Does a Wizard's spellbook need to be a book?
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In the PHB under The Book's Appearance the text give two examples of how a spellbook looks like a book and one example with it being just a collection of notes.
Does a Wizard's spellbook need to be a book?
Can a spellbook look or even be something else rather than just a book?
For example, could it be a series of small scroll tubes tied together like a rope ladder?
A necklace of marbles where each marble was inscribed with a single spell?
Elaborate wood carvings on a puzzle-box?
Colourful tattoos on the backs of slaves? (I'm not saying it won't be awkward when a Dragon eats pages 21 to 34 when adventuring, just asking if it would be allowed.)
Runes on the faces of convex regular icosahedron? ;)
dnd-5e wizard equipment
asked Sep 5 at 18:40
Chryckan
2,09741631
add a comment |Â
up vote
25
down vote
favorite
In the PHB under The Book's Appearance the text give two examples of how a spellbook looks like a book and one example with it being just a collection of notes.
Does a Wizard's spellbook need to be a book?
Can a spellbook look or even be something else rather than just a book?
For example, could it be a series of small scroll tubes tied together like a rope ladder?
A necklace of marbles where each marble was inscribed with a single spell?
Elaborate wood carvings on a puzzle-box?
Colourful tattoos on the backs of slaves? (I'm not saying it won't be awkward when a Dragon eats pages 21 to 34 when adventuring, just asking if it would be allowed.)
Runes on the faces of convex regular icosahedron? ;)
dnd-5e wizard equipment
asked Sep 5 at 18:40
Chryckan
2,09741631
3
Spells carved onto the outside of a box, with a book full of gibberish inside it would be fun.
– GrandmasterB
Sep 5 at 21:14
add a comment |Â
up vote
25
down vote
favorite
up vote
25
down vote
favorite
In the PHB under The Book's Appearance the text give two examples of how a spellbook looks like a book and one example with it being just a collection of notes.
Does a Wizard's spellbook need to be a book?
Can a spellbook look or even be something else rather than just a book?
For example, could it be a series of small scroll tubes tied together like a rope ladder?
A necklace of marbles where each marble was inscribed with a single spell?
Elaborate wood carvings on a puzzle-box?
Colourful tattoos on the backs of slaves? (I'm not saying it won't be awkward when a Dragon eats pages 21 to 34 when adventuring, just asking if it would be allowed.)
Runes on the faces of convex regular icosahedron? ;)
dnd-5e wizard equipment
asked Sep 5 at 18:40
Chryckan
2,09741631
In the PHB under The Book's Appearance the text give two examples of how a spellbook looks like a book and one example with it being just a collection of notes.
Does a Wizard's spellbook need to be a book?
Can a spellbook look or even be something else rather than just a book?
For example, could it be a series of small scroll tubes tied together like a rope ladder?
A necklace of marbles where each marble was inscribed with a single spell?
Elaborate wood carvings on a puzzle-box?
Colourful tattoos on the backs of slaves? (I'm not saying it won't be awkward when a Dragon eats pages 21 to 34 when adventuring, just asking if it would be allowed.)
Runes on the faces of convex regular icosahedron? ;)
dnd-5e wizard equipment
dnd-5e wizard equipment
asked Sep 5 at 18:40
Chryckan
2,09741631
asked Sep 5 at 18:40
Chryckan
2,09741631
asked Sep 5 at 18:40
Chryckan
2,09741631
asked Sep 5 at 18:40
Chryckan
2,09741631
asked Sep 5 at 18:40
Chryckan
2,09741631
2,09741631
3
Spells carved onto the outside of a box, with a book full of gibberish inside it would be fun.
– GrandmasterB
Sep 5 at 21:14
add a comment |Â
3
Spells carved onto the outside of a box, with a book full of gibberish inside it would be fun.
– GrandmasterB
Sep 5 at 21:14
3
3
Spells carved onto the outside of a box, with a book full of gibberish inside it would be fun.
– GrandmasterB
Sep 5 at 21:14
Spells carved onto the outside of a box, with a book full of gibberish inside it would be fun.
– GrandmasterB
Sep 5 at 21:14
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
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up vote
37
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accepted
No, it doesn't need to be a book.
From the "Your Spellbook" sidebar in the wizard's Spellcasting feature (PHB p. 114):
Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.
The loose collection of notes says to me that it doesn't have to be a book. I remember playing with a wizard who had a metal ring with thin sheets of metal attached as his "spellbook".
After playing for over 30 years, while the norm is the spellbook, there have been many characters that have a used different things to go along with the feel of the character. Empower the character, don't limit.
As @Rubiksmoose points out, the "Spellbook" section on Xanathar's Guide to Everything p. 58 lists some other examples of unusual spellbooks, including:
Small stones inscribed with spells and kept in a cloth bag
and
Long straps of leather on which spells are written, wrapped around a staff for ease of transport
edited Sep 5 at 19:16
V2Blast
15.5k235101
answered Sep 5 at 18:57
RonV
1,736724
2
3.X had distinct opinions on this as did several Dragon articles of old. Every table will vary and thus the DM makes the determination. You might include that last part.
– Slagmoth
Sep 5 at 18:59
3
You might also want to list the options from Xanathar's Guide to everything, which explicitly give non-book options (eg a bag of rocks with spells engraved on them)
– Rubiksmoose
Sep 5 at 19:02
@Rubiksmoose I will have to add those later, have to get back to work.
– RonV
Sep 5 at 19:03
1
I've seen Urban Arcana homebrews (using modern D&D variants discussed in Unearthed Arcana supplements) where the wizard uses an iPad instead of a spellbook. Burning hands? There's an app for that! Also makes sense with spell slots because you have to install apps in the limited memory, and running a spell app uses a percentage of battery power.
– Thunderforge
Sep 5 at 20:46
1
3.X had a prestige class dedicated to tattooing one's self instead of an ordinary spellbook. There doesn't seem to be a hard limit on how far you can go for flavor.
– Alfred Yerger
Sep 6 at 5:01
 |Â
show 1 more comment
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
37
down vote
accepted
No, it doesn't need to be a book.
From the "Your Spellbook" sidebar in the wizard's Spellcasting feature (PHB p. 114):
Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.
The loose collection of notes says to me that it doesn't have to be a book. I remember playing with a wizard who had a metal ring with thin sheets of metal attached as his "spellbook".
After playing for over 30 years, while the norm is the spellbook, there have been many characters that have a used different things to go along with the feel of the character. Empower the character, don't limit.
As @Rubiksmoose points out, the "Spellbook" section on Xanathar's Guide to Everything p. 58 lists some other examples of unusual spellbooks, including:
Small stones inscribed with spells and kept in a cloth bag
and
Long straps of leather on which spells are written, wrapped around a staff for ease of transport
edited Sep 5 at 19:16
V2Blast
15.5k235101
answered Sep 5 at 18:57
RonV
1,736724
2
3.X had distinct opinions on this as did several Dragon articles of old. Every table will vary and thus the DM makes the determination. You might include that last part.
– Slagmoth
Sep 5 at 18:59
3
You might also want to list the options from Xanathar's Guide to everything, which explicitly give non-book options (eg a bag of rocks with spells engraved on them)
– Rubiksmoose
Sep 5 at 19:02
@Rubiksmoose I will have to add those later, have to get back to work.
– RonV
Sep 5 at 19:03
1
I've seen Urban Arcana homebrews (using modern D&D variants discussed in Unearthed Arcana supplements) where the wizard uses an iPad instead of a spellbook. Burning hands? There's an app for that! Also makes sense with spell slots because you have to install apps in the limited memory, and running a spell app uses a percentage of battery power.
– Thunderforge
Sep 5 at 20:46
1
3.X had a prestige class dedicated to tattooing one's self instead of an ordinary spellbook. There doesn't seem to be a hard limit on how far you can go for flavor.
– Alfred Yerger
Sep 6 at 5:01
 |Â
show 1 more comment
up vote
37
down vote
accepted
No, it doesn't need to be a book.
From the "Your Spellbook" sidebar in the wizard's Spellcasting feature (PHB p. 114):
Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.
The loose collection of notes says to me that it doesn't have to be a book. I remember playing with a wizard who had a metal ring with thin sheets of metal attached as his "spellbook".
After playing for over 30 years, while the norm is the spellbook, there have been many characters that have a used different things to go along with the feel of the character. Empower the character, don't limit.
As @Rubiksmoose points out, the "Spellbook" section on Xanathar's Guide to Everything p. 58 lists some other examples of unusual spellbooks, including:
Small stones inscribed with spells and kept in a cloth bag
and
Long straps of leather on which spells are written, wrapped around a staff for ease of transport
edited Sep 5 at 19:16
V2Blast
15.5k235101
answered Sep 5 at 18:57
RonV
1,736724
2
3.X had distinct opinions on this as did several Dragon articles of old. Every table will vary and thus the DM makes the determination. You might include that last part.
– Slagmoth
Sep 5 at 18:59
3
You might also want to list the options from Xanathar's Guide to everything, which explicitly give non-book options (eg a bag of rocks with spells engraved on them)
– Rubiksmoose
Sep 5 at 19:02
@Rubiksmoose I will have to add those later, have to get back to work.
– RonV
Sep 5 at 19:03
1
I've seen Urban Arcana homebrews (using modern D&D variants discussed in Unearthed Arcana supplements) where the wizard uses an iPad instead of a spellbook. Burning hands? There's an app for that! Also makes sense with spell slots because you have to install apps in the limited memory, and running a spell app uses a percentage of battery power.
– Thunderforge
Sep 5 at 20:46
1
3.X had a prestige class dedicated to tattooing one's self instead of an ordinary spellbook. There doesn't seem to be a hard limit on how far you can go for flavor.
– Alfred Yerger
Sep 6 at 5:01
 |Â
show 1 more comment
up vote
37
down vote
accepted
up vote
37
down vote
accepted
No, it doesn't need to be a book.
From the "Your Spellbook" sidebar in the wizard's Spellcasting feature (PHB p. 114):
Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.
The loose collection of notes says to me that it doesn't have to be a book. I remember playing with a wizard who had a metal ring with thin sheets of metal attached as his "spellbook".
After playing for over 30 years, while the norm is the spellbook, there have been many characters that have a used different things to go along with the feel of the character. Empower the character, don't limit.
As @Rubiksmoose points out, the "Spellbook" section on Xanathar's Guide to Everything p. 58 lists some other examples of unusual spellbooks, including:
Small stones inscribed with spells and kept in a cloth bag
and
Long straps of leather on which spells are written, wrapped around a staff for ease of transport
edited Sep 5 at 19:16
V2Blast
15.5k235101
answered Sep 5 at 18:57
RonV
1,736724
No, it doesn't need to be a book.
From the "Your Spellbook" sidebar in the wizard's Spellcasting feature (PHB p. 114):
Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.
The loose collection of notes says to me that it doesn't have to be a book. I remember playing with a wizard who had a metal ring with thin sheets of metal attached as his "spellbook".
After playing for over 30 years, while the norm is the spellbook, there have been many characters that have a used different things to go along with the feel of the character. Empower the character, don't limit.
As @Rubiksmoose points out, the "Spellbook" section on Xanathar's Guide to Everything p. 58 lists some other examples of unusual spellbooks, including:
Small stones inscribed with spells and kept in a cloth bag
and
Long straps of leather on which spells are written, wrapped around a staff for ease of transport
edited Sep 5 at 19:16
V2Blast
15.5k235101
answered Sep 5 at 18:57
RonV
1,736724
edited Sep 5 at 19:16
V2Blast
15.5k235101
edited Sep 5 at 19:16
V2Blast
15.5k235101
edited Sep 5 at 19:16
V2Blast
15.5k235101
15.5k235101
answered Sep 5 at 18:57
RonV
1,736724
answered Sep 5 at 18:57
RonV
1,736724
answered Sep 5 at 18:57
RonV
1,736724
1,736724
2
3.X had distinct opinions on this as did several Dragon articles of old. Every table will vary and thus the DM makes the determination. You might include that last part.
– Slagmoth
Sep 5 at 18:59
3
You might also want to list the options from Xanathar's Guide to everything, which explicitly give non-book options (eg a bag of rocks with spells engraved on them)
– Rubiksmoose
Sep 5 at 19:02
@Rubiksmoose I will have to add those later, have to get back to work.
– RonV
Sep 5 at 19:03
1
I've seen Urban Arcana homebrews (using modern D&D variants discussed in Unearthed Arcana supplements) where the wizard uses an iPad instead of a spellbook. Burning hands? There's an app for that! Also makes sense with spell slots because you have to install apps in the limited memory, and running a spell app uses a percentage of battery power.
– Thunderforge
Sep 5 at 20:46
1
3.X had a prestige class dedicated to tattooing one's self instead of an ordinary spellbook. There doesn't seem to be a hard limit on how far you can go for flavor.
– Alfred Yerger
Sep 6 at 5:01
 |Â
show 1 more comment
2
3.X had distinct opinions on this as did several Dragon articles of old. Every table will vary and thus the DM makes the determination. You might include that last part.
– Slagmoth
Sep 5 at 18:59
3
You might also want to list the options from Xanathar's Guide to everything, which explicitly give non-book options (eg a bag of rocks with spells engraved on them)
– Rubiksmoose
Sep 5 at 19:02
@Rubiksmoose I will have to add those later, have to get back to work.
– RonV
Sep 5 at 19:03
1
I've seen Urban Arcana homebrews (using modern D&D variants discussed in Unearthed Arcana supplements) where the wizard uses an iPad instead of a spellbook. Burning hands? There's an app for that! Also makes sense with spell slots because you have to install apps in the limited memory, and running a spell app uses a percentage of battery power.
– Thunderforge
Sep 5 at 20:46
1
3.X had a prestige class dedicated to tattooing one's self instead of an ordinary spellbook. There doesn't seem to be a hard limit on how far you can go for flavor.
– Alfred Yerger
Sep 6 at 5:01
2
2
3.X had distinct opinions on this as did several Dragon articles of old. Every table will vary and thus the DM makes the determination. You might include that last part.
– Slagmoth
Sep 5 at 18:59
3.X had distinct opinions on this as did several Dragon articles of old. Every table will vary and thus the DM makes the determination. You might include that last part.
– Slagmoth
Sep 5 at 18:59
3
3
You might also want to list the options from Xanathar's Guide to everything, which explicitly give non-book options (eg a bag of rocks with spells engraved on them)
– Rubiksmoose
Sep 5 at 19:02
You might also want to list the options from Xanathar's Guide to everything, which explicitly give non-book options (eg a bag of rocks with spells engraved on them)
– Rubiksmoose
Sep 5 at 19:02
@Rubiksmoose I will have to add those later, have to get back to work.
– RonV
Sep 5 at 19:03
@Rubiksmoose I will have to add those later, have to get back to work.
– RonV
Sep 5 at 19:03
1
1
I've seen Urban Arcana homebrews (using modern D&D variants discussed in Unearthed Arcana supplements) where the wizard uses an iPad instead of a spellbook. Burning hands? There's an app for that! Also makes sense with spell slots because you have to install apps in the limited memory, and running a spell app uses a percentage of battery power.
– Thunderforge
Sep 5 at 20:46
I've seen Urban Arcana homebrews (using modern D&D variants discussed in Unearthed Arcana supplements) where the wizard uses an iPad instead of a spellbook. Burning hands? There's an app for that! Also makes sense with spell slots because you have to install apps in the limited memory, and running a spell app uses a percentage of battery power.
– Thunderforge
Sep 5 at 20:46
1
1
3.X had a prestige class dedicated to tattooing one's self instead of an ordinary spellbook. There doesn't seem to be a hard limit on how far you can go for flavor.
– Alfred Yerger
Sep 6 at 5:01
3.X had a prestige class dedicated to tattooing one's self instead of an ordinary spellbook. There doesn't seem to be a hard limit on how far you can go for flavor.
– Alfred Yerger
Sep 6 at 5:01
 |Â
show 1 more comment
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3
Spells carved onto the outside of a box, with a book full of gibberish inside it would be fun.
– GrandmasterB
Sep 5 at 21:14