How do bonus spells work?

[Valenric]

I am having a question regarding the correct understanding of Learning Additional Spells in the Midnight Handbook2 p. 129.

Aside from the normal process through which a channeling spellcaster learns spells, each tradition gives its followers another, unique way of gaining new spells. Each has its pros and cons, and each requires a large amount of time and energy. In any case, a channeling spellcaster can never learn more spells while he is at a given character level than his spellcasting ability score modifier.
For instance, Illeana is a 5th level charismatic channeler with a Charisma of 16 (+3 modifier). While she is 5th level, she can learn up to three new spells (beyond those granted by Channeler levels and feats) of any level she can cast. Once she learns her 3rd spell, however, she would need to wait until reaching 6th level to learn any additional spells.

It is the last sentence that is confusing me. Maybe that is because of English not being my native tongue, but the wording is totally throwing me off.

In the example given, the character would have the magecraft feat (prestidigitation + three 0th level spells, one 1st level spell), two spellcasting feats (one 1st level spell, one 3rd level or lower), five levels of channeler (and thus four 1st level spells, four 2nd level spells and two 3rd level spells - or if desired lower level replacements) and a total three additional spells chosen thanks to her Charisma modifier of +3, correct? Because if it were three per spell level, the wording should have been

While she is 5th level, she can learn up to three new spells (beyond those granted by Channeler levels and feats) of each level she can cast.

But then why the following sentence about her 6th channeler level instead of

Once she learns her 3rd spell, however, she would need to wait until her modifier increases to learn any additional spells.

Or is that sentence merely talking about the next time she gains additional spells (which would be the two additional ones thanks to her channeler level increase) and is more of an unnecessary, badly-worded, offhand remark?

And do I see it correctly, that while wizards still follow those rules, they can in theory completely break the bank and know all available spells in Midnight (restricted by their known schools) if they were to gain access to the respective looted spell books and scrolls?

[Chaotix]

Hey Valenric -

The quote you've provided is not about what spells you're given when you level, but how many spells you can *learn* at each level. It's saying that Illeana is level 5, and when she leveled she chose the spells that come with that level already. Now that she's done that, she can still learn her Cha Mod (3) *more* spells of any level she can cast via the Charismatic tradition (of just "figuring them out", according to the book). Once she's learned 3 more spells (beyond what she got when she first leveled) while she's level 5, she can't learn any more via any method until level 6.

As far as Wizards go, they have one single spellbook that is *THE* Spellbook for them. Everything has to be copied into it for them to have access to it, and there are rules for copying spells into spellbooks that involve a check for success (from the core 3.5 PHB). If they were lucky enough to not only find spell books/scrolls with every known spell in them, but also pass every check to copy them into their spellbook, then yes - they would have access to every spell ever.

Does that help?