Why must a Wizard pay to scribe scrolls into his spellbook?

[Endarire]

Wizards are powerful, and while this seems like an attempt to balance them, it's mostly an early game deterrent.  100G is a lot at level 1.  900G ain't that much to scribe a L9 spell, assuming you're paying to scribe scrolls into spellbooks at that point.

[weenog]

Cause WotC likes to turn fluff (special exotic ink) into crunch (cost), except when they're saying as fluff that Fighter is the best fighter.

[Sinfire Titan]

Because Wizards have to pay Awesome Tax.

[Ivory Knight]

Because Boccob's Blessed Book is too expensive for a 1st level Character?

[Gunhaven]

Because Wizards have to pay Awesome Tax.

I can think of no better reason than this.

[veekie]

Its not like the tax is particularly high or if theres much else to blow cash on.

[Ivory Knight]

@ veekie: Just as any Character, Wizards do always want more thing, than they can afford
Just aselection: Metamagic Rods, Rings of Wizardry, Pearls of Power, Headband of Int +2/4/6

[JaronK]

It's called a balancing factor.  You see, you keep Wizards weak by making them pay a few hundred gold when they want to learn a spell like Planar Binding (free wishes for free gold) or Fabricate (turn worthless lumps of material into extremely valuable equipment).  See, because they had to pay a few hundred gold for the ability to have endless gold, it's balanced.

Obviously.

JaronK

[RobbyPants]

My best guess as to their mindset would be that if you're spending money on scribing, then you're spending less on magical items.  Still, it's a weak balancing point.  Really, the whole wealth = power paradigm screwed up the game in many, many ways.