Oracle casting from a Cleric Scroll


Rules Questions


This is more of a curiosity than an actual question, but here it is:
If let's say a 9th level oracle wants to cast the spell Flame Strike (5th level spell which she can't cast yet, but is on her spell list) from a scroll which was written by a 9th level cleric, can she do it? Does she have to make some kind of check, like caster level check even if technically her caster level is the same as the one of the scroll?
Thank you for indulging me :)


Full relevant rules, emphasis mine:

Spoiler:
Activate the Spell: Activating a scroll requires reading the spell from the scroll. The character must be able to see and read the writing on the scroll. Activating a scroll spell requires no material components or focus. (The creator of the scroll provided these when scribing the scroll.) Note that some spells are effective only when cast on an item or items. In such a case, the scroll user must provide the item when activating the spell. Activating a scroll spell is subject to disruption just as casting a normally prepared spell would be. Using a scroll is like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure chance.

To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.

The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, and bards) can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his class.)
The user must have the spell on her class list.
The user must have the requisite ability score.

If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell’s caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but 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. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a scroll mishap. A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers. Activating a scroll is a standard action (or the spell’s casting time, whichever is longer) and it provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does. If the caster level check fails but no mishap occurs, the scroll is not expended.

The scroll is a divine scroll, and oracles cast divine spells. Check.
The oracle has flame strike on her spell list. Check.
The oracle has at least 15 Charisma (or whatever her casting stat is). (I'm assuming this is the case for the purpose of this question.) Check.
The oracle is at least caster level 9. Check.

The oracle can cast flame strike from the scroll without a caster level check. The fact that the oracle can't learn or cast flame strike as a spell known at her current level is immaterial.


blahpers wrote:

The scroll is a divine scroll, and oracles cast divine spells. Check.

The oracle has flame strike on her spell list. Check.
The oracle has at least 15 Charisma (or whatever her casting stat is). (I'm assuming this is the case for the purpose of this question.) Check.
The oracle is at least caster level 9. Check.

The oracle can cast flame strike from the scroll without a caster level check. The fact that the oracle can't learn or cast flame strike as a spell known at her current level is immaterial.

I think it requires having 15 wisdom since it's a cleric scroll and cleric's are wisdom based.

I think PFS has put up their houserule that you can use the more advantageous stat since scrolls aren't class specific in PFS. But by the rules they are class specific.

The Concordance

I can’t find anything one way or the other about the requisite ability score and it needing to match the scribe’s.

You just have to “have” it, whatever that means. If you’re the one “casting” it from the scroll, it being on your class’s spell list, I’d say you can use the ability score you normally use to cast magics.


Chess Pwn wrote:
I think it requires having 15 wisdom since it's a cleric scroll and cleric's are wisdom based.

There are two types of scroll: arcane and divine. There's no such thing as a 'cleric' scroll.

Silver Crusade

Actually, it gets a little more complicated than just arcane or divine. I have a witch (arcane caster) scribe Cure Light Wounds (arcane spell for him and bards, but generally seen as divine), so we need to find where that fits.


Where's the additional complexity? If the Witch scribes CLW, it's an Arcane scroll. Easy for a bard to use, hard for a cleric to use. (If you find a random scroll of CLW, it's probably going to be a divine scroll.)

If a scroll of Haste could be a 'Wizard scroll', then Sorcerers and Bards wouldn't be able to use it without high Int or UMD. Fortunately, the rules don't require that.


As Matthew Downie mentioned, scrolls technically aren't classed--they're either arcane or divine (or psychic, if you're into that).


here
is a PFS FAQ saying that the creator of the scroll determines the relevant stat. Because the question comes up if a rogue were to use that scroll which stat would he need? wisdom, charisma, or his pick?


That's fine for PFS, I suppose.

The Exchange

Chess Pwn wrote:

here

is a PFS FAQ saying that the creator of the scroll determines the relevant stat. Because the question comes up if a rogue were to use that scroll which stat would he need? wisdom, charisma, or his pick?

Bear in mind that the Question in that FAQ deals with

Quote:
Casting a spell from a scroll using the Use Magic Device skill requires "a minimum score (10 +spell level) in the appropriate ability...

Blahpers quoted the rules on activating scrolls normally (not Using Magic Device). When using a scroll that way (the spell is on your class spell list) the "appropriate ability" is your class spellcasting stat.

When activating a scroll Using Magic Device (because the spell is not on your class spell list) the "appropriate ability" is the primary stat of the creator of the scroll.


blahpers wrote:

Full relevant rules, emphasis mine:

** spoiler omitted **

The...

that's what I thought, and what I ended up doing. I guess the question about which ability score you should actually have can be debatable, but for the sake of simplicity i would go for the ability score of the caster and not the one of the writer, if the spell is on the spell list of the caster.

Grand Lodge

A 4th level Paladin with the Magical Knack trait can activate scrolls of Bull's Strength ^_^


Belafon wrote:
Chess Pwn wrote:

here

is a PFS FAQ saying that the creator of the scroll determines the relevant stat. Because the question comes up if a rogue were to use that scroll which stat would he need? wisdom, charisma, or his pick?

Bear in mind that the Question in that FAQ deals with

Quote:
Casting a spell from a scroll using the Use Magic Device skill requires "a minimum score (10 +spell level) in the appropriate ability...

Blahpers quoted the rules on activating scrolls normally (not Using Magic Device). When using a scroll that way (the spell is on your class spell list) the "appropriate ability" is your class spellcasting stat.

When activating a scroll Using Magic Device (because the spell is not on your class spell list) the "appropriate ability" is the primary stat of the creator of the scroll.

Yup. The "appropriate ability score" ruling only applies to UMD. The rules for ordinary use of scrolls only say that the appropriate score be high enough, so the assumption is that the relevant ability score must be high enough for the caster to cast the spell, regardless of who wrote the scroll.


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Talib Aguiye Ironsi wrote:
A 4th level Paladin with the Magical Knack trait can activate scrolls of Bull's Strength ^_^

So can a 4th level paladin without the Magical Knack trait. That trait doesn't help here.

Grand Lodge

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Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

The scrolls caster level would be higher than the Paladins caster level of 1, as it is a 2nd Level spell. Magical Knack would remove the need for the CL check to activate.


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

But you have to be a 7th level paladin (caster level 4th) to cast 2nd level spells. A 4th level paladin (caster level 1st) is 3 levels short and thus would have a 15% chance of failure trying to use the scroll. The Magical Knack trait reduces but does not eliminate the chance of failure.
In either case, the chance of failure is fairly low.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

Incorrect.

Activating the Scroll wrote:
If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell's caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check.

The 2nd Level scroll is CL3. A 4th Level Paladin with Magical Knack has a caster level of 3 and need not roll.

The Paladin cannot prepare 2nd Level spells until 7th, but can cast them before that.


TriOmegaZero wrote:

Incorrect.

Activating the Scroll wrote:
If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell's caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check.

The 2nd Level scroll is CL3. A 4th Level Paladin with Magical Knack has a caster level of 3 and need not roll.

The Paladin cannot prepare 2nd Level spells until 7th, but can cast them before that.

This is only true if the spell appears on the Paladin's spell list, though. And the paladin must possess the required CHA to cast, as well. So, a cleric-made Bull's Strength would be fine under Magical Knack at 4th level, provided the Paladin also possesses at least CHA 12. Without MK, she would have to wait until at least 6th level.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

Well yes, that was what the “meets all the requirements noted above” alluded to.

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