Sorcerer using arcane scrolls [Archive] - Wizards Community

Sorcerer using arcane scrolls [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DmBebop
05-11-07, 03:48 PM There has been some debate in my group about sorcerers using arcane scrolls or the spells from a wizard's spell book as one-time use throw away spells. In essence, using the spell book as a staff or wand with each spell read vanishing from the book. Can this be done? What about the higher level spells in the book, the ones the sorcerer can't technically cast yet? Wondering what the rules really are and about any house rules on the subject.

Thanks
Alediran
05-11-07, 04:19 PM The Spellbook has no magical energy from wich to empower the spells in it's pages, therefore a sorcerer/ess can't use it as you describe. Scrolls on the other hand can be used without problem, they have magical energies imbued in them (the XP cost to create them)
The-Half
05-11-07, 04:22 PM First off you have the whole concept of spellbook WRONG.

Spell books to NOT have ready made spells in them like scrolls do.

Spellbooks are: notes, directions on hand-gestures, lists of material components and how to use them/ find them, arcanic theroies/phylosaphies on a paticular spell, the spells history listed maybe, etc;

Scrolls are: Prepared items (paper/clay tablet/pottery/sea-shell/etc;) that have been infused with a spell and labeled with words that act as a trigger.

Hope that helps.
Ramenth
05-12-07, 03:31 AM That's always confused me, to be honest. Why is it possible to learn spells from scrolls, but not cast spells from ones book?
Alediran
05-12-07, 09:29 AM Because the scroll not only has writing on it, but the actual energies to cast the spell (spell slots are a representation of a certain quantity of energy the caster must apply to a spell, that's why higher level spells get less slots, because they are more energy-consuming), you can learn from a scroll, because the spell energy contained on the scroll can be used to reveal all the information of the spell, and then the wizard writes it, while trying to retain that information (it's not permanent like a memorized spell, that is why you have to roll a Spellcraft check, it's to avoid the lost of information). After spending the energies of the spell in that way, instead of casting the spell, the scroll is no longer usefull after copying it in the spellbook.

A Spellbook on the other hand has more pages than a scroll of the same level, because it needs the complete notes on how to make the spell, that pages have no magica energy attached to them. Wizards memorize all the spell and when they cast it, they trigger the final rune/s of power.
Old Sparky
05-12-07, 04:02 PM To put it simply:
Spellbooks are instruction manuals for casting spells.
You reverse engineer scrolls to discover how to write the instructions that go in the spellbook.
Ramenth
05-16-07, 05:55 PM Ah. Well, I suppose that all makes sense.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DmBebop 05-11-07, 03:48 PM	There has been some debate in my group about sorcerers using arcane scrolls or the spells from a wizard's spell book as one-time use throw away spells. In essence, using the spell book as a staff or wand with each spell read vanishing from the book. Can this be done? What about the higher level spells in the book, the ones the sorcerer can't technically cast yet? Wondering what the rules really are and about any house rules on the subject. Thanks
Alediran 05-11-07, 04:19 PM	The Spellbook has no magical energy from wich to empower the spells in it's pages, therefore a sorcerer/ess can't use it as you describe. Scrolls on the other hand can be used without problem, they have magical energies imbued in them (the XP cost to create them)
The-Half 05-11-07, 04:22 PM	First off you have the whole concept of spellbook WRONG. Spell books to NOT have ready made spells in them like scrolls do. Spellbooks are: notes, directions on hand-gestures, lists of material components and how to use them/ find them, arcanic theroies/phylosaphies on a paticular spell, the spells history listed maybe, etc; Scrolls are: Prepared items (paper/clay tablet/pottery/sea-shell/etc;) that have been infused with a spell and labeled with words that act as a trigger. Hope that helps.
Ramenth 05-12-07, 03:31 AM	That's always confused me, to be honest. Why is it possible to learn spells from scrolls, but not cast spells from ones book?
Alediran 05-12-07, 09:29 AM	Because the scroll not only has writing on it, but the actual energies to cast the spell (spell slots are a representation of a certain quantity of energy the caster must apply to a spell, that's why higher level spells get less slots, because they are more energy-consuming), you can learn from a scroll, because the spell energy contained on the scroll can be used to reveal all the information of the spell, and then the wizard writes it, while trying to retain that information (it's not permanent like a memorized spell, that is why you have to roll a Spellcraft check, it's to avoid the lost of information). After spending the energies of the spell in that way, instead of casting the spell, the scroll is no longer usefull after copying it in the spellbook. A Spellbook on the other hand has more pages than a scroll of the same level, because it needs the complete notes on how to make the spell, that pages have no magica energy attached to them. Wizards memorize all the spell and when they cast it, they trigger the final rune/s of power.
Old Sparky 05-12-07, 04:02 PM	To put it simply: Spellbooks are instruction manuals for casting spells. You reverse engineer scrolls to discover how to write the instructions that go in the spellbook.
Ramenth 05-16-07, 05:55 PM	Ah. Well, I suppose that all makes sense.