Spell Scroll House Rule

[TheCleverGuy]

How badly did I screw up my game by instituting a house rule that anyone can read a spell scroll to cast a spell, regardless of what class spell list it appears on?

Per RAW, you can only cast a spell from a scroll if it's a spell that normally appears on your class's spell list. I decided, though, that I think that limits the usefulness of scrolls too much. Instead I proposed that anyone could read a scroll to cast the spell, but they'd have to pass an Arcana check if the spell isn't on their class spell list (DC will follow the same standards as trying to cast a higher level spell--10 + the spell's level). Also, wizards can still only copy Wizard spells into their spell books, per the usual rules. Is there anything else I should be considering that I haven't thought about?

(For background, we're playing Rime of the Frostmaiden, and my Level 2 players just finished the Lake Monster quest. I wanted to up the reward in the book a bit, so I changed the Scroll of Animal Friendship to a Scroll of Healing Spirit. The party includes a Wizard, Barbarian, Paladin, Rogue, and Bard--no one who could normally use that spell and also no primary healer. Plus they already have a Potion of Animal Friendship that they found during the Foaming Mugs quest.)

[Kane0]

Should be fine. They are still consumable items you can't spam, still take actions to use and are still within the DMs control of providing to players. The only thing that might be a concern is giving them to intelligent minions to use but that's not really any different to a Chainlock or Artificer pulling the same stunt.

[Amnestic]

Per RAW, you can only cast a spell from a scroll if it's a spell that normally appears on your class's spell list. I decided, though, that I think that limits the usefulness of scrolls too much. Instead I proposed that anyone could read a scroll to cast the spell, but they'd have to pass an Arcana check if the spell isn't on their class spell list (DC will follow the same standards as trying to cast a higher level spell--10 + the spell's level).

I did something similar except I made it a spellcasting ability check instead of arcana (with Int used if they didn't have a spellcasting ability already) because that way it doesn't make wizards/artificers the best scroll casters with druid scrolls or the like, and also means you can't use expertise to get a boost on it.

Either way though it will be entirely fine.

[sithlordnergal]

Ehhh, as long as you're careful about what scrolls you give and how many, then it shouldn't be a problem. As it is, the only potential issue is expanding the Wizard spell list to include Cleric spells since they can use scrolls to cast said spells. But that's a fair price to pay to give everyone else full access to the Wizard spell list.

[TheCleverGuy]

I did something similar except I made it a spellcasting ability check instead of arcana (with Int used if they didn't have a spellcasting ability already) because that way it doesn't make wizards/artificers the best scroll casters with druid scrolls or the like, and also means you can't use expertise to get a boost on it.

Either way though it will be entirely fine.

That's a good point. Maybe I'll have the Bard and Paladin make Charisma (Arcana) checks instead of Intelligence (Arcana).

[PhantomSoul]

That's a good point. Maybe I'll have the Bard and Paladin make Charisma (Arcana) checks instead of Intelligence (Arcana).

Would you then retain Arcana (unlike the quoted post) -- if so, that does mean people trained in Arcana get a boost... but crucially then Bards and perhaps Rogues are most likely to be best (most likely to have Expertise), and a Bard without proficiency in Arcana is going to get half-proficiency).

[Gignere]

Just don’t pass out scrolls of find familiar, find steed, and find greater steed and you should be good.

[PhoenixPhyre]

I've actually done something similar and it works great.

My solution was to create things called "spell stones". They're scrolls, except anyone can use them and they don't have the chance of failure. But wizards can't use them to scribe into their spell books and (theoretically) they're a tiny bit more expensive to create.

I still sprinkle in spell scrolls, but most sources of purchasable consumable spells will give you stones instead. Since most people in the setting don't actually have class levels or class spell lists, other adventurers included.

So far no issues and I can hand a party of martials some rez and teleport stones without causing issues.

[TheCleverGuy]

Would you then retain Arcana (unlike the quoted post) -- if so, that does mean people trained in Arcana get a boost... but crucially then Bards and perhaps Rogues are most likely to be best (most likely to have Expertise), and a Bard without proficiency in Arcana is going to get half-proficiency).

True, if the Rogue or Bard want to take Expertise in Arcana, they'd get a boost to reading scrolls, and if they want to build their characters to exploit that, I'm ok with it. There are still probably more useful and/or flavorful options.

[JLandan]

Just don’t pass out scrolls of find familiar, find steed, and find greater steed and you should be good.

I wouldn't even restrict these. It can only be cast once, once dismissed or killed, the familiar or steed is gone for good. If some PC caster has a familiar or steed that is breaking the game, any DM worth his salted snacks should be able to off it.

With the caveat that wizards can't copy unless it's on the wizard list, this is okay.

Reminds me of a fellow adventurer Rogue with Use Magic Device and a bunch of scrolls that had a village convinced he was a wizard. We ended up having to bust him out of jail.

[Kane0]

My solution was to create things called "spell stones". They're scrolls, except anyone can use them and they don't have the chance of failure. But wizards can't use them to scribe into their spell books and (theoretically) they're a tiny bit more expensive to create.


...so like grenades?

[PhoenixPhyre]

...so like grenades?

Sort of, but not thrown. Just a bit of crystal[1] inscribed with arcane (in the more general sense) glyphs and charged with magic. And with an obvious "say this word" trigger written on them. Which then takes the input from the holder's mind as to parameters and executes the spell. One downside is that they're generally fixed-DC items, rather than using any spell-casting mod. Although that's an upside if you're not a caster.

There are magical grenades, usually formed by taking flawed (too flawed to hold a coherent spell) pieces of the same crystal and charging it with energy. Those shatter on impact, releasing energy. Making them safely (and keeping them so they're travel-safe) is non-trivial, since they're rather...volatile...by nature and people who do it carelessly are prone to premature detonation. Mechanically that's 2d8 force damage in a 10' radius + 1d8 per extra spell level of slot you pour into them, with limits based on the crystal you can acquire, which sets the cost and time to make. Nothing spectacular, but good for low level swarm clearing.

[1] same crystal used dominantly throughout all the magical technology and magic items. It's actually why diamonds and gems show up as spell components--they're potent storage reserves of magical energy. Different gems have different elemental and otherwise natures, and magicite (the crystal in question) is the rare one that can handle having coherent matrices of energy stored inside.

[Athan Artilliam]

This sounds a lot like good old 3.5 & how anyone with a UMD check could pretend to be a spellcaster long enough to use a scroll

[Christew]

Go for it. I always found the scroll (single use, heavily restricted)/wand (repeated use, usually unrestricted) dichotomy to be kind of silly.

[Dr. Murgunstrum]

This sounds fine. Maybe restrict casters from other casters, but this is a fine buff for Martials.

Maybe have the arcane energies of a Wizard, Artificer, Warlock or Sorcerer interfere with Druid and Cleric spells or the Sacred energies of a Cleric, Paladin, Ranger or Druid interfere with the arcane spells, allowing the bard to fulfill the Jack of all trades role.

And just be judicious about what scrolls you hand out.

[Athan Artilliam]

This sounds fine. Maybe restrict casters from other casters, but this is a fine buff for Martials.

Maybe have the arcane energies of a Wizard, Artificer, Warlock or Sorcerer interfere with Druid and Cleric spells or the Sacred energies of a Cleric, Paladin, Ranger or Druid interfere with the arcane spells, allowing the bard to fulfill the Jack of all trades role.

And just be judicious about what scrolls you hand out.

I feel like Artificer should be exempt just because it's kinda their whole thing to play with magic