spellbook.c.patch

Index: spellbook.c
===================================================================
--- spellbook.c	(revision 20481)
+++ spellbook.c	(working copy)
@@ -125,14 +125,39 @@
             return METHOD_OK;
         }

+        /* blessed books are easier to read */
         if (QUERY_FLAG(book, FLAG_BLESSED))
             read_level += 5;
+        /* Literacy hurdle, did not inform the player how close they were to being able to read
+        *if (spell->level > (read_level+10)) {
+        *    draw_ext_info(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_FAILURE,
+        *        "You are unable to decipher the strange symbols.");
+        *    return METHOD_OK;
+        *}
+        */

-        if (spell->level > (read_level+10)) {
-            draw_ext_info(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_FAILURE,
-                "You are unable to decipher the strange symbols.");
+        /* If the players read level is less than 10 levels lower than the spellbook, they can't read it */
+        lev_diff = spell->level - (read_level+10);
+        if (!QUERY_FLAG(applier, FLAG_WIZ) && lev_diff > 0) {
+            if (lev_diff < 2)
+                draw_ext_info(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_FAILURE,
+                    "This book is just barely beyond your comprehension.");
+            else if (lev_diff < 3)
+                draw_ext_info(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_FAILURE,
+                    "This book is slightly beyond your comprehension.");
+            else if (lev_diff < 5)
+                draw_ext_info(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_FAILURE,
+                    "This book is beyond your comprehension.");
+            else if (lev_diff < 8)
+                draw_ext_info(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_FAILURE,
+                    "This book is quite a bit beyond your comprehension.");
+            else if (lev_diff < 15)
+                draw_ext_info(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_FAILURE,
+                    "This book is way beyond your comprehension.");
+            else
+                draw_ext_info(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_FAILURE,
+                    "This book is totally beyond your comprehension.");
             return METHOD_OK;
-        }

         get_levelnumber(spell->level, level, sizeof(level));
         draw_ext_info_format(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_SUCCESS,
@@ -148,11 +173,6 @@
             spell = book->inv;
         }

-        /* I removed the check for special_prayer_mark here - it didn't make
-         * a lot of sense - special prayers are not found in spellbooks, and
-         * if the player doesn't know the spell, doesn't make a lot of sense
-         * that they would have a special prayer mark.
-         */
         if (check_spell_known(applier, spell->name)) {
             draw_ext_info(NDI_UNIQUE, 0, applier, MSG_TYPE_APPLY, MSG_TYPE_APPLY_FAILURE,
                 "You already know that spell.\n");