D&D 5E Book of Ancient Secrets and Spell Scroll

[Rya.Reisender]

With Book of Ancient Secrets a Warlock can copy any ritual spell he finds. What if the spell he finds is on a spell scroll?

Does the general rule for copying a spell from a spell scroll still apply?

When a spell is
copied from a spell scroll, the copier must succeed on
an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 10
+ the spell’s level. If the check succeeds, the spell is
successfully copied. Whether the check succeeds or
fails, the spell scroll is destroyed.

Or can Warlocks copy the spells to 100%, because the invocation doesn't mention failure?

 

[cbwjm]

I'd rule on the side of the spell scroll rules if I was using them but since I had forgotten about that rule I just allow wizards, and I guess anyone with book of ancient secrets or ritual casting, to convert the scroll with time and money.

 

[ArchfiendBobbie]

Look at page 7 of the PHB, under the section titled "Specific Beats General."

Under that section, I would rule the warlock can copy it.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

Obviously specific beats general, but the specific rule does not say that there's no chance of failure, it doesn't actually refer to spell scrolls at all.

 

[ArchfiendBobbie]

Taking a more in-depth look...

Compare the wording for Book of Ancient Secrets on page 110 to the wording of Copying a Spell into the Book on page 114. The second entry makes a specific case of stating that the spell must be deciphered first, while the first entry does not.

It is an area where you can fudge a bit, but because the first does not mention the need to decipher at all and can copy rituals even when they are not on the Warlock spell list I would rule the Warlock can copy it without needing to make the Knowledge check.

The deciphering a scroll text appears to be primarily aimed at the Wizard, who would be the primary (and, often, only) class copying spells into a spellbook. A holdover from the times when the wizard would be the only class to even have a spellbook.