Spell Books - Size, Pages, Binding, and Scribing
by Erik“The spell book is large and bulky, and cannot be easily carried (about 2' square, 2-6 inches thick, weighing at least 20 pounds). It will not fit inside a normal sack of any size but may be carried in a backpack or saddlebag.”
That is the description for Spell Books given in the BECMI/RC (Rule Cyclopedia) system for the last 4 decades.
Size: My main problem with that description is the size given, 2-foot square is huge. Imagine two extra-large pizza boxes (not the ones from the chain stores) on top of each other and your close to the size of a standard Spell Book. This size is also too big to fit in a standard sized Backpack or Saddlebag… so the description is wrong.
So, what size should a Spell Book be? Well, form follows function, so how much room do you need to write down a magical spell? We do have an answer that’s cannon. In the Book of Marvelous Magic, we find the Parchment of Looping. This Item is a box with rollers on either end, a 6”x 6” square hole in the box to write on the endless scroll of parchment inside. According to the description the user can write up to seven (x7) 1st level spells on the parchment and use them like one would a magical scroll of spells. If we assume that the user is holding the box in one hand and making the necessary gestures with the other while reading the inscribed spell, the instructions to cast a 1st level spell can be written in a 6”x 6” area. Since all the spells in the BECMI/RC rules regardless of level can be cast within the same time frame, it also makes sense that they would all require the same amount of space to inscribe regardless of level. This is also supported by cannon with from the Book of Marvelous Magic with the Book Plate that can hold 20 Spells and the Book Leaf that can Hold 60 Spells of any level.
So, we are looking a 6” x 6” area to scribe the instructions to any spell. Add 3” of margins all the way around for protection and Illuminations, plus another 2” along one side for binding and you have a 14” wide page. Add 1” at the top for the spell name in large letters and 3” at the bottom for a detailed description of the spell and you have a 16" long page. So, you get a Spell Page is 14”x16”. At this side it can easily Fit in a backpack or saddle bag and still be considered “Large and Bulky”
Number of Pages: the second problem that comes with spell books is no clear description of how many spells a standard spell book can hold. Looking at cannon again we go back to the Book of Marvelous Magic and the Book Plate with its 20-spell capacity and the Book Leaf with its 60-spell capacity. These limits seam more to me as a limitation due to the item’s transformable nature than anything else. So how many spells can a “Normal” spell book hold? My answer would be all of them… well all of them that there are listed in the BECMI (12 spells per level for 9 spell levels = 108) or RC (13 spells per level for 9 spell levels =117), so between 108 and 117.
Looking for “real world” examples of medieval spell books we find the Voynich Manuscript. This book is roughly 9.5”x6.5” and 2” thick holding roughly 240 pages on 120 sheets of Vellum full of cryptic writing and artwork (Actually it has 102 Vellum sheets with roughly the equivalent of 234 pages of text/art as several pages fold out). So, 120 sheets of vellum per 2” becomes our standard.
Bound First: The third problem I have with spell books is the idea that they are all bound books full of blank pages. I have always liked the Idea that the Wizards Spell Book not only holds his spells but is also his workbook, diary, and field journal. Plus, what happens if you make a mistake copying the spell into your spell book… you’ve lost a page. What if your mage is OCD and wants all his 1st level spells together for easy reference? Plus, the fact that most medieval Books were scribed as individual pages first and then collected into a volume to be bound.
For these reasons I see a Spell Book as being somewhat modular with the pages being able to be removed, reorganized, old Notes removed, new pages added and reattached with little problems, similar to a modern 3 Ring Binder. So, a Spell Book should be a item that consists of the front and back covers with a flexible spine allowing expansion from 2-6 inches with a number of Leather or silk cords inside for tying the pages in.
Scribing the Spells: The Rules Cyclopedia (pg. 44) states that a mage or elf can copy 4 spells per day. to this I add that a person with the Skill - Profession: Scribe or someone with the Skill Calligraphy who makes a successful skill roll can double that number to 8 spells a day (Professional Scribes automatically make their skill roll)
One thing I have noticed in several other games and BEMCI Clones is the requirement of spending substantial amounts of gold to allow a mage to copy his spells into his spell book. I have never liked this idea and have never used it. Only requiring a page of suitable quality, a good quill, and high quality but normal ink. But in the past, I have had players so used to the idea they almost demand I require something special. So, I created the “Write Magic” spell, simply the reverse of the Read Magic Spell that every Mage must learn.
Write Magic reverse of Read Magic
Range: 0
Duration: Special
Effect: Write Magic Script
This Spell allows the user to write in the magical script and runes used in magical writing of Scrolls and Spell Books. The spell lasts for 8 hours or until the caster stops his writing for more than 1 turn (allowing the caster to take short breaks). The caster can always read his own magical writing, all others require the Read Magic spell.
Spell Book (14”x16” 2-6 inches hold up to 360 pages) with 24 Spell Pages-----------100gp/100-600cn (see description)
Spell Page (14”x16”) for Spell Book-----------------------------------------------------------3gp/5cn (enc becomes 0 when added to a Spell Book)
Papyrus (14”x16”)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------2sp/2cn (enc becomes 0 if added to a Spell Book)
Paper (wood based - 14”x16")------------------------------------------------------------------3sp/2cn (enc becomes 0 if added to a Spell Book)
Parchment (14”x16”) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------2gp/2cn (enc becomes 0 if added to a Spell Book)
Spell Book Pouch (5cn capacity) ---------------------------------------------------------------1gp/3cn (see description)
Spell Book Scroll Folder (holds 9 spells worth of scrolls)-----------------------------------3gp/3cn (see description)
Book Lock with 2 keys----------------------------------------------------------------------------5gp/5cn (enc becomes 0 when added to a Book)
Spell Book Cover (waterproof, protects book)----------------------------------------------10gp/30cn (enc becomes 0 when holding to a Spell Book)
Spell Bookbag--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5gp/20cn
Quill, Normal (Goose, Swan, Turkey)----------------------------------------------------------1sp/1cn
Quill, Special (Harpy, Griffon, Hippogriff)----------------------------------------------------1gp/1cn
Ink, Normal (Vial-Black ,50 pages text)------------------------------------------------------10sp/20cn
Ink, Normal (Vial-Colored ,50 pages text)-------------------------------------------------- 25sp/20cn
Ink, Quality (Vial-Black ,50 pages text)------------------------------------------------------10gp/20cn
Ink, Quality (Vial-Colored ,50 pages text)-------------------------------------------------- 25gp/20cn
Pen Knife (metal wt. wooden handle, dmg 1-2 pts.)--------------------------------------- 5sp/1cn
Scribe Tool Kit------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5gp/10cn
Spell Book
A Spell Book is a large and bulky book that is roughly 14 inches wide, 16 inches long and 1-6 inches thick. It consists of a front and back cover of thin wood slabs with a tough leather spine covered by fine Velvet, Silk, or Leather it usually has metal fitting and corner protectors as well as a clasp to hold it shut. The books spine is adjustable between 2-6 inches as the number of pages within are variable, tied in by several cords of leather or silk. The book can hold 60-page sheets for every inch of thickness, the spell book has a encumbrance of 100cn for every inch of thickness, for a maximum of 360-page sheets and 600cn at 6 inches thick (even an empty spell book has a 100cn encumbrance). Traditionally a Spell Book has at least 24 Spell Pages in it when purchased or given to an apprentice by his Master.
Spell Page
A Spell Page is a specially prepared sheet of parchment meant to hold the casting instructions of a spell. Made of fine Vellum/Parchment it has been Alchemically treated to resist deterioration over time, he predations of vermin, and dampness. It is also treated to be more ridged to avoid accidental creases that might destroy the text (In my game the easiest way to destroy a spell book page, spell scroll, or a magical scroll is to fold it across the spell/magical text, this causes the ink to blur making the text unusable. Scrolls are rolled for a reason.)
Spell Book Pouch
This is a small thin closable leather pouch that can be tied into a spell book, replacing 10 pages worth of space, and can be used to hold up to 5cn od small relatively flat items, like Quills, a quill knife, a straight edge, coins, pressed flowers, leaves etc.…
Spell Book Scroll Folder
This is a specially Made thin leather folder that can be tied into a spell book, replacing 10 paged worth of space, and has pockets that can hold carefully flattened scrolls equivalent to the amount required to hold up to 9 Spells worth. Scrolls with multiple spells must be carefully folded between the Spell texts. Protection Scrolls are equivalent to 1 spell and all other scrolls will require the DMs decision. The folder can just as easily be used hold pages of nonmagical writing as well.
Book Lock with 2 keys
This is a simple locking mechanism that replaces the clasp on a Spell Book, it comes with 2 keys that will open the lock. More elaborate and/or multiple locking devices can be commissioned, with a maximum of 3 locks/clasps allowed on a spell book
Spell Book Cover
This is a leather sack made to be the just the proper size to hold a spell book and specially treated so that when it is properly wrapped folded and tied around a spell book it become watertight preventing a spell book form getting damp, dirty or stained. It takes about 3 minutes to properly wraps a spell book in a spell book cover and 1 minute to remove it.
Spell Bookbag
This is a tough Lether Knapsack specially made to hold a 4” wide spell book (200cn), it also has a built-in pouch in the front with a 50cn capacity, it also has special pockets that can hold 2 potion bottles, one end hold 2 pockets that can hold long thin objects like wands and the other end hold large pocket where a scroll tube can easily be place.
Pen Knife
This is a very small but sharp knife with a blade usually no longer then 1-2 inches. It is used to cut quills into the proper shape for use. It is also often used as a simple straight edge and to hold the parchment flat when writing. As a weapon it can only do 1-2 points of damage on a successful hit.
Scribes Tool Kit
This small leather kit holding the tools required for a Scribe or Calligrapher to do their Job, and is the minimum required to properly copy a spell onto a spell page. It holds several Quills, a Pen knife, a pointed Wooden Pen for scoring parchment, a flat edge for making straight lines and folding parchment, several small vials to hold inks, and a Drafters Compass for making circles.