D&D 5E What If Everyone Could Use Scrolls? (House rule)

[CleverNickName]

I like the general idea, but I'd suggest leaving it more open. Like anyone can cast from a scroll as a ritual without a check and everyone can cast from a scroll with a check during combat.

Oooo, that's a good idea.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Does the Thief rogue get some ability to use magic items they normally can't? It's so rare in 5e, would this take away one of their niche abilities?

Scrolls. You can use any Spell Scroll, using Intelligence as your spellcasting ability for the spell. If the spell is a cantrip or level 1 spell, you can cast it reliably. If the scroll contains a higher-level spell, you must first succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check (DC 10 plus the spell’s level). On a successful check, you cast the spell from the scroll. On a failed check, the scroll disintegrates.

 

[CleverNickName]

One possible nuance on this is to make scrolls language specific. So you either need to be fluent in the language, or use a spell like Comprehend Languages to utilize the scroll. This gives the potential situation where a scroll might be more easily used by some of the non-spell casters in the party, if they know the corresponding language of that scroll.

That's a great idea too. It would have the added benefit of making languages feel* more important also.

*I say "feel," because I wouldn't be heavy-handed with it. I wouldn't place scrolls in languages that aren't available to the party, just add a little bit of fun with giving certain characters certain spells.

 

[Stormonu]

I was a little hesitant when you first mentioned it, but I think it is a nice addition.

I'd also consider breaking it slightly to different skills - Arcana for Wizard and Sorcerer spells, Performance for Bard spells, Religion for Cleric and Paladin spells, Nature for Druid and Ranger spells and Persuasion for Warlock spells.

Also, I think the DC should be 10 + 2x level, with a cantrip being DC 11. That way using a scroll for a 9th level spell is DC 28, near the top of the scale.

Finally, it'd probably be good to have a mishap table if the check is failed by 5 or more. I think at least one previous edition of D&D had a table for this in some DMG somewhere.

 

[James Gasik]

In the old days, letting the party find higher level scrolls of spells to be used in case of emergencies was just something I did. I was pretty put out to find out how hard it is to use scrolls in 5e. So my current house rule is that you can use a scroll of any spell found on your spell list without a check, and only have to make checks to cast spells not from your spell lists.

This does put the martials out, but currently my whole party is spell casters so it hasn't been an issue (and generally speaking, I've found if most players want to cast spells, they'd play casters in the first place. Not all are weirdoes like me- in Storm King's Thunder, I got a magic rune that let me use Sleet Storm 1/short rest on my Fighter/Rogue, and you better believe I was using it as much as I could, even if that meant I wasn't attacking every turn, lol).

 

[mellored]

I've made similar suggestions before. Anyone could cast any spell, but it just took a long time.

I.e.
1st level spells take 10 minutes
2nd level spells take 30 minutes
3rd level takes an hour.
...
9th level takes a 100 years.

Casters learn to do it faster.
And multi people can help to speed things up (i.e. cultists spending months to cast Summon Fiend under a city center).

 

[Distracted DM]

I use a house rule like this. Mine requires a skill check to successfully cast- on a failure, you wasted your action.

Arcane spells - Arcana
Primal spells - Nature
Divine spells - Religion

DC to cast is 10 + 2xSpell Level

Fail by 5 or more = scroll is burned up

Nat 1, Spell Scroll Mishap Table

 

[toucanbuzz]

Barbarian: "Other than as toilet paper, you mean?"

Oh I actually did this, inspired from a Knights of the Dinner Table comic spoof (wherein the party finds enough of a "paper trail" to suggest their quarry had the runs, and it ends up the bad guy quarry was using a stolen spell book as toilet paper.) Just like one would expect, they were incensed when they caught up to the guy.

Caveat: you'd be denigrating those who took a spellcasting class. There's a few things casters can do that no one else can. If you read any form of Dragonlance's Test of the Twins and knew how Raistlin reacted to his brutish brother suddenly being able to cast magic like it was nothing, no sacrifice needed, you'd get how insulting it might be. Jumping into other boots, imagine the 8-Strength wizard being able to, multiple times per day, grab a 2-handed sword and critically hit (if they make a skill check). When asked to explain how the hell that works, the wizard shrugs, "Oh, guess I just had it in me all along. It's no big deal. I don't even work out and I've never actually spent any time holding a sword. Heck, I don't even know how much they weigh. Even so, isn't it cool that I'm doing something you spent years training to do? I mean really...I spent literally 0 minutes learning to use a sword, but now I'm as cool as you are. Sucks that you took all those Fighter levels, huh?"

 

[Charlaquin]

I like this a lot, but since this is part of the Tief rogue’s Use Magic Device feature, I’d want to give them something else as consolation for that formerly unique class feature now being available to anyone. Even if it’s just like advantage on the check or something.

 

[CleverNickName]

I like this a lot, but since this is part of the Tief rogue’s Use Magic Device feature, I’d want to give them something else as consolation for that formerly unique class feature now being available to anyone. Even if it’s just like advantage on the check or something.

I agree, but only if someone in the party decides to play a Thief (it's not a popular choice in our gaming group, but there's a first time for everything.) I'd probably give them Advantage, as you mentioned, in the case of someone choosing Thief.