Reading Scrolls in armour

[mikebr99]

Well that's an interesting idea.

A mage who uses stilled and non-somantic spells all the time.

And wears shed loads of armour and a shield.

Could be funny...

It'll still cost ya 3 feats to do this though.

 

[Antikinesis]

It'll still cost ya 3 feats to do this though.

Or 1 feat and a level of fighter.

-AK

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Or 1 feat and not caring a rat's patootie about the penalties associated with wearing armor you're not proficient in. Which is pretty reasonable for a wizard.

 

[smetzger]

I'll let the SRD answer this one...

Thats an interesting quote from the SRD. However the DMG says on p.175

"Spell Completion: This is the activation method from scrolls. The preparation is done for the caster, so no preparation time is needed beforehand as with normal spellcasting. All that's left to do is perform the short, simple, finishing parts of spellcasting (the final gestures, words, and so on."

I don't know why the SRD has ommited 'gestures' but then that part of the SRD has not been finalized.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Or 1 feat and not caring a rat's patootie about the penalties associated with wearing armor you're not proficient in. Which is pretty reasonable for a wizard.

Good point.

If you are a little selective, the ACP will be -2, -1, or even 0. Even -2 doubled is hardly a crippling penalty for someone plans on only casting spells during crises.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I don't know why the SRD has ommited 'gestures' but then that part of the SRD has not been finalized.

It is hard to say what is intended there. A final gesture might just mean nodding in the direction you want to Fireball to go. That is not necessarily the same thing a somatic spell component.

 

[mikebr99]

Thats an interesting quote from the SRD. However the DMG says on p.175

"Spell Completion: This is the activation method from scrolls. The preparation is done for the caster, so no preparation time is needed beforehand as with normal spellcasting. All that's left to do is perform the short, simple, finishing parts of spellcasting (the final gestures, words, and so on."

I don't know why the SRD has ommited 'gestures' but then that part of the SRD has not been finalized.

Hey smetzger...
You are quoting the flavour text on page 176 right? Turn to page 199 & 203 under scrolls... this matches the stuff I've already quoted.

 

[Caliban]

Hey smetzger...
You are quoting the flavour text on page 176 right? Turn to page 199 & 203 under scrolls... this matches the stuff I've already quoted.

I don't consider that flavor text. I think that activating a scroll should require the somatic components of the spells. Mainly for balance issues.

Otherwise you get fighters who take one level of wizard, and just prep True Strike and Feather Fall, and cast Shield, Expeditious Retreat, and Protection from Evil from scrolls.

I know this because I play a fighter in Living Greyhawk who had done exactly that, due to the ruling from the Sage in the D&D FAQ.

My 6/1 Fighter/Wizard wears +1 plate mail and a +1 shield, and casts the Shield and Protection from Evil from a scroll. His AC ranges from 24 to 34 during a fight.

 

[mikebr99]

I don't consider that flavor text. I think that activating a scroll should require the somatic components of the spells. Mainly for balance issues.

Otherwise you get fighters who take one level of wizard, and just prep True Strike and Feather Fall, and cast Shield, Expeditious Retreat, and Protection from Evil from scrolls.

I know this because I play a fighter in Living Greyhawk who had done exactly that, due to the ruling from the Sage in the D&D FAQ.

My 6/1 Fighter/Wizard wears +1 plate mail and a +1 shield, and casts the Shield and Protection from Evil from a scroll. His AC ranges from 24 to 34 during a fight.

respectfully... Caliban.
It's in the beginning of the magic chapter... so it's flavour text. Page 199 & 203 goes in the specifics of how to use scrolls.

And this stuff isn't in the SRD because it's flavour text... the basics ie. the rules made it to the SRD.

 

[Caliban]

respectfully... Caliban.
It's in the beginning of the magic chapter... so it's flavour text.

Last I checked, it was in the description of how Spell Completion items work. It is not simply "in the beginning of the magic chapter". There is obvious game mechanic text both before and after it, so I don't see how it is obviously flavor text.

To me, it appears to be additional clarifying text. A lot of extra explanation and example text was left out of the SRD.

Page 199 & 203 goes in the specifics of how to use scrolls.

Scrolls are spell completion items, with extra conditions as described in the scroll section. But they still have obey all the rules of a spell completion item.

And this stuff isn't in the SRD because it's flavour text... the basics ie. the rules made it to the SRD.

The SRD still has flaws in it. The core rules override the SRD when the SRD conflicts with them. Always.