Rules Check: Scrolls with long spell casting times

[daryen]

"the characters burn away as the words are read."

Sure. That still doesn't mean "word-by-word". It simply means that when (or as) it is read, the characters burn away.

Besides, if the characters burn away as they are read, they you would have to cast the scroll blindly. You could never really know what the scroll is because the title would burn away as your eyes scan the scroll to see what it is.

Feel free to play it that way; it's your game. On the other hand, as I already said, I'm a soft GM. I'll let my players figure out what the scroll is and won't consume the scroll until the magic is released. Again, this is just my implementation. But it is still in line with that sentence from the rule book, from a certain point of view.

[Solomoriah]

Besides, if the characters burn away as they are read, they you would have to cast the scroll blindly. You could never really know what the scroll is because the title would burn away as your eyes scan the scroll to see what it is.

Um... there's a difference between silently reading something and reading it aloud.

[daryen]

Besides, if the characters burn away as they are read, they you would have to cast the scroll blindly. You could never really know what the scroll is because the title would burn away as your eyes scan the scroll to see what it is.

Um... there's a difference between silently reading something and reading it aloud.

Ah! But there's the rub: the core rule book doesn't distinguish between silently reading and reading aloud. It just says, "read".



Regardless, you have already stated that the entire rule book is intentionally designed to allow for interpretations. I stated mine and why, and that I am rather lenient. Everyone else is free to interpret things differently.

[Seven]

All magic requires words to be said aloud.
That's the whole point of the Silence spell.

Reminds me of the speed reading training in military college.
If you can "hear" words in your head as you read silently, you're doing it wrong.

[Dimirag]

Ah! But there's the rub: the core rule book doesn't distinguish between silently reading and reading aloud. It just says, "read".

Spellcasters must have at least one hand free, and be able
to speak, in order to cast spells

I think this applies to casting from a scroll too.

[Seven]

I don't know about the free hand. I think you generally hold a scroll with two hands to be able to read from it.

Also, there is no printing. It's all hand written, so even a normal scroll might not be easy to read.
Even if it's not cursive, you might have things like Us looking like Vs, etc.

[Solomoriah]

A scroll is a tool, in the hands of a caster. Unlike items that simply work on command, the scroll requires some involvement by the user; that's why those who are not casters of the correct type cannot use one. I think of it like the programs I write to assist me in computer work... they encapsulate some functionality that I need, but they are not nearly polished or friendly enough for anyone besides another programmer to use.

[Dimirag]

Also, there is no printing. It's all hand written, so even a normal scroll might not be easy to read.

Scroll do not have a failure chance, so I think they are quite readable

Even if it's not cursive, you might have things like Us looking like Vs, etc.

That's if the casters use "western calligraphy" instead of runes, symbols or other language

[Seven]

Runes are an alphabet for writing on hard surfaces. They are typically very hard to read.
Lots of similar characters. Check some actual medieval manuscripts.
Also, in the days of typing and texting, it's easy to forget that's it's often pretty hard to read other people's writing.

For a Magic User, there is a 10% failure for casting an unknown spell from a scroll.
That's pretty common for me. I seldom place scrolls of Sleep or Magic Missile.

Then, there's a 10% per level for spells of a level higher than the highest a caster can use.

There's no other failure, but there's an assumption that the scroll reader is focusing. A sufficient light source is needed. The reader needs to be able to hear himself.
I'm not sure how I would handle a deafened person reading a scroll.
I'd expect some slurred words.

I'm more ambivalent on the clerical scrolls.
They are prayers. I don't see why anyone wouldn't be able to use them.
A level 1 cleric cannot cast any spells, so I assume there's a 10% chance of failure if that person casts Cure Light Wounds from a scroll. I just increase that to 20% for a non cleric.
So, it's optimal if the cleric uses the scroll and that's what will probably happen, but in a pinch, someone else can give it a try. It's not game breaking, if anything, it provides an excuse for making low level scrolls more common, but a fighter would prefer a healing potion.

[Solomoriah]

The reader needn't hear himself; he just needs to be audible. Don't ask why, it's magic.

For clerical scrolls, there's a faith component. Even though a first level cleric has no spells yet, he or she can turn the undead... no normal person can do that.