D&D 5E Can a Warlock use scrolls?

[Baumi]

Btw. I misread the Scroll-Rules from the DMG and thought that everyone can use a Scroll, included Spell-Scrolls! Which I found awesome (wonderful Plot-Helper for many Adventures and that made Scrolls as Treasure useful for all Players). But sadly this was only meant for general Scrolls like Scroll of Protection.

 

[Baumi]

Can someone point out to me where the rules say anything about spell lists?
When it came up in my games, the only scroll rules I could find were on DMG 139.
Which basically boils down to: If you can read, you can try to read a scroll. Which was kind of odd, because there's a chart for what happens if you try and fail, but nothing I could see told me how one might fail to cast from a scroll.

I made the same error .. this rule is only ment for specific Scrolls. The Rules for Spell-Scrolls are on page 300.

 

[hafrogman]

I made the same error .. this rule is only ment for specific Scrolls. The Rules for Spell-Scrolls are on page 200.

Hey, look at that. Right under 'Spell' in the magic item list, just where I should have looked for scroll information. Thank you!

 

[CapnZapp]

Then make a house rule. Or give a potion instead of scroll.

That's not what we're discussing here.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Whereas a simple "Does this party include a divine and an arcane caster? Yes, okay so all scrolls are fine!" was perfectly okay before.

Except it wasn't like that. Even in 3E, it still mattered if the spell was on your list. Arcane/divine was only one step of the process.

As for figuring out if one of them can use it... Well, that never struck me as an issue, because that's something I've been doing any time I decided to include a scroll in any edition I've ever run. It never occurred to me that other DMs didn't already do that.

 

[Li Shenron]

I made the same error .. this rule is only ment for specific Scrolls. The Rules for Spell-Scrolls are on page 300.

Theryt is to say however, that nothing's preventing you to drop a "specific scroll" in the game which has exactly the effects of a Fireball, without technically bejng a "spell-scroll".

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

Except it wasn't like that. Even in 3E, it still mattered if the spell was on your list. Arcane/divine was only one step of the process.

Actually, not so much for Warlocks. Back in the days of 3.5E, Warlocks of 4th level and higher could Take 10 on the Use Magic Device skill, and read pretty much any scroll we felt like.

We also had awesome Invocations like Vitriolic Blast, Tenacious Plague, and Get Off My Lawn!

 

[phantomK9]

I'm inclined to house rule that anyone can read any scroll at anytime, all you need is a successful Knowledge (Arcane) check. Difficulty would scale based on level of the spell (and maybe something else, don't want to get too complicated). Of course I would also bring in the scroll mishap table from the DMG....

 

[Daern]

I'm allowing anyone to use spell scrolls, but they must roll on a DCCRPG-like chart.

 

[Lichemaster]

I'm allowing anyone to use spell scrolls, but they must roll on a DCCRPG-like chart.

What does DCCRPG mean an is that in the DMs guide? link me baby!


Thank you for all the responses.

If I do go this route it knid of sucks that say if the Warlock gets th staff of defense and has none of the 2 spells on his list he woud only get the +1 A.C (I assume)
so I assume the Warlock would have to make Use Device skill rolls to cast the spells from a scroll or say a staff of DEfense? (If I wantd to allow the skill to activate even itemd?)