Clarification of Spell Availability by Market Table

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1

I’ve got a quick question about the table and text on p. 54. The first paragraph indicates the variable number on the table indicates “how many divine and arcane spellcasters capable of casting a given spell level can be found in a given market.” This implies, for instance, that in a Class VI market there will be 1d6 clerics capable of casting 1st level spells. I would assume this means it breaks down to some given percentage of 2nd and 3rd level clerics, each capable of casting just 1st level spells (one for 2nd level clerics and two for third level clerics, for instance).

The third paragraph, however, states that the variable number represents “how many spell castings are available.” My original assumption was that it was meant to read “spell casters” instead, but the following sentence reads “so only one cure disease spell is available each day”. My assumption is that if this interpretation is used, there may be multiple clerics capable of casting the spell, but only one (or however many) clerics have bothered to memorize the specific spell.

Does anyone have any idea which interpretation is correct?

2

This post by Alex tells us that it’s the number of spells available.

http://autarch.co/comment/5378#comment-5378

edit: Actually, it’s less explicit about it than I thought at first reading. I think it’s still implied that it’s the number of spells available, but I am no longer willing to stake absolute certainty on it.

(It also seems that the assumption is that you hire the lowest-level spellcaster capable of casting the spell, which makes sense; hiring a 14th level cleric to cast Cure Light Wounds is a waste of his time and your money.)

3

also i imagine that spellcasters have lot of work, so the number is the number of spells that the casters have, are willing to cast, and are not reserved or being use by someone else.

4

No to mention that no canny mage is going to sell all their spells per day, as that would render them defenceless.