Starting spells

[spacemonkeydm]

I just retread things and I think I got edition jumble in my head. In odd a magic user starts with all spells known?

[Red Baron]

Varies largely by the game.

A lot of people run it where all 8 first level spells are and after that magic users have to build up their repertoire on their own.

If people add a lot of new first level spells they often use 1e-ish rules where you get 2-5 or so random spells. This way a 1st level magic user won't have 40 spells at his disposal.

Personally, I tossed the whole spell list in the trash and made up (or stole) new ones. Magic users start with a single random spell, and it will be unlike anything they've ever seen before in a rulebook, and it will be powerful.

[Stormcrow]

At one point the books say that by sharing a newly discovered or invented spell, the spell becomes publicly known and is added to the spell list in the book. This strongly suggests that the book's spells are known to all spell casters—provided they are high enough level to cast them. New spells must be found, bought, or researched.

[Red Baron]

Jan 26, 2014 9:10:10 GMT -6 Stormcrow said:

At one point the books say that by sharing a newly discovered or invented spell, the spell becomes publicly known and is added to the spell list in the book. This strongly suggests that the book's spells are known to all spell casters—provided they are high enough level to cast them. New spells must be found, bought, or researched.

I think the implication is that by sharing the spell, it becomes "known of", thus adding it to the book. This means the knowledge of what your spell does is now pretty commonplace among magic users, so you won't be able to surprise other wizards with it. I suppose they could try to research a spell to duplicate its effects though.

[Finarvyn]

I like to assume (in general) that the M&M spells are "public domain" and basically everyone knows them. Spells from Greyhawk, AD&D, or other sources have to be researched or found on scrolls. Once you find a scroll with a spell on it, you can add it to your spellbook.

[jacar]

Jan 24, 2014 17:34:25 GMT -6 Red Baron said:

Varies largely by the game.

A lot of people run it where all 8 first level spells are and after that magic users have to build up their repertoire on their own.

If people add a lot of new first level spells they often use 1e-ish rules where you get 2-5 or so random spells. This way a 1st level magic user won't have 40 spells at his disposal.

Personally, I tossed the whole spell list in the trash and made up (or stole) new ones. Magic users start with a single random spell, and it will be unlike anything they've ever seen before in a rulebook, and it will be powerful.

If memory serves, 1e had a 3 column list of 1st level spells. Attack, defense and miscellaneous spells. The player got 1 roll on each and then got to choose 1 column to roll on for a total of 4 starting spells.

[Red Baron]

Yeah, it's in near the front of the dmg.

When the character finishes his/her apprenticeship under a mighty wizard of incredible unthinkable power (maybe even 5th level, wow!), their master gives them a small spellbook of spells as a gift.

In addition to those 4 spells, the magic user also knows read magic, as it was a necessary for them to be of any use to their master.

[blackbarn]

I was just looking at this again yesterday. By my reading the MU has access to all the printed spells from the book once they are of the proper level to cast them. Spells they research themselves can be kept secret or shared (added to those available to all MUs).