prepared with another wizard's blood, it is useless for the purpose of making your own spell copies in your own spellbook - though still fine with which to write home about your adventures or even pen scrolls. Even adding your own blood won't help since the former wizard's blood will interfere with the subtle connection.

If a wizard cannot afford a whole bottle of ink, they may purchase smaller portions for 12 gold pieces per page's worth, or they may quest for the ingredients. Besides the blood, a formula often contains ingredients such as pulverized crystals or sometimes gems whose values may approach 100 GP per bottle made. But there is usually another exotic ingredient or two whose cost is not easily measured in gold, but only in time and effort and risk. Alas, you'll have to ask your local DM what that may be. Be that as it may, if you do not wish to buy a bottle for 100 GP, you may take the time to gather ingredients and make one for about half that cost and two weeks' time. But your DM may require you play this acquisition of ingredients, or require it take more time or a special quest.

The practice of drawing one's own blood for their inks has gone on so long it has become almost ritualistic, and the ritual includes cleansing the skin and instruments with alcohol and passing needle or knife through fire. Thus, it is all pretty minimally invasive; so infection, disease, or a significant loss of hit points is not generally a problem. By the time they scribe their spells, they should be fully recovered.

It is both possible and likely your mentor, should you visit him or her for further training in the years to come, will present your PC wizard with gifts and special considerations. This usually takes the form of two free spells each time you go up one level. They are either out right given as gifts, or you are allowed to use his or her personal library and notes to ferret out the information yourself.

Training to go up a level cost 50 gold pieces per week, and you must spend one week per level - the level you are becoming, not the one you are leaving. Also, this is the level of the class you are advancing in, and not the total level of your PC. A 4th level wizard, 3rd level rogue training to become a 5th level wizard would spend 5 weeks, not 8 weeks, learning to be a better wizard. Additional time may also be spent in acquiring other skills or feats.

Other training costs are also 50 GP/week, but that is for skills and feats you may learn elsewhere and probably have nothing to do with being a wizard. To see more on this, follow the link below:

Training Times And Costs In 3e.

However, if you have such a generous master, the cost of the two spells and scribing them into one - and only one - spellbook, are absorbed by your teacher. This is usually the traveling spellbook. When time and money permit, you may scribe them again in a home spellbook for the normal cost in time and money.

Each level, the wizard gains two new free spells under the following assumptions:

  • They must be spells of a level they can cast.

  • At least one of them must be of the highest level they can cast.

  • If they specialized in a school, at least one of them must be from their school of specialization.

  • The spells may not be NAMED spells. These spells, such as Tenser's this or that, Otiluke's whatchamacallits, or Bigby's something or another, or similarly named spells must be found on scrolls or in captured spellbooks.

  • They may not be spells of your own design - nonstandard spells - since they come from your mentor or his or her personal work and notes.

You may, of course, research other spells of your own design at another time, or forego the master's free gift and do independent research at that time. But those spells would not be free.

SPELL RESEARCH
(Normal)

Under ideal conditions, such as a large city's spell research library, or a wizard guild's library, or a church's archives (if this god is known for magic), or even a large private library of a wizard or the like, one spends roughly one week per level of spell.

The cost of this research is generally about the same as the price of such a spell on a scroll, if you could find it. That is: {25 GP x (spell level) x (minimum caster level)}. Assume cantrips cost 10 GP.

One should only pay 80% of this in time and money if the spell is from one's own school of specialization.

After you spend the time and pay the money, you will be required to make a Spellcraft check. DC 15 + spell level. Should you fail, the time and money is gone and your efforts have born no fruit. No refunds. One may immediately pay time and money to try again if they are so inclined. This roll is NOT required, however, if your mentor is there to guide you, and success is assumed.

If you succeed at the Spellcraft check, it is assumed your spell is prepared in your mind. That is the ONLY place it is.

This research cost does NOT include the cost of scribing the spell into your spellbook or spellbooks. In fact, it is sort of assumed that new spell is now only a prepared spell in your mind, and should you cast it, it will fade from memory. Thus, you should immediately copy it into your spellbook. It will also fade from memory then so it is not ready to cast, but the process helps imprint it on your mind, and you'll have a copy you may prepare later and as often as you wish.

You may think it easy to simply purchase a scroll with the desired spell and thus avoid research cost and time. In fact, this might actually work, except it is pretty darn hard to find a wizard who has the spell you want, and is willing to sell you a copy. Any standard cost suggested in the game book is just the minimum cost. If the wizard is higher-level than the minimum required to cast such a spell, there is no reason to think his or her time is less valuable. Thus, they would likely charge a fee based on their level and not the minimum level required to cast the desired spell. And that assumes they like you. If they don't, the cost may be doubled, or trebled, or worse, if they will do the job at all. And all this might take weeks of searching and waiting. Thus, in general, one is frequently better off doing his or her own research.

One might find a scroll or capture a spellbook, however. This will save time and money in researching, but not in scribing the spells to one's own spellbooks. And not everything found can be understood, so one still has to make certain rolls.

SPELL RESEARCH
(Special)

You may research nonstandard spells, or even approximate standard named spells. Just as before, the cost in time is the same. But the cost is somewhat higher - between 2 and 10 times higher, in fact. 2d5 might simulate this nicely. However, so engrossing is this research, and so careful are you as you explore new ground, the cost reflects this care and the difficulty is merely DC 10 + spell level.

NOTE: As named spells ostensibly came from the cream of the crop, they are the products of genius, perhaps supra genius. If a researched spell completely duplicates a named spell, the DC roll is 15 + spell level and not just 10 + spell level. To avoid this, your spell may be one level higher or cost more in material components or some other factor to which the DM agrees. As you can see, it is best to find those spells.

Success places the new spell in your mind. Failure means all time and money have been spent in vain. Once in your mind, you had best scribe it into a book.

SCRIBING SPELLS INTO SPELLBOOKS

Most often one scribes a prepared spell from their mind onto a page in his or her spellbook. This takes one day plus one day per level of the spell. It takes much longer to put a spell in one's spellbook than it does to make a scroll. Why? You are taking pains to imprint it on your mind in a more permanent fashion by repeatedly reviewing each step.

If the spell must come from a captured spellbook, you simply must prepare the spell first before it may be scribed. Details on preparing such a spell may be found above:

CAPTURED SPELLBOOKS

If the spell comes from an energy bearing source, such as a complete, generate scroll, the energy will fade from the scroll as you scribe the spell into your spellbook, but alter your mind as the energy flows through it. This forcibly imprints the archaic knowledge on your mind. You must still succeed with the Spellcraft check of DC 15 + spell level, or this process will fail, the scroll will fade, and the copied pages will be useless.

SCROLLS
(Generate and Degenerate)

A wizard, sorcerer, or bard who has obtained the Scribe Scroll Item Creation Feat, may scribe prepared spells from their mind onto specially prepared parchment, paper, papyrus, vellum, or other suitable material. Time and cost are fully detailed on page 84 of the PHB. But those are for complete scrolls, or Generate scrolls.

To scribe a generate scroll one must actually expend any and all material components and costs of that spell to imbue the magical writing with power. All personal costs are paid by the one who scribes the scroll, though anyone may pay for the external material components, if any. Those who know how may then unlock the power within the generate scroll by reading it properly.

Incomplete scrolls, or degenerate scrolls, are also a possibility. These by-pass the material components and costs, if any. Who ever knows how to, and actually does read the scroll, and voluntarily has, uses, and expends all required material components and cost to cast that spell, may do so. They need not know it, nor have it in their own spellbook. Only familiarity with the spell is required, and that is accomplished by a successful Spellcraft check - DC 20 + spell level, or by employing the Read Magic spell, or by having it explained to them by one already familiar with the spell.

One may not scribe from a degenerate scroll directly into their spellbook, or cast it from the scroll as is. However, after familiarity with the spell, they may attempt to understand it - Spellcraft check DC 15 + level. If unsuccessful that day, they may try again another day.

Once successfully understood, they may expend the material components and cast it just as they might cast a generate scroll, only now supplying those missing components themselves. Or, rather than casting it proper, they may forgo the material components and simply absorb it upon their well-rested mind. Once the spell is prepared and resides within their mind, they may be cast or scribed into their spellbook as normal. If cast, the material components will be required, as normal.

As you can see, a degenerate scroll is pretty much the same as a page or pages ripped out of another wizard's spellbook. They contain knowledge, but no true magical power, and thus do not greatly radiate magic, so only the tiniest amounts will be seen if detected for.

Typically, degenerate scrolls, or captured spellbooks, might sell for around {10 GP x (spell level) x (minimum caster level)} for each spell it contains.

Generate scrolls may be read and cast, of course. Or, instead of casting them proper, may be absorbed unto the well-rested and prepared mind after a successful Spellcraft check at DC 15 + level. Once there, they are prepared spells within the mind and may be cast or scribed as normal. This is, technically, somewhat wasteful, as the material components that had been used to create the generate scroll will be lost and the power will uselessly dissipate. If cast, those materials will have to be supplied again to finish the spell. Only the Archaic knowledge remains within the mind.

NOTE: There is a special 3rd level spell common to both cleric and wizard, though each with slightly different form. They are called Cross-Starts. The purpose of this spell is to marry a divine spell with an arcane spell or vice versa. Properly written on a scroll, a spell of another class may be spliced into the Cross-Start spell. The practical nature of this is that it is possible to make a spell another class may cast. Wizard/clerics or cleric/wizards usually pen these, though a wizard and cleric working together may achieve similar results. For example, a wizard may write the Cross-Start spell and a cleric may marry it to a Heal spell. Now any wizard, as it is the wizard's variety of Cross-Start, may read the Cross-Start, and the scroll itself completes the reading of the Heal, like a one-use magic item. It takes one full round to employ such a scroll. The wizard/cleric, cleric/wizard, or wizard and cleric must be comparable in levels. If not, such as a low-level wizard cross-start being used to cast a high-level divine spell, spell failure or a scroll mishap may result as outlined in the DMG on page 203. Treat this as if the wizard were a cleric of the wizard's level, or vice-versa for a cleric cross-start.

PREPARING and CASTING ARCANE SPELLS

An arcane spell caster must have a well-rested mind in order to prepare spells. Be they a wizard, a sorcerer, or a bard, at least 8-hours rest is required. Even elves and their ability to gain rest in about half the normal time will not suffice. A full 8-hours is required. One need not actually sleep, but they must refrain from combat, any spell casting, significant travel by foot or horseback or other less than restful means, difficult skill use requiring DC checks at 10 or above, or other demanding physical or mental tasks.

Normal eating, conversation, and light reading are usually ok. Sleeping or napping is best. Loud disturbing noises, exposure to inclement whether or harsh conditions, or near by battles threatening to interrupt one's repose, are all generally considered too stressful for proper rest.

If any such activity takes place to interrupt this 8-hours of rest, just add an additional hour for each interruption to the rest period. The last hour MUST be free of all interruptions. Also, in the last hour, any spells retained from previous days must be allowed to fade from memory if you wish to replace them with different spells. This may make a spell caster slightly more vulnerable during this period.

Any spell slot cast within the last 8-hours may not be replenished or renewed. Allowing a spell to fade from memory does not constitute casting the spell slot.

A wizard must be able to view their spellbook to prepare any spell over which they do not enjoy mastery. This assumes fair to good illumination. Starlight, moonlight, and similar illumination are insufficient - unless your wizard has low light vision, as elves and halfelves do. For humans and many others, torchlight or candlelight will suffice.

After rest and with spellbook in hand, the wizard may prepare any empty spell slot with a fresh spell, or they may leave it open for later. Sorcerers and Bards do not need a book, but are otherwise similar in their preparations. Each spell slot is trained for a particular energy level, so a wizard may not prepare lower level spells in higher-level spell slots. For example, you may not prepare a Magic Missile spell in a 4th level spell slot - unless some meta magic feat increases its normal operational energies to that of a 4th level spell.

As they concentrate upon their pictographic forms and impress them upon their rested minds, energies sufficient to start a magical reaction are stored within the brain.

NOTE: It would be a mistake to think the total energy that manifests itself during the casting of a spell lay completely within a fragile brain. Only enough energy, and the knowledge of how to open various micro rifts in other planes of existence, resides within the mind. But this process starts a chain reaction and cascading amplification of energy, and this will eventually be seen as planar energies are drawn forth and shaped and commanded by the practitioner of arcane magic.

Knowing ahead of time what effect you wish is far easier for normal mortals than trying to spontaneously cast any old spell from one's spell repertoire. That is why wizards usually have to prepare their spells ahead of time, using forethought and common sense to best guess what they will need later. But it is not the only way for the wizard.

True, they may leave a spell slot open and blank, but doing so then requires another somewhat smaller restful period of 15 minutes or so, plus 10 minutes/level of spell as the mind is not as receptive after intervening activities like spell casting, skill use, or combat. No matter the level, this should not take more than one hour. If nothing but light travel occurred since initial spell preparation, then they may forgo the 10 minute/spell level increase, but must still take a minimum of 15 minutes to fill the blank.

SPONTANEOUS CASTING BY WIZARDS:

Spontaneous casting is not, surprisingly enough, out of the question for the wizard. It is just costly. Proper preparation of spells uses optimal pathways in the mind; thus one may achieve a particular effect with minimal use of energy. But a more vulgar approach is possible. Blatantly dumping double the normal energy for a spell into a spontaneous spell may achieve desirable effects.

Sorcerers may spontaneously cast spells quite easily, as this is their gift, but if a wizard wishes, they may also do this, but they must utilize the energy of two prepared spells of any level instead of one, sacrificing them both and the spells in those spell slots, releasing the pent up energy within, so they may spontaneously cast another spell whose level is of equal or lesser level to the lowest level spell sacrificed. For example, Mialee has Fireball and Lightning Bolt prepared and ready to go. These are both 3rd level spells. She may sacrifice their power and they will fade from memory, as if cast sans components, sans normal effect, but she'll use the power of both those spells to spontaneously cast one different spell of 3rd or lower level, like Stinking Cloud (3rd level) or Locate Object (2nd level) or Magic Missile (1st level) or even Dancing Lights (0th level).

However, Mialee must have the components for this new, spontaneously cast spell, AND she must either have mastery over this new spell, or have seen it within the last 24 hours in one of her OWN spellbooks.

NOTE: It is simply assumed unless a wizard is separated from their spellbooks, they do, in fact, peruse them at least once/day while adventuring. Chances are, careful wizards do this once/day even while not adventuring just so they may spontaneously cast a more appropriate spell in an unforeseen emergency.

The advantage of spontaneous casting, as opposed to leaving a spell slot open and blank, is that spontaneous casting takes no more time than normal casting and is even useful mid combat. Filling a blank, however, takes time and opportunity, and one doesn't always have that.

Meta Magic Feats may add levels to the operational power level of a spell. For each Meta magic feat employed, to spontaneously cast the spell, one must consider it yet another level higher than they otherwise would.

EXAMPLE: The Magic Missile spell is 1st level. Using Meta Magic STILL and SILENCE, one could prepare such a version as a 3rd level spell. Unfortunately, spontaneous casting is sloppy and difficult when it comes to Meta magic feats. As this spell used two Meta magic feats, Still and Silence, for the purposes of spontaneous casting, it would have to be considered two levels higher, one for each feat, or a 5th level spell. Thus, two 5th level, or higher, prepared spells must be sacrificed in order to spontaneously cast a Magic Missile that requires no verbal, nor somatic components. As you see, this is a rather difficult thing for a normal wizard to accomplish even for what normally starts out as a 1st level spell. Sorcerers, however, may spontaneously cast meta magic spells for less.

Open spell slots, those slots not filled, contain no energy. That is why they are open. Thus, they cannot be sacrificed to spontaneously cast a spell. If one took the time to fill them first, then they would contain energy that might be cast as normal or later even sacrificed to help pay for the spontaneous casting of yet another spell.

MATERIAL COMPONENTS

Often material components, somatic components, and verbal components are part of the Archaic language. Material components, however, are not always handy, or might cost something dear. This is why it is handy to know the spells allowed to fade from memory do not consume material components. Spells sacrificed for spontaneous casting do not consume material components, though the new spontaneous spell does, if it has any.

Interrupted spells may or may not consume the material components. (Ask your DM). Each spell may be different in this regard.

The material components necessary for a spell are not usually required to be in hand for simple preparation of the spell. In fact, they may be miles away. But without them, you cannot successfully finish the casting. Even a wizard deprived of their spellbook for more than day, and deprived of their material components, may still prepare spells over which they enjoy mastery. If no material components are required to cast such a spell, look out. If some are required, but may be common, keep an eye on this wizard lest they venture too near some rose petals or other seemingly harmless items.

Be that as it may, material components are usually consumed only upon successful completion of a spell, though there are exceptions.

Scribing a spell from memory into a book, where the energy is never stored nor expected to be release, does not cost any material components. Penning a generate scroll, however, will cost the writer the material components, and they will disappear upon completion of the writing. The energy is now stored and ready for release by those who know but how. Degenerate scrolls do not cost these materials and hold no real power, though their inherent Archaic symbols may slightly radiate of magic if one cast Detect Magic upon them.

SORCERERS and BARDS

Sorcerers and Bards do not prepare arcane spells in identical fashion to a wizard, but still require a full 8-hours' rest. No spellbooks are required. However, their spell repertoires are somewhat limited in comparison to a wizard's. Wizards may learn arcane spells and bits of the vast Archaic language almost anywhere at anytime. They may find them, experiment to uncover them, research them, or be given them. Sorcerers and Bards may not do this. In fact, even if they are handed to them on a silver platter, they may fail to understand them. Why?

The reason is they do not come into their Archaic power through years of difficult study and practiced formalistic understanding of the arcane arts.

For a sorcerer, it is an inborn trait, very much akin to the way dragons know it. In fact, open speculation and current accepted theory suggest some thread of draconic lineage must run through these people's veins. A magical quality, like Archaic itself, their blood within supplies a deep connection to the universe. The class cannot be learned without this lineage. The class cannot be chosen without this lineage. One is either born with this trait, or they aren't. And for those who are, they might never know it, but if the power is strong and worthwhile, it will almost certainly manifest itself, and soon.

NOTE: Players may pick this lineage, but only during character generation. After the game begins, if they weren't of draconic ancestry before, they never will be. If a player does pick this lineage for their PC, the DM will likely require his or her PC acquire sorcerer levels within a set period of time, such as before becoming a 4th level character, or even before taking any other class, for example. Ask them. It is very unlikely one will be allowed to pick this lineage on the 'off chance' they 'might' want to play a sorcerer some day, if at all.

NOTE: Also, it should be known, though one may have draconic lineage, it does not always manifest itself. It may skip one, two, or even more generations. That is why a sorcerer's parents might not be sorcerers themselves, or even know about it. It is also why a sorcerer's child is not guaranteed to become a sorcerer themselves. Since this draconic trait may skip even a handful or more generations, its manifestation often appears to be quite random. However, when two sorcerers have a child in common, the odds of the child being a sorcerer are pretty impressive, even if not assured 100% of the time. Such pure blood children have about a 95% chance of manifesting this draconic lineage and being a sorcerer. If a sorcerer has a child with a non-sorcerer, the chance is apparently random, or at least no firm percentage has been discovered. But I digress.

NOTE: A player may, if they wish, ask the DM for their PC to be a carrier of the draconic lineage, though never manifest the powers themselves. For roleplaying reasons, one or more of their ancestors may have been sorcerers, or they may wish this possibility for their children. However, they will NEVER be a sorcerer themselves. This ability will be reserved for those who wish to play sorcerers, and probably early on, within their first few levels, if not their very first class. Once the powers begin to manifest themselves by puberty, obtaining training in this class is essential to controlling their otherwise frightening and almost random power.

But it is the case, more often than not, the onset of puberty will awaken this latent talent if it ever is to be awakened at all. If it is, the connection to the universe may be felt, though little understood at first. But in time, a budding sorcerer may discover certain truths about the Archaic tongue, and practice them. They may acquire mastery over certain effects and arcane spells. The greater this connection to the universe, the more they may learn.

This particular connection is best measured in personal, or animal magnetism. It is a sense of power one may feel from another, an aura, a charisma, if you will. The stronger it is, the better the connection, and the more powerful they may become.

In time a developing sorcerer will achieve other connections to the universe. Here, this is well represented by their level. As their levels increase, so does their understanding of the universe, so does their power, and so does their spell repertoire, but barely, and always in small increments.

Short-lived sorcerers may never become overly powerful in knowledge and diversity, but long-lived one may go on for many decades and centuries, or more. The longer they live, the more aspects of the Archaic language they may discover and master, and the more powerful they will become. Dragons, for example, live a heck of a long time, and the ancient ones may be staggeringly powerful sorcerers.

Bards, on the other hand, do not have this inborn trait but come to it in another direction.

Music.

Music?

Yes, Bardic music is not just a collection of pleasant noises. Considerably more may be said on the subject, but suffice it to say, what a bard may learn to do with music, a sorcerer does naturally by virtue of their blood.

Bards high in charisma have a greater affinity for this connection to the universe, and greater insight in the Archaic tongue.

Not all bards learn the Archaic tongue. In fact, most don't. But then I'm referring to those who tell stories and jokes and play instruments and sing songs and recite poetry and never really understand magic. This sort of 'bard' is common, far more common than the adventuring variety. But the bards capable of spells, the bards capable of arcane magic, are adventurers and not some common everyday minstrel. For those few who may attain this power, they must learn the Archaic language before capable of casting arcane spells.

NOTE: Some DMs may offer the Archaic language as a free class skill for wizards, sorcerers, or bards, but I personally think they can pay for them as normal. If their race or INT modifier does not provide sufficient languages, they may acquire the Archaic language for 1 skill point. So difficult is this language, however, that other classes must spend one skill point more than the normal cost of a new language just to learn Archaic, though they may spend the regular number of skill points to learn simple draconic (small 'd.'). If one knows Spellcraft already, then only the regular cost in skill points for languages shall be required to learn Archaic.

NOTE: However, learning the Archaic language does not, in and of itself, mean one can then cast archaic spells. It takes more than that.

Both sorcerer and bard do not have to prepare their spells ahead of time and may freely cast any from their repertoire, limited as it may be. But their connection to the universe is strong, and they may cast these few spells with greater frequency, albeit less finesse in how they go about drawing this energy from the universe. More like a wizard who uses double the power and twice the spell slots to spontaneously cast a single unprepared spell, a sorcerer naturally dumps that sort of power into every one of their spells. A bard, similarly, must use music to harness this universal power, but then employs it with fair efficiency in spontaneously casting their spells.

Since sorcerers and bards effectively spontaneously cast spells - since they do not prepare them ahead of time - they are used to operating at these elevated powers and threshold energies. Thus, their meta magic feats do not cost even more levels to achieve as they do for wizards that attempt to spontaneously cast meta magic feat enhanced spells. So a silent and still 1st level spell is just a 3rd level spell, and not a 5th level spell for a sorcerer or bard, for example.

Though possible for sorcerers to become wizards, or bards to become wizards, it rarely happens. The two approaches to the same results are vastly different and one often feels like they must unlearn what they learned in one class just to advance in another. Still, it occasionally does happen. But when it does, only by skillfully keeping the disparate talents separate and not by trying to combine them will this work.

Thus, sorcerer spell slots remain sorcerer spell slots, capable of spontaneously casting sorcerer spells, and wizard spell slots remain wizard spell slots, capable of casting wizard spells learned from spellbooks, just as they were taught, and never the two shall meet. One should keep their sorcerer abilities and wizard abilities on separate pages, in fact, just to avoid the problem of thinking their spells are interchangeable. They are not, and operate in totally different ways.

Sorcerer/Bard combinations are more common. One simply stacks the number of spell slots as they get them for each level in each class, and learns spells as they do normally.

Bard/Sorcerer combination, however, never happen. Long before they would have opportunity to become a bard, they will come into their sorcerer power first. Then they might pursue a sorcerer/bard combination if they wish, or do something else.

And, of course, some few born with draconic blood may do their utmost to suppress the talent as it may frighten them and their families. One could successfully suppress this latent talent their entire lives, but this often leads to psychological problems as is typical for many who deny their true nature, and such characters make poor adventurers as they constantly struggle with their inner demons.

This is, of course, for a character in a game and an adventuring party who is expected to work well with others. Such a character may be great for a loner, or as a tortured character in literature, but properly roleplayed, they rarely make good traveling companions or dependable colleagues.

Email Jim Your Comments (Send Praises, Critiques, Complaints, Suggestions, Ideas, Corrections, or Submissions).

© August of 2002
by
James L.R. Beach
Waterville, MN 56096