This is indeed a difficult one. If you can't read very well, well then you can't read very well.

And not being able to read very well is not going make you learn to read very well very soon.

Maybe if we get a unique npc to do similar training in literacy as Yergius gives?

Maybe Thrundarr could give the potion to anyone with Literacy < 50, and the potion could add around 50 points of Literacy.

I like that. Maybe giving a choice between potion or stuff ID.

Another option: add a few new items designed to train literacy, that reduce in effectiveness as the PC's literacy level improves. They could all be books, thereby expanding the list of non-spellbook books. Here's a few quick ideas...

1. Book of Drofxo - designed to help PCs with literacy in the 25-50 range predominantly.
2. Tome of Depiction - Designed to help PCs with literacy less than 25.
3. The Collected Works of Sheik's Spear - For higher literacy levels.

How do they work? A lot like a Manual of Bridge Building, but not necessary for increasing Literacy. Instead, it helps to accelerate the rate of increase in Literacy. Each item could be obtained in some guaranteed way, much as with the Manual of Bridge Building.

Hey, there's need for a heap of new quests and associated items, right? These could be added to some sort of miniquest designed to help improve literacy.

My story:
A Merchant with 38 Le, 26 Ma, and around 30 Wi. No Concentration, but Literacy at 100. Uncursed spellbooks. Birth sign: Book. Fate smiles, Lucky, Ankh. No Cursed, Doomed (checked with a potion).
Frost Bolt - spellbook explodes onf first try.
Darkness: 2 first readings produce blindess and/or confusion. Third attempt make spellbook explode.

Why even bother generating spellbooks for the player ? Can I have a pile of gold or ugly clotches instead ?

What level were you and was the spellbook blessed?

Merchants are not even the worst at reading, try finding a bookshop with a mindcrafter. :p That said, I do have a suspicion that reading books became harder since 1.1.1.

b0rsuk, those failures are unrelated to literacy. If you had a literacy fail you'd have gotten a message about not being able to read the book. Concentration massively increases your ability to bookread, by the way.

On the subject of literacy I think someone that could offer training would be nice. And perhaps better base dice for the skill across all classes. Or just make it easier to train from scroll reading.

The potion now increases an existing literacy skill if it is not yet maxed out.

How is the PC to acquire the potion if he/she already is literate?
On completion of the elder's first quest he will only ID the stuff the PC is carrying if the PC is already literate.
The potion is only given to illiterate PCs.

Or is there now a choice on completion of the quest?

Edit

Oh, I see this:

Nvm then.

Although +50 is overpowered in my opinion. If your literacy is around 50 you should already be able to read some blessed scrolls. That should get the wheel rolling.