Spell casting

[Golanthius]

Should a spellcaster be able to read a spell "out loud" from his spellbook and have the spell function normally?

It would seem to me that this would work, however, would the spell fade from the book (ie. like a scroll) or would it remain?

All opinions will be appreciated.

[avisarr]

Short answer: Yes, I think it should be allowed. And yes, it would fade.

The traditional rule that most D&D gamers follow is that if you read a spell out of your spellbook, it functions like a scroll. The advantage is that you can cast the spell out of the book at any time, even if your daily allotment of spells has already been expended. The down side is that the spell is wiped permanently from the spellbook, just like if it had actually been a scroll. So, it's a great "last resort" card to play if your back is against the wall and you're really in trouble. Normally a wizard would have to be really in trouble (i.e. facing death) before he would even consider sacrificing spells out of his spellbook in this way. So, it's a good game mechanic and plays well when the drama is running high.

Of course, it's possible for a wizard to read from his spell book, out loud. But if you want to actually activate the spell by reading it like a scroll, there has to be a price to pay. Otherwise, wizards would be doing it all the time and flinging multiple fireballs at every encounter. That would ruin game balance.

[Golanthius]

I thought the same way...I don't think that the spell should have to be re-learned, however, the spellcaster has to find the spell he lost in another book or from a NPC spellcaster and re-write it into his book. He should not have to roll a "Learn Spell" if he already had it once.

Do you agree?

[avisarr]

Yes, I agree. If he can find another copy of the spell from another wizard or from the Wizards' Guild Library, then he should be able to purchase it again and he would not need to reroll his chance to learn it. That's how I would play it if I was the game master.