AD&D 1st Edition: Magic-users and Spellbooks

AD&D has a built-in complexity that derives from a desire to clarify a system to the nth degree. Gygax wanted there to be little uncertainty in how to run the game "by the book" since this was to become the ruleset by which convention tournaments were run. Unfortunately, his explanations were about as clear as mud to the uninitiated. It seems he spent too much time in the company of geniuses and not enough time trying to explain these concepts to the common man. So, in essence, the game is written with an air of superiority. I actually like his writing style, but his explanations leave some scratching their heads.

So it was with the Intelligence tables for use with magic-users. I've been going over many Sage Advice columns lately and it seems that even the authors were getting the rules wrong. It's really not all that difficult to understand once you know why this system was put into place. Obviously, magic-users were very popular back in the day. Then again, since there were only 3-4 classes to choose from originally, it's no wonder! Players being what they are, once they hit upon a winning combination of spells, that combination was copied by all other magic-users until each one becomes a carbon copy of the other. This stifles creativity, free thinking, and makes for a boring game environment. If all 1st level magic-users had sleep as their one and only spell, then opponents would soon come up with ways to defeat the use of that spell. An arms race then escalates as new methods are devised and countered.

In order to combat the "best-spell-selection" magic-user, Gygax implemented a rule in the Greyhawk Supplement that was carried into 1st edition AD&D that basically made each magic-user unique (and randomized the spells a bit more). Now, each magic-user received a random assortment of starting spells, knew a few others that he did not yet possess in a spellbook, and had some spells that could not be learned (until such time as their Intelligence score was permanently increased). So was born Intelligence Table II in the Players Handbook!

Let's take a look at how the process is done. The DM, after reading the section on spells for 1st level characters, sits down with his prospective M-U player and says that his master has taught him some magic and has graciously gifted him with a spellbook. Of the spells the character "knows" (was taught to use by 1st level), the master has prepared a spellbook containing one offensive, one defensive, and one utilitarian spell, along with read magic which is required for ALL magic-users to learn from the start. Therefore, all magic-users begin play with FOUR spells in their book (regardless of Intelligence score). This provides a selection from which they may choose their ONE spell they may cast for the day.

However, looking at the Intelligence table, one sees that there is a minimum and maximum number of spells that can be known per level. The magic-user rolls on the table to see if what other spells they already "know" and understand, up to the minimum number on the 1st level spell list. No "named spells" can be checked, since these must be found as treasure or during play. These "named spells" are also not on the tables for the spellbook contents of a 1st level magic-user in the DMG. Examples on the 1st level list include Tenser's floating disc and Nystul's magic aura. Since these spells were developed by other mage's for their own use, they can only be found on scrolls, in personal spellbooks, or used as trade between those wizard's and their students. The same applies to any spells developed by the player character magic-users. So, the unnamed spells represent the common spells used by all magic-users, the "basic syllabus" if you will.

So now, the magic-user must keep track of THREE lists when the character is created:

1. SPELLS IN SPELLBOOK: This list is generated at 1st level from random rolls on a table in the DMG with help from the DM. It represents knowledge provided by the master as part of training and includes read magic, one offensive spell, one defensive spell, and one utility spell. This is the list used to prepare spells for the day (of which the 1st level magic-user can cast only ONE). No chance to know these spells is necessary; it is assumed to have happened already during training to become 1st level.
2. SPELLS KNOWN: This list consists of spells that the character was exposed to during training and which he has an understanding of (i.e. succeeded on a Chance to Know percentage roll). These spells are understood by the magic-user although they are not written in his spellbook. However, if such spells can be found on scrolls, they can be written into the spellbook without any need to roll to know the spell. When the magic-user is created, the 1st level list is checked until the minimum number of spells is achieved. Then stop rolling on the list.
3. SPELLS THAT CANNOT BE LEARNED: Any spell checked on the list that the character fails to know (by rolling over the Chance to Know percentage) is placed on this list. This spell can never be learned by the character; however, it can be read off scrolls if found. It simply is too difficult for the character to grasp or understand, so they will never be able to write it into their spellbook.

The maximum number of spells per level represents the absolute number of spells of any given level that a character may know. Since the character stops checking the 1st level list once they hit the minimum, this maximum represents the remainder of spells a magic-user can learn when found during play.

For example, Marlin the Prestidigitator with 15 Intelligence has a spellbook containing 4 spells (read magic, charm person, shield, and identify), knows 3 more to bring his spells known to his minimum (7) (these being magic missile, sleep, and burning hands; all selected and rolled for by the character from the 1st level list), and can never learn feather fall or protection from evil (he failed his roll on these two spells). He then adventures and finds a scroll of 5 first level spells. One of these spells he already knows (magic missile) but the other four are unknown to him (comprehend languages, hold portal, message, and spider climb). He decides to keep the scroll for future scribing. If he succeeds in rolling his chance to know on all 4 of those spells, he can add them to his spellbook. However, these spells are now the ONLY 1st level spells he will EVER know (since he has now hit his maximum # of spells for his Intelligence). His first level list would thus have 11 spells listed, and the character should write the word (COMPLETE) above this level list's header. Once known, these spells can never be unlearned. A character never need check the Chance to Know until he or she is ready to scribe spells into their spellbook. If he later finds another scroll with different spells on it, he does not even bother to check his Chance to Know again since his limit has been reached.

If a character's Intelligence is permanently increased during the course of play, their minimum and maximum numbers of spells may increase. Conversely, if Intelligence is permanently lowered, they may lose the knowledge of one or more spells permanently. In the former case, the magic-user has more unused slots he can fill on his SPELLS KNOWN list if he locates new spells; in the latter case, the DM may make him randomly choose which spell(s) are lost from his SPELLS KNOWN list. A spell in his spellbook that is no longer known can no longer be memorized (although it is still listed in his spellbook).

In the unlikely event that one pass through the 1st level list generates less than the minimum after checking all the possible spells, the magic-user may go back through the list and try once more to learn a spell that failed the first time until the minimum is achieved.

KNOWING a spell and having it in your spellbook are two separate things. Knowledge of a spell only means that you can write it into your spellbook without having to check the Chance to Know. It has no other bearing on the workings of the magic-user in play. A read magic spell is still required to read any spell scroll found, even if it contains a spell the character already knows. Scrolls are all written in a special cipher used by magic-users and the spell is required to decipher the symbols and script.Although the above magic-user (Marlin) knows magic missile, he cannot prepare it for use from his spellbook since it isn't written there. He may only prepare one spell from his choice of four spells in his spellbook.

Note that this produces unique magic-users with differing spell lists, instead of cookie-cutter mages that all cast the same spell over and over again. It also forces magic-users to "make do" with the spells that were provided by their master, come up with interesting ways in which to use these spells, and basically makes them think about what a magic-user truly is in a party - an Intelligent man respected more for his knowledge, not simply the spells he can cast. This, more than anything else, balances out the class with the fighter. Those who ignore these rules risk unbalancing the way the game is played, relegating fighters to little more than meat shields protecting the true firepower in the rear ranks - their wizards! It also makes wands and staves more useful to the magic-users who cannot personally cast the spells they contain. After all, why use a 6d6 fireball from a wand of fire if you're 10th level and can do 10d6? If fireball is not on your spell list (and/or you failed to know this spell) this still permits you to cast fireballs from the wand, although not with the same ability as a magic-user who learned and understood the spell.

Some players may consider these rules too random or unnecessarily restrictive. After all, most magic-users want to be the "star of the show," blasting large quantities of monsters with their uber-powerful area of effect spells and unerring magic missiles. Well, there's more to being a magic-user than that! If they think it's not their thing, suggest another class!

Remember that Illusionists, as a sub-class of magic-user, also abide by these rules and have their own spellbook tables in the DMG. The only difference being that they do not require a read magic spell to learn their spells since they write everything in a non-magical secret code (later changed in Unearthed Arcana). Otherwise, the rules for Intelligence remain the same.

One final tidbit -- each level of spells takes up its own spellbook. Thus, a 1st level magic-user has 1 spellbook, a 3rd level magic-user has 2 spellbooks (one of first level spells, and one of second level spells), a 5th level magic-user has 3 spellbooks (one each of first, second, and third level spells), etc. This gets to be a lot of weight and cost! This is why magic-users are NOT supposed to carry their spellbooks to the dungeon with them. Long trips into hostile territory also restrict the amount of weight a magic-user may take with them. This is why the travelling spellbook was developed in Unearthed Arcana. However, the limited space in these spellbooks forces the magic-user to only take those spells they will definitely need on their journey. I believe that the "one level of spells per book" rule was changed sometime after the Players Handbook was published, but I'm not sure when. It was rarely adhered to in the modules written for 1st edition and is just one more check to keep magic-users in line with the power of fighters.