Goodman Games

I'm wondering how wizards get on with the limited spell acquisition - and how Judges handle it; not in a given wizard, but acorss multiple. I don't think it's bad at all, but a 5th level wizard would likely know 6 1st level spells, 2 2nd level spell and 1 3rd level spell

Plenty of variety in and off itself, but do players find after having several wizards live and die in the party the same 1st level spells turn up a lot, or is every wizard very unique?

Either way it's not a huge issue, as characterisation makes each warrior unique

Just wondering!

Haven't played enough volume to really address the question as posed...

But don't overlook Mercurial effects for making spells unique. Also, corruption and patron taint, not to mention Patron choice and just flat out roleplaying. I'd say we're unlikely to see the same Wizard twice...

Good points .

I think I would like to see a way to experience more of the 2nd+ level spells that have been written... possibly just introduce them as scrolls, or allow them as one of ritual effects or the like.

Yeah, I like that - spells you come across on adventures, but do not learn, could be cast in ritual format once?

I haven't played enough volume, but in addition to the noted mercurial effect, I note that each spell is usually equivalent to a few spells because of the increasing power of each spell. Some get new effects altogether as the spell check ramps up.

So my first impression is that it would take a while to get tired of the same spell.

This said, I let the wizard in my game have a spellbook with more spells than his "spells known". He can swap a learned spell for another, given enough time (at least a week in game time). This prevents daily spell selection, but allows for some variety.

I didn't do this for the cleric, but I don't see why we couldn't - forcing him to pray for a week or more to swap a spell.

We've played with a house rule that allows wizards to swap-out spells by making a check and spending 1 day/spell level. The only spell for which I think this hasn't really worked is "Wizard Staff," but it actually doesn't come up very often -- usually the wizards pick the spells they like and stick with them. If you have a house-rule allowing wizards to swap-out spells, I would suggest tweaking the rule so that any permanent spell effects of a spell are lost if the wizard swaps out the spell... except for "Find Familiar," which we've been using as a sort of ritual (the familiars seem usually less advantageous than most first level spells.)

I do allow wizard rituals in the game by which wizards can try to do whatever they want and then (after a research period perhaps) I give them a cost, difficulty, and penalty for failure.

With mercurial magic effects, we've found that wizards definitely take on their own flavor and are very fun to play at higher levels, even with the limited spell selection.

I'll dredge up this old thread to see if there are any new thoughts on the matter...

My favorite thing about DCC is that the magic feels more 'magical'... it's not just another form of technology as it seems to be in many other fantasy games.

I don't mind the limited 'spell slots'... but as has been mentioned elsewhere it does seem to undermine the motivation for amassing huge libraries of spells, which was always a good reason to go questing (or hire a group of adventurers to do it for you).
I like all the mysteries/dangers involving wizards and their rivalries, their tomes (booby-trapped and puzzle-boxed) too much to let them go unexplored because the group's wizard only gains one spell per level anyway.

One option I've seen mentioned is houseruling some expensive (in time and resources) ways to 'swap' spells around. Nothing that can be done quickly and easily down in a dungeon or out in the wilds. It might involve a madatory stretch where the wizard cannot cast anything at all... best to be safe in his sanctum sanctorum for that.
I like that idea.

The other option I'm considering is having any spell be available for casting... with the 'prepared' spell limits for immediate (off the cuff) casting and any other spells requiring a ritual of some varying complication depending on level. Again, probably not something that's going to come up deep in a dungeon except maybe some lower level spells that could, given time and resources) be useful outside of immediate duress (combat)... giving a potential reason to quest with a valuable tome at hand and risk losing (and having to regain) it.

So have people been mostly stuck with the spell limitations RAW or has there developed a set of standard houserules along the lines of those I mentioned?