D&D 5E Can you craft Cantrip Spell Scrolls?

[Jefferson Jim]

There is a lot of debate at our table around the existence of cantrips spell scrolls (magical/ready-to-cast), and whether you can craft them during downtime from the ones you know/memorized.

The argument against creation of Cantrip scrolls:

• DMG129; "If a spell will be produced by the item being created, the creator must expend one spell slot of the spell's level for each day of the creation process." Cantrips do not expend a slot therefore does not qualify as eligible to be created.

The argument for allowing creation of Cantrip scrolls:

• DMG200; references Cantrip in the Spell Scroll table as a common spell scroll with Save DC 13/Attack +5. If you cannot create a scroll yourself, this table would not exist.

Grey area reference:

• SCAG77; "Spellbooks. In contrast, magical books of spells and formulae cost much much more. Each simple spell or cantrip in such a tome costs 25gp or so..." A few even stated that this reference implies a cantrip CAN be written into a spellbook. Personally I think this probably means written cantrips are nothing more than formulas.

If you do allow ready-to-cast cantrip spell scrolls, then it follows all the normal rules for scroll mass duplications, and be craftable despite not consuming a spell slot.
If you do NOT allow ready-to-cast cantrip scrolls, you can only find cantrip formulas that can be used when a character levels up and can learn new cantrips.

I dunno.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

Yes, they exist. (DMG, Magic Item Table A, has a Scroll with a cantrip on it as possible treasure).

Can you write one? Up to your DM. Ask him/her. (DMG, pg 129 for guidelines).

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Ancalagon]

the follow-up question is "can you use the scroll to learn a new cantrip" - and my answer to that, not from a RAW point of view but game balance, is no.

 

[Jefferson Jim]

Thanks Paul, I updated my op with what was referenced at the table.

 

[Jefferson Jim]

the follow-up question is "can you use the scroll to learn a new cantrip" - and my answer to that, not from a RAW point of view but game balance, is no.

What do you think about that Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide reference (pg77) about Spellbooks and buying cantrips from spellbooks for 25gp? Thanks Ancalagon

 

[Ancalagon]

What do you think about that Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide reference (pg77) about Spellbooks and buying cantrips from spellbooks for 25gp? Thanks Ancalagon

I don't have that book so I can't comment... but here is my earlier reasoning. Cantrips are *different*. If you want to have a wand that cast a cantrip, or read a cantrip off a scroll to cast it, fine, no worries, treat it like any other spell. If you want to *learn* a new cantrip... well that's an entirely new issue.

A cantrip is a short, simple spell that isn't very powerful (but still useful) that has *one* remarkable characteristic: it can be used again and again. A wizard could cast the same cantrip for a 100 rounds in a row with no ill effect, except perhaps a mild headache. Races with no innate magical abilities, like humans, now can have "at will" magic. That's a really big thing!

Because of this (and balance issues) cantrips are difficult to master, and most people can only manage a few. A starting druid knows 2, and a master druid, the kind of druid legends are made of... knows 4. A few classes have the chance to learn a few cantrips from other classes and this is seen as a big deal, whole threads are devoted to the subject!

So to have all this, and then suddenly you can learn all the cantrips you want from scrolls for a paltry sum? Erm, how about no? I mean it says on page 114 of the PHB "you could discover a spell recorded on a scroll..." followed by "when you find a wizard spell of level 1 or higher".

 

[ExploderWizard]

the follow-up question is "can you use the scroll to learn a new cantrip" - and my answer to that, not from a RAW point of view but game balance, is no.

I would say learning new cantrips is possible. After all a caster acquires new cantrips when gaining levels. Of course learning new cantrips would be restricted to spell casters and they couldn't have any more cantrips at their disposal than their class and level suggest.

In this case you can treat cantrips known as cantrips prepared. McSmartypants the wizard might know every single cantrip on the wizard list but he could only prepare as many as his wizard level allows. He could swap them out and prepare different ones whenever he changed prepared spells.

 

[BoldItalic]

A simple solution is to say that, yes, you can craft a scroll of a cantrip you know, but no one else can use it.

As an Action, you can read a cantrip scroll to cast a cantrip that you could have cast anyway as an action ...

 

[jodyjohnson]

I treat them as special 1st level spells. You only get limited Cantrips but you can prepare additional spells as 1st level slots and cast them as 1st level spells.

Just from a game world view that you couldn't gain the ability to learn them in the first place if you couldn't actually cast them before they were usuable as Cantrips.

However, it is very easy to misunderstand the concept and think because a spell is listed as a Cantrip on the list, that you could than cast it as a Cantrip (at will).