Scrolls

[JacktheRabbit]

What is the maximum number of spells that can be on a scroll? Or has it been changed in 3E so that a scroll can only hold one spell?

 

[mikebr99]

I looks like a scroll only holds one spell now...

 

[BiggusGeekus]

One spell per scroll makes sense. I just had an image go through my mind of a wizard pulling out a scroll in combat and having the bottom part roll down across the floor and stops at the foot of an orc.

Of course, the downside is that the wizard looks like he's covered with Post-It notes, but such is the price for unravelling the mysteries of the universe.

 

[Tiberius]

When you generate a random scroll as treasure, however, it can have 1d3 spells. So it looks like the max is 3. Unfortunately, the SRD doesn't say anything about it, so I can't quote it. Can anyone supply the relevant sections of the DMG?

-Tiberius

 

[Plane Sailing]

I came up against this recently when a player wanted to scribe four 1st level spells onto a scroll. Is this four scrolls taking four days? based upon the treasure chart in the DMG I allowed him to put four spells on the one scroll for 1000gp and the requisite amount of time.

I couldn't find clear guidance in any of the books for this issue, and it would be great if anyone could clear it up.

Cheers

 

[Rel]

Plane Sailing, this has been debated many a time around here. The general consensus is that scribing a scroll takes one day per spell, regardless of whether that spell is 1st level or 4th level (higher than 4th level and it pushes the cost over 1,000gp which increases it to multiple days).

According to the rules gurus here, you cannot circumvent this by putting multiple spells on a single scroll.

However, we have a house rule that you can scribe a number of spell levels in a day equal to your Int bonus, so long as the gp value does not exceed 1,000gp. I should note that we have a few other minor house rules with regards to wizards and item creation that serve to keep them from being regarded as too powerful.

 

[Krafen]

I don't see any reason why you couldn't have more than one spell on a scroll. I'd probably set an upper limit of 4-6 spells on a single scroll. Actually, a better limit might be 10 spell levels. I would not allow a player to put more than one spell on a scroll per day, regardless of whether the spells were going on to a single scroll or several. The minimum of one day to create a magic item is limiting factor designed to prevent the mass-producing of inexpensive magic items.

(edit for clarity)

 

[Someone]

DMG, page 199: "...a scroll holding more than 1 spell has the same width but but is an extra foot long or so for each extra spell. Scrolls that hold three or more spells..."

You can have more than 3 spells on a scroll.

 

[dcollins]

DMG Table 8-22: Number of Spells on a Scroll
Scroll Type - Number of Spells
Minor scroll - 1d3 spells
Medium scroll - 1d4 spells
Major scroll - 1d6 spells

Oddly, that table doesn't appear in the SRD.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Thanks for that reference Someone, I'll go and read that page in some more detail.

Cheers