Casting Spells from Scrolls

[Strider1973]

Hi everybody and (almost) Happy New Year!
Using the "rules as written":

1) How long does it take casting a spell from a scroll? Does it take the usual casting time for that spell, or does it take an action, since you're casting it from a scroll?

2) If that spell requires Concentration, does it count against the maximum of one "concentration spell active at a time" or not?

Many thanks, and happy life and happy gaming!

 

[Jester David]

1) It takes the same action as casting the spell. The scroll just lets you cast the spell without using a spell slot.

2) Unless otherwise specified, you have to maintain concentration on spells cast by items, as the item is letting you cast the spell. Normal rules for casting apply.

 

[Charlaquin]

1) How long does it take casting a spell from a scroll? Does it take the usual casting time for that spell, or does it take an action, since you're casting it from a scroll?

Casting a spell from a scroll takes the same amount of time as casting it from memory, which for most spells is 1 action, but it varies from spell to spell. That said, drawing the scroll may take time, depending on how the DM interpets the rules on interacting with objects in the environment. Personally, I would rule that drawing a scroll can be done as part of the action used to cast the spell, but since you can only interact with an object in the environment as part of an action or movement once on your turn, you couldn’t also draw a weapon on the same turn, for example. Other DMs might rule that you can do both, and some might treat drawing the scroll as a Use an Object action.

2) If that spell requires Concentration, does it count against the maximum of one "concentration spell active at a time" or not?

Yes, it does. Concentration is its own activity, and you can only concentrate on one thing at a time (usually a spell, though I’m pretty sure there are a few other abilities that require concentration).

 

[Shiroiken]

Any item that allows you "to cast" a spell means that it is treated exactly as if you were casting the spell normally (with minimal spell level). Some items (particularly potions) may give you the effects of a spell without casting it, meaning it takes 1 Use an Item Action and has no Concentration requirements.

 

[Strider1973]

Many many thanks indeed to everybody, and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year, for your lives and your gaming!

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I wouldn’t let someone cast a reaction spell from a scroll without at least having the scroll ready in their hand. You can get it ready (assuming it is in an accessible place) with your free object interaction, but that has to be done along with an action (not bonus action or reaction) or move. So you could run up to a cliff, pulling out a feather fall scroll as you move, and read it after you jump off, but if you got shoved off a 40’ cliff and it wasn’t already in your hand you can’t pull it out and read it before you go splat. Same goes with pulling out a shield scroll before you get hit by an arrow—you’d need to already have the scroll in hand from preparing along with a previous action or reaction. Same applies for bonus actions, but I might overlook that occasionally because it wouldn’t mess with my believability like reactions.

 

[CapnZapp]

The easiest thing is to treat a character's stash of scrolls as bonus spell slots. You cast them exactly as normal, except the save DC is set by the scroll.

You can only concentrate on one thing at a time, no exceptions.

When a potion or other item lets you cast a spell, and that spell requires concentration, you must supply that concentration, unless the item specifically says otherwise.

The part where plenty of players gets it wrong is: often the item gives you an effect similar to a spell without actually casting that spell. In this case, there is no concentration to worry about.

An easy example: contrast the Potion of Heroism with the Potion of Invisibility. (DMG188)

The first talks about a spell, and that spell requires concentration. So it specifically states concentration is not required.

The second does not refer to a spell, only the invisible condition, and so says nothing - and you're meant to understand there is no concentration involved; to spell it out: "yes, Invisibility the spell requires concentration, but the spell has nothing to do with this potion".

In hindsight, this was probably a misstep by the rules writers, given how often us players get it wrong. "Overexplaining" that the Potion of Invisibility doesn't require concentration would probably have been worth the extra words.

 

[Strider1973]

Hi everybody!
I've just found out that in the DMG (pp. 139 and 200) it is quite clearly written (under "Scrolls" and "Spell Scrolls"):
1) p. 139: "Whatever the nature of the magic contained in a scroll, unleashing that magic requires using an action to read the scroll"
2) "If the spell is on your class' spell list, you can use an action to read the scroll and cast its spell, without having to provide any of the spell components."
So it seems that after all it takes an action to cast a spell from a scroll!
Happy New Year, in life and gaming!

 

[Strider1973]

Mmm... looking at the DMG Errata (latest version) and the Basic Rules (latest version) it seems that casting a spell from a scroll takes the normal casting time of the spell itself, and not an action, as written in my printed copy of the DMG. I'm not sure if I like this errata, istinctively I prefer the previous version of the rule, basically for realism sake: however I'm going to try the new rule at my table and see what happens and how it sounds in actual play...
Many thanks again!

 

[CapnZapp]

That's what the first reply (by Charlaquin) has already said.

Having it take the same time from scroll and not from scroll sounds like the easy natural solution to me.

As for drawing the scroll, despite being quite easy in most regards, 5th edition's rules on hand and object use is still bewilderingly byzantine and complex. (They're still compatible with 3rd edition, for crissakes!)

I recommend you simply allow players to use scrolls freely, just as if they cast the spell by themselves (but with a different save DC).