Magic Scrolls: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:Scroll_1.png|500px|right|Is it a Wish?]]
A scroll is a spell in written form, that contains all of the magic necessary to cast the spell within itself.  As a consumable, once the spell is read aloud, the spell is cast and the scroll crumbles to dust as its magical energies are used up in the making of the spell.  All spells are available in scroll form. However, Alchemist Extracts and Ranger Poultices, which are not spells, are '''''not''''' available as scrolls.  Put another way, any spell from the following spell lists is available as a scroll:
A scroll is a spell in written form, that contains all of the magic necessary to cast the spell within itself.  As a consumable, once the spell is read aloud, the spell is cast and the scroll crumbles to dust as its magical energies are used up in the making of the spell.  All spells are available in scroll form. However, Alchemist Extracts and Ranger Poultices, which are not spells, are '''''not''''' available as scrolls.  Put another way, any spell from the following spell lists is available as a scroll:


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Scrolls can instead be purchased at higher creator levels than their minimum, up to level 35.
Scrolls can instead be purchased at higher creator levels than their minimum, up to level 35.


In most cases, scrolls available for sale in a shop will be of the minimum creator level sufficient to cast the spell, but characters can ask that scrolls be specially crafted at higher creator levels, if a creator of sufficient level can be found, who is willing to do so.  Guidelines on the level of Creators that can be found in a settlement of a given size is available on the [[Money_and_Merchants#Settlement_Sizes | Money and Merchants]] page. GM's are encouraged to make NPC creators fun, eccentric, and interesting, although this is not strictly required.
In most cases, scrolls available for sale in a shop will be of the minimum creator level sufficient to cast the spell, but characters can ask that scrolls be specially crafted at higher creator levels, if a creator of sufficient level can be found, who is willing to do so.  Guidelines on the level of Creators that can be found in a settlement of a given size is available on the [[Money_and_Merchants#Settlement_Sizes | Money and Merchants]] page. GM's are encouraged to make [[NPC]] creators fun, eccentric, and interesting, although this is not strictly required.


Note that not all spells benefit from a higher creator level, but most do. Players are urged to consider all aspects of a spell carefully while determining what creator level to purchase. Especially note that higher creator level spells are more resistant to Dispel Magic effects. Just mentioning it....
Note that not all spells benefit from a higher creator level, but most do. Players are urged to consider all aspects of a spell carefully while determining what creator level to purchase. Especially note that higher creator level spells are more resistant to Dispel Magic effects. Just mentioning it....

Latest revision as of 15:21, 26 May 2021

Is it a Wish?

A scroll is a spell in written form, that contains all of the magic necessary to cast the spell within itself. As a consumable, once the spell is read aloud, the spell is cast and the scroll crumbles to dust as its magical energies are used up in the making of the spell. All spells are available in scroll form. However, Alchemist Extracts and Ranger Poultices, which are not spells, are not available as scrolls. Put another way, any spell from the following spell lists is available as a scroll:

Only one spell can be written in a scroll.

Sorcerers, Wizards, and Bards may transcribe the contents of a scroll into their spellbooks, as a way of learning new spells. This is done instead of reading the scroll, but still uses up the scroll in the process.

Casting a spell from a scroll that is available as a spell your character could learn from their character class(es) spell list can simply be done as a standard action. If the spell on the scroll is not available to any of your character class(es), you must make a Use Magic Device check to read the scroll successfully, versus a DC of 5 + double the creator level of the scroll.

Arcane spell failure chance, either from armor or a shield, has no effect on spells cast from scrolls, since casting a spell from a scroll does not require you to use any somatic components.

Scrolls do not use the character or caster level of the reader, nor the reader's ability scores, feats, skills, racial traits, or class features, including Mana Burning. Only the creator level of the scroll itself matters, with regards to how powerful the spell being cast actually is.

Specifically:

  • If a spell being cast from a scroll calls for the caster level or character level of the caster, use the creator level of the scroll instead.
  • If it calls for half the caster or character level, use half the creator level of the scroll (rounding down).
  • If a spell being cast from a scroll calls for the caster stat modifier of the caster, use ½ the creator level of the scroll instead (rounding down).
For example, A Fireball spell being cast from a scroll has a saving throw DC of "10 + caster stat modifier + 1/2 caster level". If the scroll has the minimum creator level of 5, then the saving throw DC of the spell being cast from the scroll would be 10 + 2 + 2 = 14 and would inflict 5d6 of damage. If instead you bought the scroll at a creator level of 10, then the save DC becomes 10 + 5 + 5 = 20, in addition to doing 10d6 of damage.
  • If a spell deals Circle damage, that damage value is replaced with Order damage instead, when the spell is cast from a scroll. This is because scrolls cannot be mana burned, nor are they quite as powerful as a spell cast by an actual spellcaster unless imbued with a high creator level. The conversion of Circle to Order damage is based on the table below:
Circle Damage of Spell Order Damage of Scroll
Circle 0 Order 0 (1d4 per creator level of scroll, max 35d4)
Circle 1, 2, or 3 Order 1 (1d6 per creator level of scroll, max 35d6)
Circle 4, 5, or 6 Order 2 (1d6+1 per creator level of scroll, max 35d6+35)
Circle 7 or higher Order 3 (1d6+2 per creator level of scroll, max 35d6+70)
For example, the same Fireball spell normally deals Circle 3 damage (1d6 per caster level, max 10d6) when cast by a spellcaster, but when cast from a scroll it deals Order 1 damage (1d6 per creator level of scroll, max 35d6). This means that at high levels of play, a Fireball from a scroll appears more powerful than a Fireball from a spellcaster. In reality, a spellcaster at high levels has many ways to prove that appearance wrong.

The minimum creator level of a scroll is equal to double the spell level of the spell on the scroll minus one (i.e., (2 * spell level) - 1). The cost of scrolls at their minimum creator level can be found on the following table:

Spell Level Min. Creator Level Scroll Purchase Price
0 1 13 gp
1st 1 25 gp
2nd 3 188 gp
3rd 5 450 gp
4th 7 875 gp
5th 9 1,600 gp
6th 11 2,790 gp
7th 13 4,550 gp
8th 15 7,810 gp
9th 17 15,600 gp

Scrolls can instead be purchased at higher creator levels than their minimum, up to level 35.

In most cases, scrolls available for sale in a shop will be of the minimum creator level sufficient to cast the spell, but characters can ask that scrolls be specially crafted at higher creator levels, if a creator of sufficient level can be found, who is willing to do so. Guidelines on the level of Creators that can be found in a settlement of a given size is available on the Money and Merchants page. GM's are encouraged to make NPC creators fun, eccentric, and interesting, although this is not strictly required.

Note that not all spells benefit from a higher creator level, but most do. Players are urged to consider all aspects of a spell carefully while determining what creator level to purchase. Especially note that higher creator level spells are more resistant to Dispel Magic effects. Just mentioning it....

Scroll Costs By creator Level

Spell Level CL 1 CL 2 CL 3 CL 4 CL 5 CL 6 CL 7 CL 8 CL 9 CL 10
0th 13 gp 28 gp 47 gp 69 gp 94 gp 125 gp 156 gp 200 gp 250 gp 313 gp
1st 25 gp 56 gp 94 gp 138 gp 188 gp 250 gp 313 gp 400 gp 500 gp 625 gp
2nd - - 188 gp 275 gp 375 gp 500 gp 625 gp 800 gp 1,000 gp 1,250 gp
3rd - - - - 450 gp 600 gp 750 gp 960 gp 1,200 gp 1,500 gp
4th - - - - - - 875 gp 1,120 gp 1,400 gp 1,750 gp
5th - - - - - - - - 1,600 gp 2,000 gp
6th - - - - - - - - - -
7th - - - - - - - - - -
8th - - - - - - - - - -
9th - - - - - - - - - -

Spell Level CL 11 CL 12 CL 13 CL 14 CL 15 CL 16 CL 17 CL 18 CL 19 CL 20
0th 388 gp 469 gp 569 gp 700 gp 888 gp 1,206 gp 1,625 gp 2,250 gp 3,000 gp 4,000 gp
1st 775 gp 938 gp 1,138 gp 1,400 gp 1,775 gp 2,413 gp 3,250 gp 4,500 gp 6,000 gp 8,000 gp
2nd 1,550 gp 1,875 gp 2,275 gp 2,800 gp 3,550 gp 4,825 gp 6,500 gp 9,000 gp 12,000 gp 16,000 gp
3rd 1,860 gp 2,250 gp 2,730 gp 3,360 gp 4,260 gp 5,790 gp 7,800 gp 10,800 gp 14,400 gp 19,200 gp
4th 2,170 gp 2,625 gp 3,185 gp 3,920 gp 4,970 gp 6,755 gp 9,100 gp 12,600 gp 16,800 gp 22,400 gp
5th 2,480 gp 3,000 gp 3,640 gp 4,480 gp 5,680 gp 7,720 gp 10,400 gp 14,400 gp 19,200 gp 25,600 gp
6th 2,790 gp 3,375 gp 4,095 gp 5,040 gp 6,390 gp 8,685 gp 11,700 gp 16,200 gp 21,600 gp 28,800 gp
7th - - 4,550 gp 5,600 gp 7,100 gp 9,650 gp 13,000 gp 18,000 gp 24,000 gp 32,000 gp
8th - - - - 7,810 gp 10,615 gp 14,300 gp 19,800 gp 26,400 gp 35,200 gp
9th - - - - - - 15,600 gp 21,600 gp 28,800 gp 38,400 gp

Spell Level CL 21 CL 22 CL 23 CL 24 CL 25 CL 26 CL 27 CL 28 CL 29 CL 30
0th 5,313 gp 7,125 gp 9,438 gp 12,500 gp 16,250 gp 21,875 gp 28,750 gp 38,750 gp 51,250 gp 68,125 gp
1st 10,625 gp 14,250 gp 18,875 gp 25,000 gp 32,500 gp 43,750 gp 57,500 gp 77,500 gp 102,500 gp 136,250 gp
2nd 21,250 gp 28,500 gp 37,750 gp 50,000 gp 65,000 gp 87,500 gp 115,000 gp 155,000 gp 205,000 gp 272,500 gp
3rd 25,500 gp 34,200 gp 45,300 gp 60,000 gp 78,000 gp 105,000 gp 138,000 gp 186,000 gp 246,000 gp 327,000 gp
4th 29,750 gp 39,900 gp 52,850 gp 70,000 gp 91,000 gp 122,500 gp 161,000 gp 217,000 gp 287,000 gp 381,500 gp
5th 34,000 gp 45,600 gp 60,400 gp 80,000 gp 104,000 gp 140,000 gp 184,000 gp 248,000 gp 328,000 gp 436,000 gp
6th 38,250 gp 51,300 gp 67,950 gp 90,000 gp 117,000 gp 157,500 gp 207,000 gp 279,000 gp 369,000 gp 490,500 gp
7th 42,500 gp 57,000 gp 75,500 gp 100,000 gp 130,000 gp 175,000 gp 230,000 gp 310,000 gp 410,000 gp 545,000 gp
8th 46,750 gp 62,700 gp 83,050 gp 110,000 gp 143,000 gp 192,500 gp 253,000 gp 341,000 gp 451,000 gp 599,500 gp
9th 51,000 gp 68,400 gp 90,600 gp 120,000 gp 156,000 gp 210,000 gp 276,000 gp 372,000 gp 492,000 gp 654,000 gp

Spell Level CL 31 CL 32 CL 33 CL 34 CL 35
0th 90,000 gp 118,125 gp 156,250 gp 206,875 gp 275,625 gp
1st 180,000 gp 236,250 gp 312,500 gp 413,750 gp 551,250 gp
2nd 360,000 gp 472,500 gp 625,000 gp 827,500 gp 1,102,500 gp
3rd 432,000 gp 567,000 gp 750,000 gp 993,000 gp 1,323,000 gp
4th 504,000 gp 661,500 gp 875,000 gp 1,158,500 gp 1,543,500 gp
5th 576,000 gp 756,000 gp 1,000,000 gp 1,324,000 gp 1,764,000 gp
6th 648,000 gp 850,500 gp 1,125,000 gp 1,489,500 gp 1,984,500 gp
7th 720,000 gp 945,000 gp 1,250,000 gp 1,655,000 gp 2,205,000 gp
8th 792,000 gp 1,039,500 gp 1,375,000 gp 1,820,500 gp 2,425,500 gp
9th 864,000 gp 1,134,000 gp 1,500,000 gp 1,986,000 gp 2,646,000 gp

Creating Magic Scrolls

If a character has the Creator (Feat), they can attempt to make their own magic scrolls, and the scroll can be any creator level up to the character level of the creator.

The creator does not need to be able to cast the spell that the scroll will be able to cast, though it certainly simplifies matters if they can. If they cannot, they must find a remnant of a tier sufficient for the creator level they are attempting (see table below), and they must find some object that is symbolic of the spell they are attempting to enchant onto the scroll. If the creator can cast the spell themselves, they do not need a remnant or a symbolic item. (See? Much simpler!) In such a case, the creator does not suffer the normal penalties for having no remnant or symbolic item.

Remnant Quality Creator Level (CL)
Languid Remnant (tier 1) 1 - 8
Pale Remnant (tier 2) 9 - 15
Bright Remnant (tier 3) 16 - 21
Intense Remnant (tier 4) 22 - 26
Blazing Remnant (tier 5) 27 - 30
Vital Remnant (tier 6) 31 - 33
Prime Remnant (tier 7) 34
Mythic Remnant (tier 8) 35
Empyrean Remnant (tier 9) Any

The cost to create the scroll is half the gold piece value of the scroll if it were bought in a store (see table above), minus the cost of the symbolic item (if any).

The time required to create a scroll is 1 day, plus 1 additional day per 10 full creator levels of the scroll (dropping fractions). This time can be modified, depending on the results of the Bailiwick skill check, but the minimum time to create a scroll is always 1 day.

Other than the time required to create a scroll, crafting a magic scroll follows the normal rules described in the Creator (Feat) page, and on the Craft Magic Item skill use for your Bailiwick skill.