Scribing spells into spell books.

[westb3]

I am looking for ways to hasten the process of scribing spells (not creating magic scrolls) into a spell book.  As it is it looks to take 1 casting of read magic to read the spell, 24 hours of study of that spell, then 24 hours to scribe that copy of the spell.  So it takes 48 hours to copy one spell from one book to another. 

I am wanting to find ways to hasten this process.  Thus far I am aware of two options:

1 Using the "Secret Page" spell to make another spell the obvious page
2 Mastery of a spell book option from Comp Arcane.

Ideally I would like a way to still copy the spells myself (so that I can use a blessed book and not have to lug around a library).  This could be hastened by feats, or items etc.  They do need to be WoTC material, though would want to hear ANYthing that someone made and I can try to get it approved.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

I believe the time studying and casting read magic are exclusive (that is, you only need to do one or the other).

[westb3]

From the SRD

Spells Copied from Another’s Spellbook or a Scroll
A wizard can also add a spell to her book whenever she encounters one on a magic scroll or in another wizard’s spellbook. No matter what the spell’s source, the wizard must first decipher the magical writing (see Arcane Magical Writings, above). Next, she must spend a day studying the spell. At the end of the day, she must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell’s level). A wizard who has specialized in a school of spells gains a +2 bonus on the Spellcraft check if the new spell is from her specialty school. She cannot, however, learn any spells from her prohibited schools. If the check succeeds, the wizard understands the spell and can copy it into her spellbook (see Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook, below). The process leaves a spellbook that was copied from unharmed, but a spell successfully copied from a magic scroll disappears from the parchment.

Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook
Once a wizard understands a new spell, she can record it into her spellbook.
Time: The process takes 24 hours, regardless of the spell’s level.
Space in the Spellbook: A spell takes up one page of the spellbook per spell level. Even a 0-level spell (cantrip) takes one page. A spellbook has one hundred pages.
Materials and Costs: Materials for writing the spell cost 100 gp per page.

Based on that it would seem to be two separate time "costs".

[The_Mad_Linguist]

To decipher an arcane magical writing (such as a single spell in written form in another’s spellbook or on a scroll), a character must make a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + the spell’s level). If the skill check fails, the character cannot attempt to read that particular spell again until the next day. A read magic spell automatically deciphers a magical writing without a skill check. If the person who created the magical writing is on hand to help the reader, success is also automatic.

[Emo_Duck]

To decipher an arcane magical writing (such as a single spell in written form in another’s spellbook or on a scroll), a character must make a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + the spell’s level). If the skill check fails, the character cannot attempt to read that particular spell again until the next day. A read magic spell automatically deciphers a magical writing without a skill check. If the person who created the magical writing is on hand to help the reader, success is also automatic.

No matter what the spell’s source, the wizard must first decipher the magical writing (see Arcane Magical Writings, above). Next, she must spend a day studying the spell.

There is the Quill of Scribing in Complete Mage, which automatically scribes scrolls for you. Could always petition the DM to let it scribe spells into spellbooks as well.

There's also the Quill of Rapid Scrivening in the DMG II, which shortens the actual scribing process to 10 minutes.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Riiiight.  I was confusing it with the rules for copying a spellbook, which takes 12 hours/spell and 50 gp/page.

[X-Codes]

Yeah, copying spells from one spellbook to another is generally not a worthwhile thing to do.  Just deal with the Spellcraft checks to prepare the spell from a foreign spellbook (it's really not that difficult to make, even without optimization) until you get a week of downtime to master the new spellbook outright and carry it with you.  You're going to have to start expanding your collection of spellbooks by level 5ish anyway.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Yeah, copying spells from one spellbook to another is generally not a worthwhile thing to do.  Just deal with the Spellcraft checks to prepare the spell from a foreign spellbook (it's really not that difficult to make, even without optimization) until you get a week of downtime to master the new spellbook outright and carry it with you.  You're going to have to start expanding your collection of spellbooks by level 5ish anyway.

Can't actually prepare a spell from a foreign spellbook that isn't in yours.

[X-Codes]

Yeah, copying spells from one spellbook to another is generally not a worthwhile thing to do.  Just deal with the Spellcraft checks to prepare the spell from a foreign spellbook (it's really not that difficult to make, even without optimization) until you get a week of downtime to master the new spellbook outright and carry it with you.  You're going to have to start expanding your collection of spellbooks by level 5ish anyway.

Can't actually prepare a spell from a foreign spellbook that isn't in yours.

You can.  4th item on this table:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/spellcraft.htm

Just "borrow" the spellbooks of your defeated enemies. 

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Wizard Spells and Borrowed Spellbooks

A wizard can use a borrowed spellbook to prepare a spell she already knows and has recorded in her own spellbook, but preparation success is not assured. First, the wizard must decipher the writing in the book (see Arcane Magical Writings, above). Once a spell from another spellcaster’s book is deciphered, the reader must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell’s level) to prepare the spell. If the check succeeds, the wizard can prepare the spell. She must repeat the check to prepare the spell again, no matter how many times she has prepared it before. If the check fails, she cannot try to prepare the spell from the same source again until the next day. (However, as explained above, she does not need to repeat a check to decipher the writing.)

[westb3]

Sorta,

From PHB
A wizard can use a borrowed spellbook to prepare a spell she already knows and has recorded in her own spellbook, but preparation success is not assured.

So technically it requires you to already "know it" (whatever that means given that a Wizard knows Read Magic and that is ALL) and recorded.  So if you have recorded it before you can use this other copy, but not if you find a spell in a book that you have not ever copied (which makes no sense)

[X-Codes]

Sorta,

From PHB
A wizard can use a borrowed spellbook to prepare a spell she already knows and has recorded in her own spellbook, but preparation success is not assured.

So technically it requires you to already "know it" (whatever that means given that a Wizard knows Read Magic and that is ALL) and recorded.  So if you have recorded it before you can use this other copy, but not if you find a spell in a book that you have not ever copied (which makes no sense)

Where in the PHB is it?  Unless it's under the Spellcraft description I'd say it's a situation where specific (Spellcraft skill) overrides general (Wizard class).  If it IS under the Spellcraft description... then that's just weird.  Why would you read someone else's spellbook when you have your own?

[westb3]

P 178
Wizard Spells and Borrowed Spellbooks
A wizard can use a borrowed spellbook to prepare a spell she already
knows and has recorded in her own spellbook, but preparation
success is not assured. First, the wizard must decipher the writing in
the book (see Arcane Magical Writings, above). Once a spell from
another spellcaster’s book is deciphered, the reader must make a
Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell’s level) to prepare the spell. If the
check succeeds, the wizard can prepare the spell. She must repeat
the check to prepare the spell again, no matter how many times she
has prepared it before. If the check fails, she cannot try to prepare
the spell from the same source again until the next day. (However,
as explained above, she does not need to repeat a check to decipher
the writing.)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/arcaneSpells.htm#wizardSpellsandBorrowedSpellbooks

It seems a very obvious case of RAW:RAI.

Moreover this basically means that looted spellbooks should basically be worthless, the only way to make them useful to you is to decompile it, study it, recompile it into your version of the language with scribing it.  You can't ever use a spell from a book that you didn't already have access to.

[X-Codes]

Ok, that's just weird... Given that, how do the rules for mastering spellbooks in CArc work?  Does it make the spellbook "your" spellbook, so you can just prepare them normally?

If that's the case, then just wait until you get the required week of downtime and do that.  If your spell picks from levels are any good, then there shouldn't be a problem with that.

[westb3]

The issue with that is the DC for the spell book mastery is really high, such that I would have to have a 20 to get it, and that takes waywayway too long to do (assuming you could take a 20 on this use)

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Ok, that's just weird... Given that, how do the rules for mastering spellbooks in CArc work?  Does it make the spellbook "your" spellbook, so you can just prepare them normally?

If that's the case, then just wait until you get the required week of downtime and do that.  If your spell picks from levels are any good, then there shouldn't be a problem with that.

It takes one week plus one day per spell, and is DC 25 + spell level. 
Which is going to be a pain to take 10 on at lower levels.

And remember that wizard spellbooks contain all cantrips, so you've got a time of upwards of 50 days.

[X-Codes]

The issue with that is the DC for the spell book mastery is really high, such that I would have to have a 20 to get it, and that takes waywayway too long to do (assuming you could take a 20 on this use)

What level are you?  28 for a book with 3rd-level spells should be doable at level 5...

+8 ranks +2 Synergy +4-5 Int.  Another bonus of 3 or 4 and you can take 10.  Shape Soulmeld [Mage's Spectacles] can do that, Skill Focus (Spellcraft) is a pre-requisite for some solid PrCs, Craft Wonderous Item can open up the option to craft a +5 competence item and/or a Headband of Intellect +2, and if re-training is allowed then you can even pick up some utterly terrible feats for this exclusive purpose until you have the slots needed to make use of metamagic.

Also, I was wrong about the time, it's 1 week plus an extra day per spell, so it will only save time if you're looking to learn at least 7 spells (or 10 if you live in Faerun), and then it will take a minimum of 2 weeks.

Ok, that's just weird... Given that, how do the rules for mastering spellbooks in CArc work?  Does it make the spellbook "your" spellbook, so you can just prepare them normally?

If that's the case, then just wait until you get the required week of downtime and do that.  If your spell picks from levels are any good, then there shouldn't be a problem with that.

It takes one week plus one day per spell, and is DC 25 + spell level. 
Which is going to be a pain to take 10 on at lower levels.

And remember that wizard spellbooks contain all cantrips, so you've got a time of upwards of 50 days.

Tear out the pages with either cantrips on them or spells you already know and cast Mending on the book itself to replace them with blank pages.  Fixes that problem real easy.

[westb3]

The issue is this is all getting done for a Chameleon and we have 7 days of downtime at the moment.  He is also the skill monkey for EVERYTHING which ontop of the Chameleon itself means that his skills are spread beyond thin.  Spellcraft is only at 4 Ranks with +3 from IntMod.  The books in question also all contain level 6+ spells.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Oh, a chameleon?  That's a little different.  I think each day they can just count any spell they please as one that they know.  So you have to make the spellcraft check to prepare until you master it, but you don't need to copy it over.

[westb3]

That is not explicit at all, the way the SRD reads it would be that ANY prepared arcane caster (that uses a spellbook) still has to have the individual spell recorded in their own version.  I *do* have ALL arcane class spell lists which means that basically everything is ON some list that I can then access it by, as well as getting them at lowest level possible, I still have to worry about it being in my version of the language.  This means I still have to worry about actually getting copies

At this point the DM is using what seems to be the RAI of you can use any copy of the spell with the normal spellcraft DC, not just ones you have copied).  So now it is not so much of an issue I can buy spellbook copies of spells loose leaf to put into any spellbook then just make a Spellcraft roll I can't fail.