A scroll is a spell (or collection of spells) that has been stored in written form. A spell on a scroll can be used only once. The writing vanishes from the scroll when the spell is activated. Using a scroll is basically like casting a spell.
A scroll is a heavy sheet of fine vellum or high-quality paper. An area about 8 1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long is sufficient to hold one spell. The sheet is reinforced at the top and bottom with strips of leather slightly longer than the sheet is wide. A scroll holding more than one spell has the same width (about 8 1/2 inches) but is an extra foot or so long for each extra spell. Scrolls that hold three or more spells are usually fitted with reinforcing rods at each end rather than simple strips of leather. A scroll has AC 9, hardness 0, and a break DC of 8.
To protect it from wrinkling or tearing, a scroll is rolled up from both ends to form a double cylinder. (This also helps the user unroll the scroll quickly.) The scroll is placed in a tube of ivory, jade, leather, metal, or wood. Most scroll cases are inscribed with magic symbols which often identify the owner or the spells stored on the scrolls inside. The symbols often hide magic traps.
To activate a scroll, a spellcaster must read the spell written on it. The character must be able to see and read the writing on the scroll. To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must have the spell on his or her class list.
If a scroll contains an upper-level spell (level 7, 8 or 9) from a spell level that you can't yet cast, then you must make a spell attack or magic items check to successfully cast it (DC = 20 + twice the spell level). Failure by more than 10 causes a scroll mishap, which may deal damage to you, causing an unexpected or opposite result, hitting the wrong target, or some other mischance.
Activating a scroll spell requires no material components or focus since the creator of the scroll provided these when scribing it. Somatic and verbal components are necessary, and as such, scrolls can be counterspelled (or used to counterspell).
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. Concentration is still required for spell completion items for spells that require it. Scrolls use your spell save DC and spell attack.
| d% roll | Type |
| 01-70 | Arcane |
| 71-100 | Divine |
| Scroll Type | Number of Spells |
| Minor scroll | 1d3 spells |
| Medium scroll | 1d4 spells |
| Major scroll | 1d6 spells |
| Minor | Medium | Major | Spell Level | Price1 |
| 01-05 | -- | -- | 0 | 12.5 gp |
| 06-50 | -- | -- | 1st | 25 gp |
| 51-95 | 01-05 | -- | 2nd | 150 gp |
| 96-100 | 06-65 | -- | 3rd | 375 gp |
| -- | 66-95 | 01-05 | 4th | 700 gp |
| -- | 96-100 | 06-50 | 5th | 1,125 gp |
| -- | -- | 51-70 | 6th | 1,650 gp |
| -- | -- | 71-85 | 7th | 2,275 gp |
| -- | -- | 86-95 | 8th | 3,000 gp |
| -- | -- | 95-100 | 9th | 3,875 gp |