D&D 5E Scrolls in 5e; loving this!

[Mistwell]

I believe there are two types of scrolls.

One is a spell scroll: a spell of a specific spell that's on one or more spellcasting lists from the PHB. That's the kind that needs to be on your spell list to cast.
The other is a generic scroll found in the DMG that creates a special effect which isn't tied to a specific spell. This can be like "Scroll of Protection". Anyone can read that kind of scroll, if they can read. It's sort of like a potion in scroll form.

I believe in the playtest they had, at one time, experimented with a rule where anyone could read any scroll, if they could read. It didn't break the game in any way, so I think it would be safe adding this back into your game if you wanted to.

 

[Baumi]

On Page 139 you have the general Rules for the different Kinds of Magic Items, like Scrolls or Rings. Here it is written that everyone can use a scroll if you can read.

But specific Items can break these Rules. For Example some Weapons can only be wielded by a certain Class or Alignment and thats the same with Spell Scrolls (Page 200), which can only be used by those who have the spell on their Class List.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Forgive me, I do not have the books in front of me. I read somewhere about anyone being able to read a scroll and there was nothing about the spell needed to be in your spell list. This is becoming confusing to me. In one place I read that anyone who can read can do it, but this on page 200 states something different.

Fortunately, PCs in 5E can do anything the DM says they can. You obviously like "anyone can use scrolls with an Int check" as a rule. Why not keep it?

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Glad this came up. We were wondering about this in our session yesterday.

 

[Iosue]

While I believe that RAI is that anybody can use scrolls (general) but only casters who have the spell on their class spell list can use spell scrolls (specific), there is a RAW interpretation that anyone can use spell scrolls.

Page 139 says that "[a]ny creature that can understand a written language can read the arcane script on a scroll and attempt to activate it."

Page 200 says "f the spell is on your class's spell list, you can use an action to read the scroll and cast its spell without having to provide any of the spell's components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible."

Now, the only other scroll in the game are scrolls of protection. But these work automatically. There's no "attempting to activate it". You read it, it works. At the same time, the description of spell scrolls say the scrolls are unintelligible, not that they are ineffective.

So one way to rule it, and the way I think I will for my games, is that anybody can try to activate a spell scroll by making the DC 10 + Spell Level check (and suffering from the Scroll Mishap table on page 140 if they fail!). But they can't decipher the meaning. Which means that, barring a friendly caster of that spell telling them what the scroll says, they don't know what the scroll will do. That sounds like fun!

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

I'd assume that a "Scroll of..." Is a prepackaged and portable magic designed to be read by the masses (you say "Abracadabra alakazam" and the spell happens. They're simplified spells.
But a "Spell Scroll" is not written in Common/whatever - it requires the knowledge of the arcane language and possibly includes shorthand like references to somatic movements that would be simply squiggles to the uneducated.
Anyone can use a simple App but it takes a Programmer to understand how it's built. The normal person can read the "Scroll of..." As its simplified - an app. But a Spell Scroll would be more powerful and can only be understood by someone who understands coding (it's a set of instructions written in JavaScript) - too simple an analogy but hopefully makes sense?

 

[Snoring Rock]

I guess I missed all of the "spell scroll" references when I read all of this. I do not recall reading anything that said Spell Scroll. So far, the only example has been a scroll of protection. Are there others? And if not, why didn't the rules just say scrolls of protection?

So tell me if I have this straight. There are "magic items" called scrolls that anyone can attempt to use. Then there are "spell scrolls" not meant as magic items per se, but as a spell in ready form to use by someone who wrote it? In which case, as long as that spell is in my list, I am good to go. Would I roll an INT check for a spell scroll? Is there no difference between arcane magic and divine magic in this case?

Here, and I thought this was going to be easy. Ok now I am wondering. How does a wizard copy a spell scroll into his spell book? I have not seen the spell; read magic.

 

[LandOfConfusion]

I guess I missed all of the "spell scroll" references when I read all of this. I do not recall reading anything that said Spell Scroll. So far, the only example has been a scroll of protection. Are there others? And if not, why didn't the rules just say scrolls of protection?

So tell me if I have this straight. There are "magic items" called scrolls that anyone can attempt to use. Then there are "spell scrolls" not meant as magic items per se, but as a spell in ready form to use by someone who wrote it? In which case, as long as that spell is in my list, I am good to go. Would I roll an INT check for a spell scroll? Is there no difference between arcane magic and divine magic in this case?

Here, and I thought this was going to be easy. Ok now I am wondering. How does a wizard copy a spell scroll into t his spell book? I have not seen the spell; read magic.

As Hemlock said if you and your group like having anyone be able to use a spell scroll, then just make a house rule and keep your way of doing it. If you guys aren't playing in the "official" games it won't hurt anything. You could keep the advantage of having a character of the scroll's class be able to cast it without a check if it is a spell level they have access too or give them advantage on their check. Or give non-casters disadvantage on the check. Point is you were really happy with the way you thought the rules worked. It's your game. Play it the way that makes you happy.

 

[Snoring Rock]

As Hemlock said if you and your group like having anyone be able to use a spell scroll, then just make a house rule and keep your way of doing it. If you guys aren't playing in the "official" games it won't hurt anything. You could keep the advantage of having a character of the scroll's class be able to cast it without a check if it is a spell level they have access too or give them advantage on their check. Or give non-casters disadvantage on the check. Point is you were really happy with the way you thought the rules worked. It's your game. Play it the way that makes you happy.

True, but I want to give this a go with RAW before home-brew-ruling anything. At the moment I am confused as to how the rules are presented differently depending on what page you are on. Once I get home and can see the books and read the pages listed above, I can decide if it makes sense and adjust accordingly. If we like the RAW then later if we like we can make tweaks. I know this one thing if I do know anything at all; I really detest conflicting rules. I left C&C over this. One thing that I did not like was finding the potion of healing in the equipment list. Perhaps potion of cure light wounds would be ok. But the spell "heal" and potion of "Heal" are not at all the same thing. That can be confusing. The one thing 3.x had right, was a universal terms definition.

So how exactly does a wizard get a spell scroll into his spell book?

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

True, but I want to give this a go with RAW before home-brew-ruling anything. At the moment I am confused as to how the rules are presented differently depending on what page you are on. Once I get home and can see the books and read the pages listed above, I can decide if it makes sense and adjust accordingly. If we like the RAW then later if we like we can make tweaks. I know this one thing if I do know anything at all; I really detest conflicting rules. I left C&C over this. One thing that I did not like was finding the potion of healing in the equipment list. Perhaps potion of cure light wounds would be ok. But the spell "heal" and potion of "Heal" are not at all the same thing. That can be confusing. The one thing 3.x had right, was a universal terms definition.

So how exactly does a wizard get a spell scroll into his spell book?

I think this is one of the cases where the RAW is written in a confusing and self-contradictory way--apparently the design team changed its mind between the publication of the PHB and the DMG, or failed to somehow internally coordinate its efforts. You shouldn't feel guilty at all for choosing the most sensible interpretation and just running with it--which you did, already.