Spell Costs

[charlieluce]

The cost listed for adding a spell to a spellbook is the scribing cost, and does not include the normal fee charged by the supplier. That means that every non-free spell added by normal purchase (the vast majority, in my experience) is going to have to have a custom cost entered. Shouldn't there be a check box for this?

[charlieluce]

Discussing it with my players, I think what I'd really like to see on the Spell Purchase screen is four choices: Scribe, Purchase, Custom Cost, and Add To Free List (as opposed to Buy For Free). My preference would be that adding 0-Level Spells to the Free Spells did not reduce the number of Free Spells available, but if I had to do that with an Adjustment it would be clunky but functional.

[Colen]

This is something that we discussed but didn't have time to get into last week's release. We're hoping to have improved functionality for this in place soon.

[charlieluce]

Something else occurred to me; while I see the benefit in tracking free spells to prompt the user to add them to the spellbook when their character levels up, is it really necessary to split the spellbook display into multiple sections? As far as I know there isn't a bit of mechanical difference once the spells are chosen and in the book. If you really want to make them obvious, you could use an icon or color them green or whatever.

[Mathias]

If there wasn't a split, how would we know whether the user wanted to add this spell as a bonus spell or a purchased spell? With two tables, we can determine that based on which table the user adds them to.

[charlieluce]

That doesn't mean you have to split the display. We find the new display clumsy, and it will only get more so as the characters level up.

And I suggest a way to know how they wanted to add it above: have an "Add as free spell" checkbox.

[LazarX]

Originally Posted by charlieluce

The cost listed for adding a spell to a spellbook is the scribing cost, and does not include the normal fee charged by the supplier. That means that every non-free spell added by normal purchase (the vast majority, in my experience) is going to have to have a custom cost entered. Shouldn't there be a check box for this?

You can put in a custom cost. PFS has it's own particular rule for spell acquisition which is 150 percent of the given costs for spells that Fame (And Additional Resources) allow you to access.

[charlieluce]

Originally Posted by LazarX

You can put in a custom cost. PFS has it's own particular rule for spell acquisition which is 150 percent of the given costs for spells that Fame (And Additional Resources) allow you to access.

My point was that almost every character is going to end up using the typical Purchase cost the most often for their non-free spells, as opposed to the Scribing cost or other custom cost, and I would think that the cost used most often should be the default.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by charlieluce

My point was that almost every character is going to end up using the typical Purchase cost the most often for their non-free spells, as opposed to the Scribing cost or other custom cost, and I would think that the cost used most often should be the default.

But please keep in mind that is the most common cost for "your" group not everyone else. I can't think of a time when any character in my games paid more than the scribing cost. 99% of spells come from taken spellbooks or scrolls.

I agree that the ability to type in a custom cost is very good idea but not setting the default cost to "purchased" instead of scribe.

[ShadowChemosh]

This is post will most likely get me in trouble from Colen/Aaron. But the best idea is have an option on the "Configure" your hero to default to Purchase Price or Scribe cost.

Then "everyone" is happy.