Spells are individuals - or more like fish maybe

Spells are individuals, meaning there are only one of each in the whole wide world.

The witch who memorized read magic is the only one capable of casting that - until she does, after which the spell is free for all to catch.

You see, you don't put your nose in a musty old tome and memorize a spell - you must catch them.

It's like fishing.

You bait and you wait. But where do free spells roam? Where should you go? It's mostly all in the name of the spell, for example:

• Feather fall: hen runs
• Summon monster: broken toys
• Sleep: beds
• Web: old cellars
• Power word kill: executioner swords
• Invisibility: beggar's clothes

You catch object-bound spells (i.e. sleep, invisibility) by touching the object while pronouncing the spell's name (5% risk of also casting it), while location-bound spells (i.e. web, feather fall) are caught while spending the night in/at/close by the area.

The level of the spell dictates how hard it is to catch.

When you cast a spell, it first does its thing, after which it quickly runs out into the world again to seek shelter. It will not necessarily bind to the same object again.

Be wary of cantrips, by the way. They are so gullible that they'll gladly leave a wizard's mind for another if you just think about the spell's favourite object (and are close enough).