Scroll as weapons for Religion/Arcana rolls

[Creyzi4j]

I’m trying to use scrolls to make the religion and arcana skills more useful in the game. Particularly in combat.

For example; some scrolls will require to you to roll a religion check instead of arcana to activate its power.

And that you get bonus effects if your arcana/religion roll is higher.

For example; an Evil Purifying Scroll (which is just a fancy term for Scroll of Banishment) may require you to roll 14 on your religion check.

But if your roll 4 numbers higher (roll a 18) you get bonus effects.
18-20 = you may cast it as a level 5 spell, and targets take 2d6 radiant dmg/healed for 2d6
21-29 = you may cast it as a level 6 spell, and targets take 2d6 radiant dmg/healed for 2d6
30 higher = casted as a level 7 spell, 2d6 heal/dmg and the scroll doesn’t fade


What you guys think?

[carrdrivesyou]

Honestly, I'm not sure this would be very useful unless you just want your casters to wreck everything. My personal opinion is that full casters really wouldn't get that much out of this, but half casters such as Arcane Tricksters or Eldritch Knights could be game breaking.

[Quoxis]

Weird idea: if you want to make a skill useful, make it important in its normal use instead of shoehorning it into combat mechanics that rogues can and will break sooner or later (a +10 modifier is available from level 5 onwards given a +4 int mod and expertise... that’s almost a guaranteed hit and a 60% chance to get the „18 or higher“ tier as well as at least 45% to get the „21 or higher“ tier, which is insane for a level 5 character).
Mixing skills with damage isn’t a good idea in any case in my opinion, simply because it massively overpowers skill monkeys and expertise users in combat, while these features are mainly written for out of combat use (except maybe athletics/acrobatics for grappling and the breaking of grapples).

If you’re adamant about using this, i‘d at least lose the bonus damage and make bonus effects more difficult to achieve.

[MrStabby]

In principle I like it. I think that before you implement this you should take a look at every skill and try and put them on an equal footing. Equal footing may not mean boosting them all equally.

I do like that it provides an incentive for PCs to not dump int though.

All in all I might be tempted to focus on adding these effects to more rare loot. Say a sword that on a critical hit allows you to makes a religion (wisdom) check, possibly opposed, to banish the target might be a cool reward for a martial cleric. Being up-front about this at the start of the game allows players to pick thematic skills knowing that you as DM will try and make their theme relevant.

[Quoxis]

In principle I like it. I think that before you implement this you should take a look at every skill and try and put them on an equal footing. Equal footing may not mean boosting them all equally.

I do like that it provides an incentive for PCs to not dump int though.

All in all I might be tempted to focus on adding these effects to more rare loot. Say a sword that on a critical hit allows you to makes a religion (wisdom) check, possibly opposed, to banish the target might be a cool reward for a martial cleric. Being up-front about this at the start of the game allows players to pick thematic skills knowing that you as DM will try and make their theme relevant.

...and make a rogue dip even more appealing/necessary to use your epic weapon correctly.

[MrStabby]

...and make a rogue dip even more appealing/necessary to use your epic weapon correctly.

Appealing? I wouldn't think that sacrificing cleric progression and needing to boost dex to 13 was enough to Make it less appealing. Might be different at high levels, but obviously you tailor your items to the campaign.

More importantly I don't see this as a bad thing. If a player wants to shift focus from progressing spellcasting somewhat to be better at using a magic weapon to channel their will and religious skill then why not? Why is this any less fun and worthy of table time than any other character?

[Creyzi4j]

...and make a rogue dip even more appealing/necessary to use your epic weapon correctly.

Yes, but scrolls are supposed to be one time use only.
It fades away after one use.

I also have a different idea for religion. Shrines;
Basically somewhere along the campaign you encounter shrines. You base the shrine depending on the diety of one of your PC clerics/paladins. Only your PC with the corresponding deity can use it, but they have to roll a religion skill to activate it first.

The shrines give you some bonuses for a day depending on the religion roll you make.

They shouldn’t be that game changing, prolly just enough to give flavor to the skill and game.


10-15 = You are healed for 2d6
16-20 = Your entire party is healed for 2d6. And one exhaustion pt is removed
21-30 = 3d6 heal for the entire part plus remove exhaustion
31 above = 3d6 heal for the entire part plus remove exhaustion all diseases and ailments

For other shrines:

10-15 = you gain 2d4 temp hp for the entire day
16-20 = the entire party gains 2d4 temp hp for the day
21-30 = 3d4 temp hp
31 above = 3d4 and plus one AC to entire party

You can even go crazy like give grant AC/weapn atk bonus/save advantage to will/charisma/int for a day, etc.

Oh, and shrines should only be a one time use so as to avoid abuse.