Scrolls are readily available from Sailor's Island, Valua, and just about every major city on the Plane. Basically, pick some spells. If I ok them, you can expect to see them some time in the future.
I'll make a list shortly of spells I'm interested in.
Okay, before I get carried away with too many exciting ideas...
I need some clarification on adding spells via scrolls and research.
"A wizard can also add a spell to her book whenever she encounters one on a
magic scroll or in
." (PHB)
"Independent Research: A wizard also can research a spell independently,
duplicating an existing spellwhat types of scrolls can a wizard draw spells from to add to his or her spells known list?At the same time, this confuses me regarding the Independent Research section. "Duplicating an existing spell" isn't really defined in any way. There are rules for creating new spells that specify things such as: "Wizards and sorcerers should not cast healing spells, but they should have the best offensive spells. If the spell is flashy or dramatic, it should probably be a wizard/sorcerer spell." So this seems to state that you could add spells to your spells known list as long as they are not healing spells. But this seems pointless given that you could add said healing spells to your spells known list as long as you obtained a scroll (and passed the spellcraft check, etc.).
Again, I reiterate that while the PHB refers the reader to the DMG section on creating new spells for both new spells and "duplicat[ed] spells," it has no procedure for duplicating spells, no pricing for research, and no time for research. The rules are ill-defined.
Methods of Adding Spells Summarized:
Magic Scrolls: typically entails the price of said scroll (exceptions being a scroll found or stolen, etc.). By RAW, any scroll, whether of divine or arcane origin, regardless of the class, alignment, etc. of the caster (parts of the origin).
Spellbooks: typically entails some sort of price as well, but can be free if the wizard is willing to "share." I suppose you could share scrolls, too, and there's probably less risk in loaning someone a scroll (a single spell they might cast and waste your scroll) than your spellbook (which you are usually fairly useless without in the case that they decide to steal it). This actually seems like a fairly unreliable option unless there are multiple wizards in the party. This doesn't allow for spell-trigger use like a scroll, but it usually contains quite a few spells. Pricing can vary wildly, though, so its value as an option is uncertain.
Independent Research: there is no defined cost or time for the process. Also, depending on how literally you read "duplicating an existing spell," you might attempt just that and create an exact copy of the spell, class restriction, spell level, etc. and all (an exact duplicate, fairly worthless unless this is cheaper than a scroll as you could then add spells belonging to your class for less than the price of the scroll you would otherwise purchase; the difference here would be that you cannot use the spell-trigger aspect of a scroll for a "free" casting). As such, it's not entirely clear if you can create, for instance, a Wizard/Sorcerer version of a Cleric spell, or if you can only create Cleric versions of Cleric spells.