Spellbooks and YOU

[garhkal]

Over on DF in the first ed forums, we're having a discussion on how spellbooks SHOULD be, RE the rules.. IN first ed, it Does seem that a mage needs ONE BOOK PER spell level he can cast. Where as in 2e, it's not really mentioned if he HAS to do it that way or not.


So how do YOU Handle it?
Are mages required to have one book per level? OR can they mix and match all spells they can cram into a book, at will?

How cheap is it to replace a lost (or destroyed) book?

How many pages does a spell take up IN a spell book??

[JadedDM]

Can't really speak to 1E, but I know in 2E all of that stuff is pretty well explained in Chapter 7 of the DMG.

[garhkal]

IT lists the # of pages in spellbooks generally, but not things like
How quickly can one write spells into a book
How costly it is
Can you have multiple spell levels worth, in one spell book??

[JadedDM]

How quickly can one write spells into a book

Well, scribing a scroll takes one day per spell level. One could argue that scribing a spell into your spellbook is basically the same process. But honestly, I'd probably just say maybe 30 minutes to an hour for each spell? I don't really see any reason to make it a very long process.

How costly it is

"For the materials and their preparation, the wizard must pay 50 gp per page. Traveling spell books, which are even more compact, cost 100 gp per page." - DMG, CH 7, pg 42

Can you have multiple spell levels worth, in one spell book??

I can't think of a single reason why not.

[Stik]

I have to support the one day per level rule for scribing spells into a spellbook.
I am a calligrapher. My work is posted here on padnd. I work with pen and ink, paint and brushes. I write words in my native language, using the same alphabet I use on a daily basis (albeit the letters look somewhat different), typically with some small illustrations and a fancy border.
A typical piece can take me anywhere from 8-12 hours, depending on the length of the text and the intricacy of the artwork. My most elaborate piece took 24 hours of work.
A mage working on a spellbook is likely doing more than simply writing words in his native language. He's scribing symbols that need to be exact, likely in multiple colors and sizes, with illustrations of the somatic gestures required and notes on how to pronounce the verbal components. It seems likely that the only part of the operation that would be simple would be the part where he writes down the list of material components.
If I screw up a the text, I can sometimes scrape away the ink and smooth the paper down, or I can on rare occasions change the wording that follows to fit. If I screw up the artwork, I can make adjustments or just put it out as-is.
If a mage screws up the wording or artwork of a spell, he might end up as a damp spot on several different dungeon walls.