Spell Scrolls

Accessing Magic in the Lands of Arda

In the mystical realm of Arda, the presence of magic is profound and transformative. Many of life's challenges find their solutions through the art of arcane manipulation. However, this great power exacts a toll upon those who heavily rely upon it, a consequence stemming from Arcane Fatigue. To address this, the most eminent minds in the world of magic devised a means to encapsulate this potent energy into parchment through the mastery of specialized tools and techniques. These enchanting creations became known as Spell Scrolls, granting access to the wonders of magic for those who may not possess the physical or metaphysical fortitude to wield it directly.

Mechanics

A Spell Scroll is a repository of magical knowledge, awaiting activation by a capable individual who can decipher and unleash its potential. To harness the magic contained within, one must grasp the scroll and recite its contents with clarity and conviction. Upon activation, the intricate inscriptions adorning the scroll dissolve, giving birth to a radiant surge of magical energy, which is then consumed to manifest the spell inscribed.

In the Heat of Battle

In the throes of combat, wielding a Spell Scroll demands both readiness and finesse. To utilize a Spell Scroll during battle, it must be held firmly in one hand. Retrieving it from your belongings or accepting it from a willing ally requires an object interaction on your turn. If it isn't your turn, you must already have the scroll in hand to employ it as a reaction. Activating or reading the scroll demands an expenditure of your action, reaction, or bonus action, contingent upon the spell's inherent complexity and the prevailing rhythm of the battle.

Qualifications for Scroll Usage

The eligibility to employ a Spell Scroll hinges upon the compatibility between the scroll's contents and the abilities of the user:

1. If the spell inscribed upon the scroll resides within your class's spell list and corresponds to a spell level you can naturally cast, its usage proceeds without hindrance.

2. If the spell exists within your class's spell list but surpasses the spell level you can naturally cast, an Arcana check is required. This check's DC equals 10 plus the spell's level. A failure results in the spell vanishing from the scroll, leaving no other residual effects.

3. If the spell doesn't appear within your class's spell list, yet you possess the Spellcasting feature, an additional Arcana check is mandatory. The DC for this check is 15 plus the spell's level. A failed check results in the spell's erasure from the scroll, devoid of any consequences.

4. In cases where the spell neither resides in your class's spell list nor do you possess the Spellcasting feature, proficiency in Arcana becomes a prerequisite. Success in the initial Arcana check (DC 15 plus the spell's level) is essential. Failure leads to the spell's disappearance from the scroll, with no other discernible effects.

Spell Transcription and Learning

For wizards, a spell on a Spell Scroll can be transcribed in the same manner as spells from spellbooks. The process entails succeeding in an Intelligence (Arcana) check, the DC of which equals 10 plus the spell's level. If successful, the spell is painstakingly copied into the wizard's repertoire, albeit at the expense of the scroll itself.

Non-wizard characters (or wizards+non-wizard spells) aspiring to learn spells from a scroll face a far more arduous task. To accomplish this feat, they must meet specific criteria:

1. Proficiency in Arcana is a prerequisite.
2. Acquiring magic extraction incense, worth 50 times the level of the spell, is mandatory.
3. Devoting a significant period, equivalent to 1d4 plus the spell's level days, to the study of the scroll is essential.
4. The culmination of this intensive study demands success in an Arcana check, with the DC set at 14 plus the spell's level.

Regardless of success or failure, the knowledge extraction process irreversibly consumes the scroll. Non-wizard characters may assimilate a number of spells from scrolls equal to their Arcana modifier, replacing previously learned spells if necessary.

For non-wizard characters that find a spellbook, the process has to be completed twice. Once to transcribe a spell from the book into a scroll, and then by studying that magical release from the scroll learn the spell. While it it takes double the resources, it also means that it is repeatable, as the spellbook still remains.

Who can create a Spell Scroll

With time and patience, a spellcaster can transfer a spell to a scroll, creating a spell scroll.

Resources. Scribing a spell scroll takes an amount of time and money related to the level of the spell the character wants to scribe, as shown in the Spell Scroll Costs table. In addition, the character must have proficiency in the Arcana skill or with Calligrapher's Tools and must provide any material components required for the casting of the spell. Moreover, the character must have the spell prepared in order to scribe a scroll of that spell.

If the scribed spell is a cantrip, the version on the scroll works as if the caster were 1st level.

Spell Scroll Scribing Costs

Complications. Crafting a spell scroll of powerful magic sometimes attracts events. Every workweek spent scribing brings a 10 percent chance of a complication.