Learning spells from scrolls Options

[Sikret]

Arguments and counter-arguments:

Arguments for option 1:

(I) We don't need to remove the xp granted by writing scrolls, because erasing spells from spellbook and writing them over and over again is a cheat and if a player intends to cheat, he will eventually use the console command or an editor to add xp to his characters when he sees that re-writing scrolls doesn't work for this purpose. So, why should we bother with removing the xp when there are other ways to cheat?

(II) The xp gained by learning spells from scrolls is a very nice and handy feature early in the game to help low level parties boost their xp to some extent (not by erasing and re-writing, of course). It's not the best choice to remove this handy feature just because some cheaters may abuse it. Blocking cheats is good, but only if it won't affect legitimate players' games in any way (in this case, it does).

Arguments for option 2:

(I) Players who play the game legitimately and do not practice erasing and rewriting scrolls won't notice any significant change in their game if we remove the xp granted by writing scrolls, because the total amount of xp a legitimate player gains from writing scrolls isn't that much in the entire game. He writes each spell only once and removing the xp won't affect his game. On the other hand, this change can appropriately block the xp exploit some players use. It's true that erasing spells and writing them over and over again is a cheat and doesn't actually have any difference with using the console command or editors to add xp to characters, but some misguided players do believe that there is a difference between these methods; as long as they can do something inside the game without using console commands or editors they think that it is fine. All in all, other players who don't abuse such exploits should not worry about this suggested tweak, because it won't affect their games in any noticeable way.

(II) Moreover, why should learning a spell grant thousands of xp at all (specially when even failing to learn it can be easily overcome by trying another scroll of the same spell again and again till success - not to mention the possibility to reload the game)?

(III) Since mages have an HLA to scribe scrolls, they have also unlimited number of scrolls in the game. In the progress report for IA v6, it is mentioned that scrolls gained via the HLA won't have any market price and can't be sold for infinite gold. When we block the exploits for infinite gold why should we not block it for infinite xp these scrolls can offer?

I hope that I have been fair in offering the arguments for both options. As for myself, I am honestly 50-50 and undecided. Both sides' arguments have merits. That's why I'm asking for your opinions.

Vote and send a reply containing your vote and your reasons as well (anonymous votes will be ignored).

Also, note that if you see the results before voting, you won't be able to vote afterwards.

Thanks.

[Fillian]

My vote is to leave it as it is, but I'd support the modification of removing the ability to erase it. My justification for feeling this way is based on two points:

1) Not every journeyman wizard in Athkatla got to his professional stature by adventuring and killing monsters. There just aren't enough dungeons in Faerun for that. Thus, it's reasonable to assume in the Big Picture that wizards often improve their skills by means other than killing kobalds. Thus, the notion of the 'academic' approach to gaining experience is not off the mark.

2) I can't speak for all players, but I know I use scrolls to get a dual-class mage character out of his awkward stage of second-class remedial work and into the fun of enjoying both classes as soon as possible. I get enough character-building drudgery in RL that I don't really say 'oh goodie' when I run into those experiences in my gaming. The whole dual-class thing is a remnant of a game designed in 1974 and 'upgraded' in 1979 when the AD&D player's handbook came out. Sheesh, back then, you had to do TRIPLE-class to become a bard: first fighter, then dual to a Thief, then roll over into a bard!

Anyway, Sikret, you go ahead and make your mod design decisions as you see fit -- democratic, autocratic, whatever -- because I trust you to make the right choice. It's like that with my PnP GM, who once, after I spent a good fifteen minutes explaining why his interpretation of the rules was off the mark, listen patiently to me and then said, "All of the things you said make a lot of sense, and I think we're going to go ahead and do it my way anyway, OK?"

GM's prerogative. :-)