Divine Scrolls

[Wonko the Sane]

IMC, I don't allow clerics of deity X to cast spells from scrolls written by clerics of deity y (unless x and y are allied, or share a similar ethos). I understand that this change makes divine scrolls largely useless except within a particular church, but it makes no sense for a LG cleric to be able to read a raise dead scroll penned by a CE cleric and expect it to work.

To mitigate this somewhat, I added this feat to my game: (btw, I run a FR game)

Religious Education

Prerequisites: Ability to cast divine spells, Wisdom 13+, Knowledge (Religion) 5 ranks

Your education has included diverse areas of study including ceremonies and rituals of all the faiths of Faerûn

You may make a Knowledge (Religion) check to cast spells from a scroll penned by a priest of a different faith. The DC for this task is 10 + the spell level + special modifiers based on the alignment of your deity and the deity of the priest who scribed the scroll:

LAW / CHAOS AXIS
Alignment Difference DC Modifier
1 step removed +2
2 steps removed +4

GOOD / EVIL AXIS
Alignment Difference DC Modifier
1 step removed +3
2 steps removed +5

The alignment modifiers (one from each axis) are cumulative with each other.

For example, a priest of Torm (a Lawful Good deity) wishes to cast a raise dead spell from a scroll penned by a Sharran priest (Shar is Neutral Evil). The DC for the task is 10 + 5 (the spell level) + 2 (Law/Chaos axis) + 5 (Good/Evil axis) for a total DC of 22. The same spell on a scroll scribed by a worshipper of Cyric (Chaotic Evil) would have a DC of 24. Success means the caster recalls the proper intonations, etc. to cast from the scroll, while failure means the caster has insufficient knowledge of the other religion’s rituals and ceremony to cast the desired spell. One must still observe the rules regarding casting spells from scrolls. If the spell you wish to cast from the scroll does not appear on your class spell list, you cannot cast it. For example, the priest of Torm in the example above could not cast darkbolt, a spell exclusive to Sharran clerics. Additionally, the character must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell level in order to cast it from a scroll. In any event, if the person casting the spell is not of sufficient level to cast it normally, they must make a caster level check (DC = scroll’s caster level +1) to cast the spell successfully. Failing that, they must make a Wisdom check (DC 5) to avoid a mishap. (per normal scroll reading rules)

Normal: You cannot cast spells from a scroll written by a cleric of a different deity.

Retry: No, as with all Knowledge skills, either the character knows it or they don’t.

Special: The Use Magic Device skill can be used to either emulate a class feature in order to cast a spell exclusive to another faith (DC 20), or to emulate a Wisdom score high enough to cast the spell (DC 25 + spell level).

With this feat and 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Religion), the character gains a +2 synergy bonus to Use Magic Device checks made to cast a divine spell from a scroll. Similarly, a character with this feat and 5 or more ranks in Use Magic Device gains a +2 synergy bonus to his Knowledge (Religion) check made to cast a divine spell from a scroll dedicated to a different faith.

Opinions?

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

I like the idea of limiting who gets to use scrolls scribed with a particular ideological bent, though I think that this definately warrents lowering the market price for those scrolls.

I like the feat, too, but, maybe since I don't use alignment in the standard way, I might align the skill check differently: perhaps by portfolio or pantheon.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

...though I think that this definately warrents lowering the market price for those scrolls.

There isn't a market for divine scrolls in any event - except for within a particular church. Even then, there is a wild variation between churches. Waukeen's clerics might sell scrolls to their brethren at 200% of book price, while clerics of Ilmater would likely just give them away (to other clerics of Ilmater, of course).

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

In that case, I suppose the market price should increase. If the only people who can buy them are also the only ones who can use them, then it's a bonus, isn't it, to not have to worry that you'll be mugged for your scrolls. I suppose that's all moot though and off-topic with the economics you describe.

Another modification I might make to the feat, though, if I were going to tinker with something not broken just for the sake of tinkering, would be to offer a bonus to use a scroll of a spell from a school with which you have the Spell Focus feat.

That, or maybe make the check automatically successful, but require that the character take the feat one time for each pantheon whose cleric's spells he or she wants to be famiar with. So it would be Religious Education (Dwarven Pantheon) or (Mulhorandi Pantheon), et al.

Sorry if the pharonic pantheon's misspelled. I'm not too familiar with FR and don't care to dig out the books at the moment as I'm supposed to be composing a three final essays and studying for final exams.

 

[Quickleaf]

I like it. It works. In fact, it works very well!

One question: In this framework, mishaps are connected to your god being angry at you for tinkering in a rival's magic?

 

[Wonko the Sane]

No, mishaps are a result of inexperience (caster level too low) and a bad Wisdom check to prevent the mishap. They have to make the same check even if the scroll was penned by their brother cleric.

Angry gods tend to manifest themselves a little more...explosively

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Interesting ideas here. Might have to put these variant rules to use and see what comes of it.