Creating a scroll that blows up in the face of whoever reads it

[madmaxx]

Hi,

really nice board, very helpful!

One of my players (Wizard) asked me if he could possibly write a scroll, lets say fireball, so it blows up in the face of whoever reads it, but write it so that its not immediately obvious.

My first reaction was 'Im never going to say no to a cool idea!', but I am wondering if there are any published rules for this? I know there are cursed items and someone must have created them.

If not, how would you handle it? My gut instinct would be: you can create it like every other scroll, and make a Spellcraft check while creating it, and the person reading it makes an opposed spellcraft check, if yours is higher he doesnt notice and it blows up, if his is higher, he notices and does not blow up. Opinions?

[deuxhero]

Explosive Runes.

[Jeraa]

The Explosive Runes spell does this.

[madmaxx]

Thanks! Thats cool, but is there a way to chose the spell that backfires? So instead of explosives runes which does 6d6, its, for example, sleep?

[Eldan]

Hiiiighly questionable by the rules, but:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/traps.htm

As far as I can see, it never says how large a trap needs to be or that it can't be transported around or installed on a piece of paper. So, put a spell trap on a parchment.

[Eldaran]

Just use a Glyph of Warding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glyphOfWarding.htm), set it to activate when someone opens the scroll, and it casts the spell you want.

[madmaxx]

Perfect, thanks!