New spellbooks

[TeufelDK]

Hi

Can you find new spellbooks and retorts at nodes from turn 1 or is that only enabled at a later turn?

Regards
Kristian

[Desertfox]

Some nodes contain one or more "picks" which in the early game turn into books and/or retorts, and much later in the game can also turn into fully-researched Very Rare spells.
These picks are determined at the beginning, so if you savescum and take the node again you still get the picks, but probably a different outcome in books, retorts and/or Very Rare spells.
Note that nodes can only give books of the same color as the node.
The Caster of Magic manual (included in the disk directory) has a list of the treasure value (budget) of the various lair monsters, and how much value each type of treasure costs. Picks cost a whopping 800 points, so only appear in the better-defended nodes.
Note that Towers don't contain picks, but will contain a common spell if no other spell is in its treasure.