Using scrolls.


Advice


This is something that ought to be all-too basic for someone who has played 3.5 and pathfinder for a dozen years now, but for clarity im going to ask anyway.

How do you use scrolls in play?

Examples of how I've ruled and played it so far:

1) A standard 3rd wizard with Int 15 uses a cl 1 burning hands scroll, the spell is cast without a check and executed at caster level 3rd because the wizards CL is 3.

2) A 5th level Fighter with intelligence 13 and Wisdom 11 has a scroll case with 1st level cleric spells and 1st level wizard spells. To cast said spells he must succeed on a UMD check DC 21 to cast them as CL1 spells, but he is allowed to increase the check DC up to 25 to increase the CL up to his character level.

3) The fighter above can cast 3rd level Wizard spells from scrolls by succeeding on a DC 25 UMD check, but to cast 3rd level cleric spells from scrolls he would need to succeed on two seperate UMD skill checks, one DC25 to cast a CL 5 cleric spell, and another DC 18 check to emulate a wisdom score of 13.

Additionally:
Could the fighter above voluntarily use UMD to emulate a higher ability score then otherwise needed to cast spells from scrolls at a higher save DC?

Could a level 1 Wizard (or just caster in general) use UMD to emulate a CL higher then their own? For example could the 3rd level wizard above attempt a DC 25 UMD check to cast the scroll as a CL 5 spell?


Scrolls don't use the readers caster level. Scrolls have their own caster level. The only time you can use the characters caster level instead of the items is with staves.

Magic iteme save DCs are always based on the minimum stat needed to cast the spell. The users ability score never changes that. Again, except for staves.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Specifically, the PRD says for Saving Throws Against Magic Item Powers in the Magic Items section:

Saving Throws Against Magic Item Powers

Magic items produce spells or spell-like effects. For a saving throw against a spell or spell-like effect from a magic item, the DC is 10 + the level of the spell or effect + the ability modifier of the minimum ability score needed to cast that level of spell.

Staves are an exception to the rule. Treat the saving throw as if the wielder cast the spell, including caster level and all modifiers to save DCs.

Most item descriptions give saving throw DCs for various effects, particularly when the effect has no exact spell equivalent (making its level otherwise difficult to determine quickly).

For the caster level, under Determine Effect in Scrolls PRD entry it says:

Assume the scroll spell's caster level is always the minimum level required to cast the spell for the character who scribed the scroll, unless the scriber specifically desired otherwise.


That clarifies a bunch of stuff I did incorrectly so far, but am I usign the right skill checks?

Also, a new question.
Does a caster need to make a check to cast a scroll with an in-class spell that he is not yet high enough level to cast?
A 5th level wizzard for example with an Ice wall scroll.


"If ... her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell's caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll's caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully."

So Ice Wall would normally have a caster level of 7. That means the DC is 8 and the level 5 wizard would have to roll a 3 on a d20.

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