kind of embarassed to admit it, but...

[krupintupple]

i'm kind of murky on the 3.5e 'casting from a scroll' mechanism.

according to the SRD, to cast a spell from a scroll "The user must have the requisite ability score."

this i get, but how do i determine if the 'summon monster I' that the group just found was penned by a bard, a sorcerer, or a wizard, as it us usable by all three classes. do i need to determine what classes made what scrolls for whom?

basically, would anyone of them be able to use the scroll, as long as their had the appropriate ability score that their own class required to cast it? ie: bard and sorcerer had Cha 11, wizard has Int 11?

 

[Hypersmurf]

i'm kind of murky on the 3.5e 'casting from a scroll' mechanism.

according to the SRD, to cast a spell from a scroll "The user must have the requisite ability score."

this i get, but how do i determine if the 'summon monster I' that the group just found was penned by a bard, a sorcerer, or a wizard, as it us usable by all three classes. do i need to determine what classes made what scrolls for whom?

basically, would anyone of them be able to use the scroll, as long as their had the appropriate ability score that their own class required to cast it? ie: bard and sorcerer had Cha 11, wizard has Int 11?

If it were penned by a bard, a sorcerer, or a wizard, then a bard, a sorcerer, or a wizard can use it (and uses his own ability score); a cleric, however, cannot.

Similarly, if the cleric scribed the scroll, any cleric can use it, but bards, sorcerers, and wizards cannot.

The key is not "Which class scribed it?", but rather, "Is it arcane or divine?"

Bards, sorcerers, and wizards scribe, and can use, arcane scrolls; clerics, druids, rangers, and paladins scribe, and can use, divine scrolls.

If the scroll is of the correct type (arcane/divine) and on your list, you can cast it using your own ability score.

-Hyp.

 

[preacher]

You need to determine if the scroll is arcane or divine - if the spell can be of either type, like Summon Monster, you have to decide as DM which type it is. (Unless the scroll was created by a specific NPC, in which case the NPC's class will determine if it's arcane or divine.)

According to the SRD, there are two other conditions that must be met for a character to activate a scroll:

Type: it must be the correct type, arcane or divine. This is determined by the class of the person who created the scroll. A Summon Monster I scroll created by a wizard would be arcane, but if it was created by a cleric it would be divine. The person using the scroll must be able to cast the same type of spells.

Spell list: The spell on the scroll must feature on the user's spell list. He doesn't have to actually know it, but it has to be one he could potentially learn at some point.

This second point is important because if bard creates a scroll of Cure Light Wounds, it's arcane, and can only be activated by someone who has CLW on their spell list. So although a wizard can cast arcane spells, he doesn't have CLW on his spell list and couldn't activate it. Only a bard could (or another arcane caster with CLW on their spell list).

 

[azhrei_fje]

This doesn't apply to the OPs original question, but just to be complete... It can also be cast by someone with enough ranks in Use Magic Device that they can emulate the spellcasting class ability.

 

[Incenjucar]

I think he means in regards to spells that are different levels for different classes.

 

[Storme]

Tio further clarify:

The class is not important, nor the ability score of the writer. I'll give you an example:

A sorcerer (using charisma as the requistie ability) writes a Summon Monster Scroll:

A wizard finds it. He must have the appropriate INTELLIGENCE Score (he's not a sorcerer and uses int) in order to cast it.

A cleric finds it and cannot cast it at all because he doesn't have Summon Monster on his spell list, nor skills enabling him to use it.

A rogue with a Use Magic Device skill finds it and successfully makes his skill check. He can now cast it even if he doesn't have the requisite ability score, or spell list (UMD rocks. I look at you strangley if you don't have it).

As a result, its not important the specific class that wrote it or the specific ability score he used to write it. Its only important whether or not an individual person can use it and under what conditions.

That pretty much covers it.

 

[Christian]

A cleric finds it and cannot cast it at all because he doesn't have Summon Monster on his spell list, nor skills enabling him to use it.

Actually, clerics do have Summon Monster. He can't use this scroll because it's arcane, and he casts divine spells.

 

[krupintupple]

I
The key is not "Which class scribed it?", but rather, "Is it arcane or divine?"

blast! that was basically the only thing i was not 'getting' per se. alright, makes a whole lot more sense now.

it's interesting though, as this method almost presents the scroll as a device that has several different interfaces: ie - a charismatic bard OR a smart wizard may use the arcane disguise self that had been scribed upon it; almost like the scroll 'knows' who's doing what. eh, perhaps its just the 5 am talk, but i find that fascinating. kinda.

 

[Doug Sundseth]

A rogue with a Use Magic Device skill finds it and successfully makes his skill check. He can now cast it even if he doesn't have the requisite ability score, or spell list (UMD rocks. I look at you strangley if you don't have it).

If his stat isn't high enough, the rogue/warlock will need to emulate a higher ability score with a second UMD check. It's not clear to me which ability score needs to be high enough for the rogue (RAW); I've allowed the rogue/warlock to choose the casting ability of any caster who could normally cast the spell when using a scroll. CHA works very well for UMD casters with this ruling, since both Favored Souls and Sorcerers use it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

It's not clear to me which ability score needs to be high enough for the rogue (RAW);

Well, the skill allows him to use the scroll as if it were on his (that is, the Rogue's) class spell list. He doesn't use the scroll as if he has the sorcerer class list, or as if he has the wizard class list; he treats the spell as being a Rogue spell.

So he uses whatever ability score Rogues use when casting spells without using UMD

-Hyp.