[3.5] Using the Nether Scrolls from Forgotten Realms

[Thunder Hammer]

Here's What they do if found:



Reading even one nether scroll offers considerable insight into the Art. Any character studying one immediately gains one level in an arcane spellcasting class of her choice. (That is, her experience point total is set to the midpoint for her new level.)



The nether scrolls are divided into five chapters, each covering a different aspect of the Art. A character who manages to read all ten scrolls that make up a chapter gains an additional benefi t whose nature depends on the topic studied. The chapters of the nether scrolls and the benefi ts they provide are detailed below:



Arcanus Fundare (Foundations of Magic): +30 inherent bonus on Spellcraft checks; +1 to save DCs for all arcane spells.



Magicus Creare (Spells of Creation): Three bonus item creation feats; XP cost of any magic item created drops to 75% of normal.



Maior Creare (Major Creations): Craft Construct (see page 303 of the Monster Manual) as a bonus feat; any golem or other construct created has maximum hit points.



Planus Mechanus (Studies of the Planes): Use plane shift as the spell once per day; ignore any hostile or debilitating planar environmental effects.



Ars Factum (Of the Creation of Artifacts): Unknown.

Reputedly, this chapter of the nether scrolls taught the reader how to create artifacts. However, an additional key of some kind is needed to unlock this set of scrolls, and the spellcasters of Windsong

Tower never discovered it.



The benefit gained by studying a particular chapter applies only to the character’s arcane spellcasting class. For example, if a 15th-level cleric/5th-level wizard studied the Maior Creare scrolls and attempted to create a golem with divine magic, the golem would not have maximum hit points. Overwhelming transmutation; CL 40th; Weight 1 lb.

(per scroll)



It seems pretty epic in some ways... And in others... Just kinda like huh? So, if I create a story with them, my PCs can potentially gain 50 levels of arcane spellcasting? (which seems silly) Or just the first time? Why not the second?



In other ways, only +1 Spell DC to all spells? That seems... Underwhelming. Has anyone used these to any effect in their games? Were they used RAW, or did you change them?

[FinalJustice]

The whole '1 extra level' insanity is waaay better than these benefits. The first two are good, though. +30 Spellcraft is good for incantatrixes and epic spellcasters, and breaking WBL is always a 'good' thing.

[Thunder Hammer]

The whole '1 extra level' insanity is waaay better than these benefits. The first two are good, though. +30 Spellcraft is good for incantatrixes and epic spellcasters, and breaking WBL is always a 'good' thing.

WBL? Weapon Breaking Level? lol, I'm not sure what you mean by that. I think the extra level is definately epic, and I agree, the first two are quite good. Making Golems seems... Ok I guess... I wouldn't give my players that one necessarily, unless it made golem making really cheap and easy. (army of golems?)

But planeshift once per day? Ouch... Not so hot IMO.

[Myrmex]

WBL? Weapon Breaking Level? lol, I'm not sure what you mean by that. I think the extra level is definately epic, and I agree, the first two are quite good. Making Golems seems... Ok I guess... I wouldn't give my players that one necessarily, unless it made golem making really cheap and easy. (army of golems?)

WBL = wealth by level

But planeshift once per day? Ouch... Not so hot IMO.

I can see its uses. Being able to hop into an enemy mage's secret and powerfully warded demiplane without taking any hurt would be most useful. The second part of that ability is the powerful one, not the first.

[Serenity]

Don't forget the chapter which turns the reader (especially a reader who happens to be a sexist Thayvian) into a woman...;)

[Set]

Wow, the last time I remember reading about the Nether Scrolls was back in some 1e or 2e product about the Moonshae Isles... Supposedly they held the secrets to the sorts of magics that led to the creation of owlbears and similar 'hybrid' critters by the 'elder races.'

Sounds like they've come a long way.

If they are to be some sort of fundamentals of magic, I'd consider having them affect metamagic use in some way as one feature. (Perhaps granting one level of metamagic free, when spells are prepared and the relevant scroll is there to reference.)

It would make sense that the Nether Scrolls would serve as the ultimate in-campaign 'retraining option' for arcanists, with a wizard being able to swap out any or all of his bonus feats, and a Sorcerer getting a rare opportunity to forget old spells and learn new ones, by spending 24 hours reading the appropriate Nether Scroll texts.

Instead of +1 level in a spellcasting class, something that grants +1 effective caster level for level dependent effects and caster level checks could be over the top.

[Foryn Gilnith]

IIRC, the nether scrolls continually updated themselves to provide the reader with new information. This would mean that having one is already a great benefit, because you continually get new knowledge (Larloch did, at least). Adding new scrolls beyond the first only increases the breadth of potential knowledge, not the depth, which is why you only get a level once. But a level seems less appropriate than perhaps a minor XP bonus, or perhaps nothing at all. In Star Wars, holocrons are quite valuable, but in the Saga RPG they offer nothing but retraining opportunities. I figure that maybe the Nether Scrolls would offer little except an opportunity to rebuild your whole build.

[Jade_Tarem]

There are other penalties to reading from the nether scrolls.

[Thunder Hammer]

IIRC, the nether scrolls continually updated themselves to provide the reader with new information. This would mean that having one is already a great benefit, because you continually get new knowledge (Larloch did, at least). Adding new scrolls beyond the first only increases the breadth of potential knowledge, not the depth, which is why you only get a level once. But a level seems less appropriate than perhaps a minor XP bonus, or perhaps nothing at all. In Star Wars, holocrons are quite valuable, but in the Saga RPG they offer nothing but retraining opportunities. I figure that maybe the Nether Scrolls would offer little except an opportunity to rebuild your whole build.

You know the more I think about it... It almost makes more sense to give extra levels until a certain specific level is hit... i.e. regardless of level, the PC gets to level 21 automatically. So more useful at lower levels. BUT: To get from say 5 to 21, would require lots of TIME reading the scrolls.. hmm hhmm maybe. Dunno. argh!~

Other ideas?

[Foryn Gilnith]

To clarify, I mean to say a minor (or not-so-minor) XP percentage gain bonus. Say, for example, that you now suddenly gain XP as if you were one level lower, without losing a level. That has two parts: gaining XP faster and needing less of it; and one or both could be used as a Nether Scroll benefit.

[Korivan]

where are these scrolls found????

[Thunder Hammer]

The Aunorch: Empire of the Shades book. Their current form is a tree or something Pre 4.0

[danielmayer]

On set of scrolls can be found as Tree of Knowledge in Windsong Tower, Myth Drannor, presumable even in 4E. Sources: Cormanthyr, Empire of Elves (2E); Lost Empires of Faerun (3.5E).

The other set is divided over the whole planet, to be found by adventurers as the DM sees it fitting.

As the Nether Scrolls are surely the most powerful artifacts in Faerun, they were responsible for getting mountains flying ...
I once had made up some tables for 3.5E, in which the powers gained by each single scroll are dependend of the INT of the reader - this seemed much more appropriate than "gain a level" by every scroll read... +50 CL by only being imprisoned in the Windsong Tower for 50 month is kind of a overkill...

Greetings,
Daniel

btw: found this thread by searching Google for the NS ;)