Spell scrolls
- For information about Song Scrolls, see here.
Spell scrolls are items found in the treasure system or sold in magic stores such as the ones in Crossing, Ratha, and Aesry. They contain a spell that may be learned either permanently (STUDY) or temporarily (INVOKE). Scrolls from the treasure system are found in varying states of disrepair, with more decrepit scrolls being harder to learn. One's arcana skill affects the success of being able to read the scroll and INVOKEing it. You generally need around 100 ranks in Arcana to be able to invoke a scroll, although boosts to Arcana such as Constellation Jewelry can aid in invoking.
If the spell is not of your associated mana type, then casting the spell will contest your Sorcery skill along with the spell's contested skill (ie Debilitation skill, Targeted Magic skill, Augmentation skill, Utility skill, Warding skill).
IC Lore
The spells are stored as both written notation on the mental contortions necessary to shape it and as technical drawings of the spell pattern. In addition, the scrolls themselves are magical items that act to confer a measure of understanding that would otherwise be impossible through purely mundane script, which is why the scroll will become ash eventually.[1]
Scroll Appearance
Illustrations of complex, three-dimensional shapes cover much of the parchment, which you immediately recognize as a spell pattern taken from different angles and cross-sections. Esoteric words are written in the margins and label the diagrams, but their meanings are not immediately obvious. or Familiar words are written in the margins and label the diagrams, immediately identifying this as a <your mana> pattern.
Use
Look/Read
A magic user can tell by looking at a scroll if it belongs to their mana type. Anyone can read a scroll's title and spell description if they have enough arcana skill.
Study
A magic user can permanently learn a spell by STUDYing it if the caster meets all of the below criteria:
- You have enough empty spell slots to learn the spell.
- The spell is analogous or comes from your guild.
While Teleologic Sorcery is not officially sanctioned by the Moon Mage Guild, Moon Mages are able to permanently learn Teleologic spells. The same goes for the other high sorceries: (antinomic, and hylomorphic).
Invoke
A magic user can temporarily learn a spell by using INVOKE if:
- You have an empty scroll slot.
- You have the Magic Theorist feat
Magicians can have one scroll invoked at a time. If they have the Improved Memory feat, they can invoke a second one.
Release
Temporarily memorized spell scrolls can only be released by the use of RELEASE SCROLL <spell name>. DEPARTing will also cause the scroll to be lost, but Resurrection with enough favors has a chance to preserve it.
Spells
The material that a scroll is made of will affect its difficulty. From hardest to easiest they are:
- hhr'lav'geluhh bark
- smudged parchment
- tattered papyrus
- wax tablet
- faded vellum
- moldering scroll
- tattered scroll
- yellowed scroll
- clay tablet
- papyrus roll
- fine scroll
- illuminated scroll
- ostracon
- seishaka leaf
Even though anyone can invoke any scroll, spells that are signature (representing something unique to a guild that no ordinary magician can do by themselves) can only be CAST by a member of the appropriate guild.
References
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