[3.5] Collaborating on scrolls

[kamikasei]

The magic item creation guidelines say:

Note that all items have prerequisites in their descriptions. These prerequisites must be met for the item to be created. Most of the time, they take the form of spells that must be known by the item’s creator (although access through another magic item or spellcaster is allowed).

So, a wizard with Craft Wondrous Item can make an amulet of natural armor if his druid buddy with no item creation feats casts the barkskin spell for him as needed.

But then under the section on creating scrolls, it says:

The creator must have prepared the spell to be scribed (or must know the spell...)...

Does this specifically prohibit the commonly referenced approach on these boards of having one caster with the feat scribing scrolls of unusual spells without needing the person who can actually cast them to have Scribe Scroll? For example, an archivist scribing those low-level half-caster or rare domain spells using his own feat but the caster's spell slot? Or less cheesily, a wizard expanding his spellbook by collaborating with a cleric buddy who prepares spells common to both lists for the wizard to scribe and then add to his spellbook?

[Bayar]

They probably thought about that loophole. Else, an artificier that would supply the spell needed for a wizard scribing a scroll...

Plus, there is the issue of writing the spell on a scroll yourself. That means you have to know what gestures, components, chants, command words w.e. are needed to be written on a scroll, and a cleric explaining it to a wizard might not make it accurate enough to scribe it perfectly.

[sofawall]

Not to mention a Cleric doesn't even use all the same gestures and whatnot.

[kamikasei]

They probably thought about that loophole. Else, an artificier that would supply the spell needed for a wizard scribing a scroll...

I doubt they thought of artificers or warlocks when they were writing the DMG item creation guidelines.

And while the in-character objections to cleric/wizard collaborations make sense, they do nothing to address the more broken application of archivist/other divine caster pairings.

Really, I'm just wondering if this question has been resolved before, given that I've seen the "just have the artificer scribe the scroll" solution proposed many times.

[Bayar]

Oh, the artificier scribe scroll for every arcane spell in the wizard spellbook doesnt work because the artificier's scrolls are neither arcane nor divine.

[kamikasei]

D'oh, I meant archivist. The "archivist can get all kinds of spells from obscure lists and/or at low levels, without needing the caster to be able to scribe scrolls themselves" thing.

[ericgrau]

Almost the exact same text is in the rules for making wondrous items, and I'll bet every other kind of magic item (though I haven't checked). I think it is assuming the case where you make the item alone, but that doesn't mean you have to.

In fact I think I remember a FAQ question or other topic where the answer said that a wizard (with scribe scroll) could work with his cleric buddy (without scribe scroll) to make some divine scrolls.

[kamikasei]

Hey, you're right. How did I miss that?

Good to know, thanks. (Although, wouldn't the scrolls be arcane scrolls of divine spells in the case you mention?)

[Dixieboy]

Oh, the artificier scribe scroll for every arcane spell in the wizard spellbook doesnt work because the artificier's scrolls are neither arcane nor divine.

[silly question] Then what are they?

[Bayar]

[silly question] Then what are they?

Neither. They are artificier scrolls and require UMD to be activated by anyone, regardless of having the spell on your spell list.