Rules Question: Level 6 Ranger and Scroll of Barkskin


Rules Questions


I was trying to figure out what sort of check I'd need to make as a level 6 Ranger (Caster Level 3, access to only 1st level spells until level 7) to cast a scroll of Barkskin. So far as I can tell, I actually don't need to make a check at all, due to the following:
1. All scrolls are made by clerics, druids, or wizards when possible
2. Scrolls are the lowest CL able to access
3. Barkskin is on the Druid spell list, CL 3
4. There is no difference between arcane and dive scrolls
5. My CL is 3 as a level 6 Ranger
6. If the caster's CL is equal to the scroll's CL

Is this correct? Is it intended this way? If not, what are the actual rules on this? Have included relevant sections of the rules below...

General rules on Scrolls:

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.

Society rules on Scrolls:

All potions, scrolls, wands, and other consumables are made by clerics, druids, or wizards in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The only exceptions are spells that are not on the cleric, druid, or wizard spell list. For example, a scroll of lesser restoration must be purchased as a 2nd-level scroll off the cleric spell list and may not be purchased as a 1st-level scroll off the paladin spell list. If a spell appears at different levels on two different lists, use the lower level spell to determine cost. As an example, poison would be priced as a 3rd-level druid spell instead of a 4th-level cleric spell. All potions, scrolls, and wands are available only at the minimum caster level unless found at a higher caster level on a Chronicle sheet.

For the sake of simplicity, there is no difference between an arcane and divine scroll or wand in Pathfinder Society Organized play. Thus a bard and cleric may both use the same scroll of cure moderate wounds.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Even if someone wanted to be silly and say you needed to make a CL check, the DC would be 4 (1+CL of scroll) and your minimum check result is also 4, so you couldn't fail.

Shadow Lodge

To my knowledge, simply put, if the scroll contains a spell that is on the Ranger spell list (regardless of CL) there is no check required to use it. If it is not on the Ranger spell list then it would require a UMD check at 20 + CL of the spell. Barkskin is a 2nd level Ranger spell.

Edit: Also you need to have high enough ability score to cast it. So for a 2nd level Ranger spell you would need a Wisdom of 12 to use it without a UMD check.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

anthonydido wrote:
To my knowledge, simply put, if the scroll contains a spell that is on the Ranger spell list (regardless of CL) there is no check required to use it.

As per Core Rules (which were in fact quoted in the original post), having a CL lower than the CL of the scroll forces a CL check to activate it.

But in this particular example, he has a sufficiently high CL to not need a check.

Similarly, 3rd-level sorcerers can activate scrolls of 2nd-level spells, since the wizards craft them at CL3. (Same goes for oracles and activating cleric scrolls.)

Grand Lodge

Well, really the question is one of activation.

PRD wrote:

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.)
  • Waived per the rules of PFS, all scrolls count as both as applicable. Move on to the next item.

    PRD wrote:
  • The user must have the spell on her class list.
  • Is it on the Ranger spell list? Yes, it is. Move on to the next item.

    PRD wrote:
  • The user must have the requisite ability score.
  • Is your Ranger's Wisdom at least a 12? If yes, move on to the next item. If not, you cannot activate the scroll (barring Use Magic Device).

    PRD 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. 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.

    Is your caster level equal to the caster level of the scroll? Well, we know from PFS rules that the scroll is at minimum caster level, which is 3. Your 6th level ranger, as we already know, is a 3rd-level caster, so you meet that requirement.

    The only question is your Ranger's Wisdom score.

    Liberty's Edge

    I played a ranger in Living Greyhawk and made use of the druid spell list for scrolls of spells that he couldn't cast himself regularly. It's not uncommon for the ranger spell level to be higher than the druid spell level for the same spell, along with the slower spell progression for rangers. I called it raiding the druid list. Works in PFS too. Likewise for paladins and the cleric list.

    Liberty's Edge

    Jiggy wrote:

    Even if someone wanted to be silly and say you needed to make a CL check, the DC would be 4 (1+CL of scroll) and your minimum check result is also 4, so you couldn't fail.

    CRB, page 490 wrote:
    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 mishap (see Scroll Mishaps). A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers.

    Emphasis mine. You do need to make the roll if you don't have a high enough CL, as you will fail 1 time in 20 regardless.

    In the OP's case, there's no problem, but I just wanted to clarify the rule.

    Grand Lodge

    If she fails.

    Which she can't do.

    Shadow Lodge

    Nuku wrote:

    If she fails.

    Which she can't do.

    In this specific instance, the Ranger meets all of the requirements thus no roll is needed. If any of the requirements were not met a check would have to be made and, regardless of any modifiers, a natural roll of a 1 always fails.

    Grand Lodge

    A natural 1 on the DC 5 wisdom check.

    Not a natural 1 on the CL check.

    Shadow Lodge

    Nuku wrote:

    A natural 1 on the DC 5 wisdom check.

    Not a natural 1 on the CL check.

    It's still a roll. ANY roll check fails on a 1.

    The Exchange

    anthonydido wrote:
    Nuku wrote:

    A natural 1 on the DC 5 wisdom check.

    Not a natural 1 on the CL check.

    It's still a roll. ANY roll check fails on a 1.

    nope, natural 1's only fail on attack rolls and saving throws.

    Shadow Lodge

    Benrislove wrote:
    anthonydido wrote:
    Nuku wrote:

    A natural 1 on the DC 5 wisdom check.

    Not a natural 1 on the CL check.

    It's still a roll. ANY roll check fails on a 1.
    nope, natural 1's only fail on attack rolls and saving throws.

    Oh, well, I stand corrected. I thought it was anytime you had to roll for a check. Thanks for the rules clarification.

    Grand Lodge

    To clarify further, natural 1s and 20s only auto-fail or auto-succeed on attack rolls and saving throws.

    Which leads to a slightly odd line in the UMD skill:

    Quote:
    Try Again: Yes, but if you ever roll a natural 1 while attempting to activate an item and you fail, then you can't try to activate that item again for 24 hours.

    Grand Lodge

    Whenever a 1 has a special effect, they go out of their way to lay out what it does, because, except for those attack/saving throws, 1s aren't special.

    Grand Lodge

    Nuku wrote:
    Whenever a 1 has a special effect, they go out of their way to lay out what it does, because, except for those attack/saving throws, 1s aren't special.

    I didn't say that it didn't make sense, just that it was slightly odd.

    Of course, for those who don't know that skill rolls do not auto-fail, that line would be a head-scratcher.


    PRD wrote:
    Use a Scroll: Normally, to cast a spell from a scroll, you must have the scroll's spell on your class spell list. Use Magic Device allows you to use a scroll as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list. The DC is equal to 20 + the caster level of the spell you are trying to cast from the scroll. In addition, casting a spell from a scroll requires a minimum score (10 + spell level) in the appropriate ability. If you don't have a sufficient score in that ability, you must emulate the ability score with a separate Use Magic Device check.

    Does this bypass the need for you to be the same caster type (divine/arcane) as the scroll? Like can a sorcerer cast a scroll of cure light wounds with a DC21 UMD check?

    Grand Lodge

    Yep.

    Just like a rogue does it without being an arcane OR divine caster.


    Ok, thanks all. I thought I had the right of it, but wanted to double check ahead of time, as I'm essentially casting a spell off a scroll that I don't currently have access to, and thought that was a bit odd!

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