Writings & Learning Spells

Spellbooks
Spellbooks or grimoires are simply primers, textbooks, or theses on magic (Price x 4). Casters value them because their high intrinsic worth makes them suitable as power items, because they’re a way to learn spells without training costs, and because many contain spells that are otherwise “off-limits” in the campaign. The following features also appeal:

• Textbook- and thesis-sized spellbooks can “split up” points between several related spells. Each spell must either be a prerequisite for one of the others or have one of those spells as a prerequisite. Clerical and druidic spells lack prerequisite spells, but use these rules for this purpose.
  • This means there could be 2 or 3 or more spells in a Spellbook that build off of each other as prerequisites for the other, etc.
• Textbook- and thesis-sized grimoires let readers with Magery or Power Investiture, as appropriate, cast spells at default! The book must be held in two hands and read aloud in a firm voice (forget about being sneaky). Double casting time! Roll against IQ-6 for a Hard spell or IQ-7 for a Very Hard one, but add Magery or Power Investiture.
• A fine (+8 CF) or very fine (+17 CF) spellbook gives +1 or +2, respectively, if the caster already knows a spell it contains, holds the book in two hands, reads aloud, and takes double base casting time (ignore time reductions for high skill).

Textbook- and Thesis/Tome-Sized Grimoires (Spellbooks) Table

Scrolls
Texts that cast spells at respectable skill levels when read are known as scrolls, regardless of physical form. A scroll can cast a single spell – almost anything – once. If the spell’s effects are variable, the scroll will specify such details as area, damage dice, and level of effect. The user can’t adjust these things!

Using Scrolls
To use a scroll, the reader requires Accented or better comprehension of the written language it was penned in. He must ready the scroll in two hands and then read it aloud in a firm voice, which requires Broken or better spoken comprehension. Reading takes twice the spell’s usual casting time.

The spell is cast – exactly as if the reader cast it on his desired subject – the moment the reading is complete. This requires no skill roll unless the spell is cast at a distance and/or Resisted. Then roll as usual using the scroll’s skill level, with an extra -1 or -3 if the reader’s spoken comprehension is Accented or Broken, respectively.

When the spell goes off, the reader pays the energy cost for whatever spell effects the scroll’s creator chose. He may maintain the spell at the usual cost for as long as he can afford it. Energy can come from his FP, Energy Reserve, or power item. There’s no cost reduction for the scroll’s skill level.

Reading the scroll aloud causes its power to dissipate and its writing to vanish. This is regardless of whether the spell works! Reading it silently doesn’t cast the spell or exhaust the scroll, and lets anybody who could cast from the scroll determine its spell.

Scrolls (Spells) on Gear
One scroll can be painted, inscribed, or embroidered on each cloak, shield, tool, weapon, or piece of armor. This requires a visit to a temple, Wizards’ Guild, etc., in town, and takes a day per energy point. The delver won’t have his item during this time, if that matters! Cost is as usual for that scroll, plus $10 on cloth, $20 on leather or wood, or $60 on metal.
The advantage is that the owner need not ready a scroll to cast; he can read off his vambrace, blade, etc., in battle. Only the item’s bearer can activate such a scroll, so this is only useful on gear he can easily see (use common sense!). The downside is this: if the spell roll is a critical failure, the item disintegrates.

Tattooed Scrolls (Spells)
Nothing says that only leather and zombies can get ink done. You can have one spell tattooed on each arm, each leg, the head (you must shave it, and you’ll need a mirror to read the tattoo), and the front torso. This costs the usual amount for that scroll plus $100 – big tattoos done so they won’t injure you aren’t cheap! Getting tattooed prevents you from doing anything else in town for a day per energy point.
Tattooed scrolls work like scrolls on gear, except that you can’t read from a body part covered by armor or clothing. Critical failure means the spell afflicts you, personally, in whatever evil way amuses the GM. This costs 0 points – it isn’t a permanent ability. Indeed, once read, even your $100 tattoo vanishes!

Learning Spells
Via a Spellbook:
A reader who meets all the prerequisites to learn the spell may try to do so: read the spell from the book(one spell at a time), roll against its skill, and on a success, pay one character point to learn it instead of casting.
Critical failure means the spell affects the reader in a horrible way of the GM’s choosing.

Via a Scroll:
A reader who meets all the prerequisites to learn the spell may try to do so: read the scroll, roll against its skill, and on a success, pay one character point to learn it instead of casting. Any such attempt depletes the scroll – even if it fails or the reader doesn’t have a point available! Critical failure means the spell affects the reader in a horrible way of the GM’s choosing.

Via Lengthy Study:
Also see Learning Skills & Spells W Study for learning spells without the Spell written out for you in an easy and understandable manner.

Manuals
A manual is a guide to one particular Cultural Familiarity, Language, or IQ-, Will-, or Per-based skill. Manuals come in three basic formats. (I have removed the rules for the Scholar class, as I am not running DF by the book anyway)

Primer: Anybody can study this for 15 weeks on the road or in town and then spend 1 point to learn its lore permanently.

Textbook: A textbook can teach a skill permanently, just like a primer. Those who lack the skill can consult it in the field to get a default roll for a skill that normally doesn’t allow one:
Attribute-4 if Easy, attribute-5 if Average, attribute-6 if Hard, or attribute-7 if Very Hard.

Thesis/Tome: Same as Textbook, but also gives those who know the skill +1 to identify items, do research, etc.

Knowledge Type Modifiers
Common Knowledge: Base prices reflect common knowledge: a living Language, Cultural Familiarity for a widespread race or nationality, or a typical mundane skill that defaults to IQ, Will, or Per (see Common Knowledge, p. 14). Rarefied knowledge costs more:

Obscure Knowledge: “Dead” Languages, Cultural Familiarities for lost civilizations, and mundane IQ-, Will-, or Per-based skills without defaults (Alchemy, Body Language, Engineer, Hidden Lore, Musical Composition, Musical Instrument, Religious Ritual, Speed-Reading, Surgery, Ventriloquism, and Veterinary) or with few legitimate uses (Counterfeiting, Forgery, Holdout, Lockpicking, Poisons, Shadowing, Smuggling, Streetwise, and Traps).

Esoteric Knowledge: Thaumatology, or any IQ-, Will-, or Per-based skill normally restricted to individuals with powers, including bardic skills, chi skills, Esoteric Medicine, Exorcism, and Herb Lore.
Magic: Spells!

Maps
Sketchy: Navigation is at -2.

Average: Navigation is unpenalized.

Annotated: Excellent notes let those without Area Knowledge try a default roll at IQ-4 to find specific items. Navigation is at +1.

Final cost will at least double for maps of obscure areas (dungeons, haunted woods, etc.), quadruple for maps to forgotten strongholds of lost civilizations. There’s no upper limit – a map to a king’s ransom could cost a prince’s ransom! Such maps aren’t sold at shops. Use these prices for situations like mysterious travelers selling maps, and to gauge resale value for found treasure maps.

Books, codices, folios, scrolls . . . texts of all varieties.
All such items are “special orders.” Characters may start out with them, but to obtain them in play, they’ll have to go on an adventure: visit a famous bookseller in a distant city, rob a library (or a famous bookseller), or loot a dungeon and hope for literate orcs!