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Mechanics of learning spells for wizards

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Training at the Academy

The Seljuk Academy classifies currently-discovered magic in four categories:

1) Allowed Magic. These spells are taught regularly.
2) Untaught Magic. These spells are uncommon and specialized, but not quite dangerous enough to be banned.
3) Banned Magic. These spells include all area of effect offensive spells, and spells that corrupt the free will of people. To keep the use of magic considered "safe", the Academy strictly prohibits the use of these spells and will arrest and detain any unauthorized use of this magic (because of the problems with trying to arrest a few dozen mages from Katun at once, an amnesty has been declared, as long as they don't use the spells again).
4) Punishable by Death. Instant death spells tend to fall in this category. This category includes every necromantic spell that messes with undeath. There is a subset of Punishable by Death that not only kills you, but all of your loved ones and everyone else who could have been contaminated by you.

Note that these are in-game distinctions. Mechanically, your character can learn and cast fireball. It will just make him very unpopular with several powerful factions.

For a list of all spells in the core PHB under these categories, see the List of Banned Spells.

The Basics of Magic

All magic in Ferren is derived from the same primal force. The different ways of tapping into this force are determined by the class of the character.

Bards are born with the voices of the dead. Their magic is based on their voice, and every spell must have a vocal component (e.g. bard spells can never benefit from the Silent Spell feat). Unlike divine casters, spells are not delivered fully formed; they are willed into existence on the spot. As such, the bard's somatic components are more intricate, and wearing armor heavier than light incurs a chance of spell failure. A bard replenishes his spell stock after fully resting (generally, eight hours of sleep).

Clerics tend to the spirits of all those who have gone before. They hold a "holy symbol" as proof of their status, and spells are granted fully formed by the spirits to the cleric. After the cleric has fully rested (generally, eight hours of sleep), he spends one hour in communion with the spirits, deciding which spells he can cast that day. As a minister to both mortal and spirit, a cleric can spontaneously change any spell he has prepared into a cure spell or inflict spell of the appropriate level. Note that if the spirits deem a cleric unworthy or insulting (e.g. spontaneously changing a granted spell to a cure spell, using it to cause damage to an innocent spirit definitely qualifies as an egregious insult), they will deny him his spells unless and until he atones in their eyes.

Druids have a more primal connection than most, receiving their power from an animal spirit. Generally speaking, this totem animal is chosen at level one; it takes physical form as the druid's animal companion. This animal provides the link through which the druid channels his spells. After the druid has fully rested (generally, eight hours of sleep), he spends one hour in meditation, deciding which spells he can cast that day. If the animal is slain (brought to -10 hit points), it disappears and cannot re-form for 24 hours. During this time, the druid's caster level is half normal, and the save DC on his spells is reduced by 10.

Rangers gain their spellcasting ability at the same time they gain their animal companion, at level four. As described in the PHB, the ranger's effective druid level for determining animal companion is one-half his ranger level; similarly, his caster level is one-half his class level. Otherwise, see the druid description above for specifics. If the ranger's animal companion is slain, the ranger's caster level is one-quarter his class level, and the save DC on his spells is reduced by 10.

Sorcerors are born with an innate connection to magic. Scholars in the field believe that familiars are a reflexive creation, willed into existence as a buffer between the mortal mind and the awesome energies at its command. If the familiar is slain (brought to -10 hit points), it disappears and cannot re-form for 24 hours. During this time, the sorceror's caster level is half normal, and the save DC on his spells is reduced by 10. Unlike divine casters, spells are not delivered fully formed; they are willed into existence on the spot. As such, the sorceror's somatic components are more intricate, and wearing armor incurs a chance of spell failure. A sorceror replenishes his spell stock after fully resting (generally, eight hours of sleep).

Wizards forge their own connection to magic through study, persistence, and sheer will. Born with neither the voice of bards nor the innate power of a sorceror, blessed with neither a druid's nature avatar nor a cleric's ancestral spirits, a wizard is determined to forge his own glorious history. It is assumed that any character with levels in wizard studied at the Academy, although rogue wizards and dropouts are not uncommon. These independent wizards will not have as many spells as Academy-trained ones, but they may have independently created spells no Academician has yet imagined. If a wizard releases a spell without his wizard staff in hand, his caster level is reduced by four, and the save DC on his spells is similarly reduced by four. After the wizard has fully rested (generally, eight hours of sleep), he spends one hour casting his spells for that day into his staff, to be released later when required.