[RPG] If I stole a spellbook from a wizard, could I learn spells with it

dnd-5eequipmentroguespellswizard

So I have this character idea: a rogue who wanted to be a wizard, but didn't have enough money to go to a wizard school. And I was thinking, if he stole a wizard's spellbook, what could he do with it? Could he practice the first-level wizard spells during downtime until he memorized them? Or pay someone to copy the spells into scrolls or wands? Or could a wizard teach me a cantrip?

In other words: Do you have to be a wizard to learn spells from a spellbook?


Part of what I was asking was in cases such as when the DM says our characters have some down time in a city; could I use the rules for gaining new proficiencies, languages etc. during downtime to learn a spell from the book? There are phases in the PHB that indicate that spellcasters can make new spells during down time, so it makes sense that a noncaster could learn a spell during down time as well.

(P.S.: This is purely for roleplay, not for any mechanical advantage.)

Best Answer

Short answer: no; by the rules, you need to be a wizard to use a wizard’s spellbook.

There are two ways to build a character such as you describe.

The first is to have your character multi-class with wizard levels. To do this, you’ll need your DM’s buy-in to run a little adventure where you steal the spell book. Then you may have to work with your DM about what spells are in the book.

Backgrounds

Since you say “didn’t have enough money” and “stole a wizard’s spellbook” — in the past tense — I’m assuming none of this needs to happen during game play, but could be part of character creation.

In that case, consider simply choosing the Urchin or Criminal backgrounds, which will give you enough “rogue-like” abilities for your character concept to come alive.

Then, just start at wizard from level 1, with a good Dexterity stat, probably.

Backgrounds are really the system D&D 5e uses to enable character concepts like this.

Add a Bond or a Flaw

Put the story about the stolen spell book into the character background - it could be a bond (“I must redeem myself for stealing”), a flaw (“I know I don’t deserve to wear my wizard robes”) or both.

Starting Feat

If you can play a variant human, you can also pick a feat that jibes with your character concept.

The Urchin Wizard at my Table

In my first 5e campaign, I DM'ed for a player with a similar idea, who wanted to play a lost child who taught herself magic. The character took the Urchin background and the Wizard class.

It worked well evoking the feel you are going for: for the first couple levels, the stealth skills from the background were a significant fraction of the character’s abilities and “feel.” Eventually the wizard powers became “the main thing” but there were still those moments when another player would ask, “Wait, the wizard can pick locks?”