Questions: Magic Scrolls and Flat Footed AC


Beginner Box


Hello all. Two questions:

1) To cast a spell from a scroll, does a wizard or cleric still have to be the appropriate level? In other words, can a first level PC cast a second level spell from a scroll?

2) If the PCs successfully ambush an enemy, ie., the enemy's perception check falls short of the DC set by their sneak checks, do the PCs get to attack the enemy's lower flat-footed AC?

Thanks!


existence123 wrote:

Hello all. Two questions:

1) To cast a spell from a scroll, does a wizard or cleric still have to be the appropriate level? In other words, can a first level PC cast a second level spell from a scroll?

[Edit: these answers are based on the Core Rulebook, not the Beginner Box.)

No. As long as the scroll is the correct type (Arcane or divine), and the spell appears on the casters spell list, any level character can use the scroll. However, if your caster level is not high enough to actually cast the spell your self, you must succed on a caster level check (DC is equal to the scrolls caster level + 1) to successfully cast the spell.

So, a 1st level caster trying to cast a 2nd level spell(minimum caster level 3) from a scroll would have to make a DC 4 (scrolls caster level +1) caster level check. Succeed, and the spell is cast. Fail, and the spell is not cast and there is a chance of something bad happening (a mishap). But if you fail the check, the scroll is not used up, so they can try again next round.

Quote:
2) If the PCs successfully ambush an enemy, ie., the enemy's perception check falls short of the DC set by their sneak checks, do the PCs get to attack the enemy's lower flat-footed AC?

A character is flat-footed at the start of every battle, and stays that way until he gets a chance to act on his turn. If the PCs surprise the enemy (or, if no one is surprised but the PCs roll a higher initiative), then the enemy is flat-footed until its their turn to act.


Ok, sounds good. A follow up: to make a caster level check, which skill or attribute do I use? In your example, the DC is 4 - this seems very low! I take this to mean that it's difficult to fail, except in cases of rotten luck.


I'm reading the "combat" section of the Hero's Handbook that comes with the Beginner Box.

Under the "armor class" section it reads:

"Sometimes you aren't able to react to an enemy's attack, like if you're surprised or paralyzed. This is called being flat-footed."

This is the passage that prompted my original query. The wording suggests that you only get the flat-footed "bonus" when your enemy is surprised, but you're saying you get it just by winning initiative. I don't doubt that you're correct, but it seems to me this part of the Hero's Handbook needs to be worded differently!

Grand Lodge

In reading and re-reading the Scrolls section in the GMG, there seems to be no indication that a 1st level caster could not cast a 2nd level scroll so long as the other requirements are met. The is no concept of the Caster Level check in the Beginner Box rules as far as my pdf searching can find. Disclaimer, my coffee-blood ratio is a bit low this morning. :)

The flat-footed bit was harder to find, but on page 100 of the GMG under the Common Conditions: "You haven’t had a turn yet in combat and you’re unable to react to the situation. You lose your DEX Mod to AC (if positive). A monster’s “flat-footed” Armor Class already has that calculated."

So in a combat where the PCs surprised the monsters, if any monsters were attacked in the surprise round they would be flat-footed, and in the first round of combat until you've acted you are still flat-footed. Once you've acted in round one your AC is 'normal' and includes your DEX mod. This is true for PCs and NPCs alike.

Hope that helps!


I couldn't find anything about caster level checks either.

Also...my BB gamemaster guide doesn't seem to have a page 100! :/
Only goes up to 97.

Nonetheless thanks for your help and for the clarification of what flat-footed AC is and when to use it.

EDIT: Okay, I found the bit in the GMG you referenced. It's on the back cover. Thanks again!


I apologize. I didn't notice this was a question about the Beginners Box. I gave the answers to the questions from the Core Rulebook. The Beginners Box sometimes uses different rules.

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

existence123 wrote:

Ok, sounds good. A follow up: to make a caster level check, which skill or attribute do I use? In your example, the DC is 4 - this seems very low! I take this to mean that it's difficult to fail, except in cases of rotten luck.

The Beginner Box doesn't require you to make a caster level check to use a scroll (given that the scrolls you have access too are pretty low level, and the treasure awards system means you're not going to find a scroll that's very much above your caster level, which means the caster level DC would be trivially easy, it's just simpler to omit it for an introductory product like this one).


Great, that part is crystal clear now.

I do have one more question about surprise, however. Creatures that are surprised can take no actions at all in the first round of combat. That's easy enough. But what about those who are NOT surprised, and are on the side of the "surprisers"? In other words, say group A sneaks up on Group B. All appropriate sneak and perception rolls are made. Do even the members of group A suffer the "only one action in round one" penalty? My reading of the rules - both in the BB and on d20srd.org - suggests this is the case. I only ask because it seems a little strange that members of the ambusing party would suffer a penalty (seeing as how they're the ones doing the ambushing!)


existence123 wrote:

Great, that part is crystal clear now.

I do have one more question about surprise, however. Creatures that are surprised can take no actions at all in the first round of combat. That's easy enough. But what about those who are NOT surprised, and are on the side of the "surprisers"? In other words, say group A sneaks up on Group B. All appropriate sneak and perception rolls are made. Do even the members of group A suffer the "only one action in round one" penalty? My reading of the rules - both in the BB and on d20srd.org - suggests this is the case. I only ask because it seems a little strange that members of the ambusing party would suffer a penalty (seeing as how they're the ones doing the ambushing!)

The single action is not a penalty. The surprise round is not actually Round 1 of the combat. The surprise round takes place before the combat actually begins. If the enemy is surprised, and the players roll well on initiative, its possible for the players to act twice (one in the surprise round, and once in the normal round) before the enemy gets a chance to act.


Jeraa wrote:
existence123 wrote:

Great, that part is crystal clear now.

I do have one more question about surprise, however. Creatures that are surprised can take no actions at all in the first round of combat. That's easy enough. But what about those who are NOT surprised, and are on the side of the "surprisers"? In other words, say group A sneaks up on Group B. All appropriate sneak and perception rolls are made. Do even the members of group A suffer the "only one action in round one" penalty? My reading of the rules - both in the BB and on d20srd.org - suggests this is the case. I only ask because it seems a little strange that members of the ambusing party would suffer a penalty (seeing as how they're the ones doing the ambushing!)

The single action is not a penalty. The surprise round is not actually Round 1 of the combat. The surprise round takes place before the combat actually begins. If the enemy is surprised, and the players roll well on initiative, its possible for the players to act twice (one in the surprise round, and once in the normal round) before the enemy gets a chance to act.

Got it, thanks.

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