Cost for NPC Spell Casting

September 2006

This page provides expanded rules regarding the cost of non-player character (NPC) spell casting. I collected information from various sources, included the DMG, Dragon Magazine, and my own invention, to assemble these rules.

Cost of NPC Spell Casting

Spells cast by NPC’s for player characters cost large sums of gold and/or magic items, depending upon the level of the spell, the level of the caster, the material components required, and the danger to the caster. Rare or expensive components must be supplied or paid for, and a typical fee of 50gp cumulative per level of the caster may be required.

This extra fee may be lowered for well known associates or assistants. Please note that hazardous spells may increase the per level fee up to 250gp, assuming the caster is willing to take the risk.

There is also a basic charge based upon the level of the spell, listed Table A4.

Table #A4 — Cost of NPC Spell Casting

Hazardous spells may multiply the basic cost per spell by as much as 5 times, depending on the level of the caster. Note that these prices are not firm. A caster may charge as much as he thinks the spell is worth or as much as he thinks he can get.