With option B, just say he learned enough from the failures to get one whole spell.

Quote from: Engine;255427Ever? If not "ever," how quickly can you try again?

Never. That's it. Your character failed to learn, and that's that - unless their Intelligence goes up or down, and their current number of spells known is outside the new minimum or maximum.

Quote from: EngineSo, if I find a new spell on a scroll somewhere, and read it, but roll under what I'd need to learn it, but I already have my minimum number of spells, I can't try to learn it again until my intelligence goes up?

That's right. But even if your Int goes up, you only reroll if your current known spells are outside the min/max range of your new Int score.

Quote from: EngineWhat is the in-setting justification for this, and why is my chance to learn - which should be dependent on intelligence, apparently - also dependent on whether I've reached my minimum spell allotment?

No setting is attached to the core AD&D1e rules, so there is no "in-setting justification" for anything. It's just the rules.

No reason is given for the minimum, but I imagine it's for game balance - if some poor sap ends up knowing no spells, then the game isn't balanced. Likewise, if some Int 9 MU can know as many spells maximum as one of Int 15.

Quote from: Elliot WilenThe confusion here is due to the dual interpretation that T. Foster refers to. Either

a) You check the entire spell list to see what spells you're capable of learning, or

b) You check each spell as you come across it.

Which confusion comes from seeing the PHB and DMG as equal in clarity and authority. The PHB is written rather vaguely, the DMG much more clearly; and plainly the DMG overrules anything in the PHB.

The beginning MU gets Read Magic, and one each of defensive, offensive and miscellaneous spells to begin with, without rolling to learn them. Later on as they come across new spells, they cast Read Magic and try to see if they can learn them. If they succeed they can do so, and write it in their spell book; if not, then not.

If their failure after going through all spells possible means they've not reached the minimum for their Intelligence score, then they go through them again until they succeed that minimum number of times. If they already have the maximum number for their Intelligence score, then they don't roll when they find new spells.

If their Intelligence changes later on so that their current number of known spells exceeds the new maximum, or is lower than the new minimum, then they roll again until their success/failure has them reach their new max/min.

Each day, the MU can memorise and cast a certain number of spells from their spell book. Without their spell book, they can't memorise any spells at all.

Quote from: Elliot Wilenmethod (b) leads to the bizarre situation where you suddenly have a second chance to know a spell that you earlier didn't understand purely because you've gone all the way through the list in "campaign time".

That's called "experience". If an MU has come across and tried to understand every spell of that level, then it's easy to see that they've been through a lot - probably a few class levels, too. With experience comes understanding - including understanding things you couldn't before. Similar reasoning is present in the rule that if a PC fails to break a door, bend bars, or pick a lock, they can try again next level.