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Magic Scrolls

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2024 10:08 pm
by darthauthor
So my adventurers have a magic scroll of teleportation.
Here is the thing, some don't have literacy.

Question:
"Does the spell only work on the one who reads it?"
So if the literate character reads it, can they cast it on someone they can see and touch (the other player characters who can't read and haven't been to the place the reader/caster is trying to send them).

Or is it just the one who can read it, reads it, and they alone are teleported?

Or is there a work around where he puts the other player character inbetween himself and the scroll and has the guy hold the scroll and repeat after him as he reads it aloud.
Maybe a telepathy thing so the illiterate character hears the words in their head and says them out loud.

Ideas?

Re: Magic Scrolls

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 12:12 am
by Grazzik
darthauthor wrote: Wed Jan 10, 2024 10:08 pm So my adventurers have a magic scroll of teleportation.
Here is the thing, some don't have literacy.

Question:
"Does the spell only work on the one who reads it?"
So if the literate character reads it, can they cast it on someone they can see and touch (the other player characters who can't read and haven't been to the place the reader/caster is trying to send them).

Or is it just the one who can read it, reads it, and they alone are teleported?

Or is there a work around where he puts the other player character inbetween himself and the scroll and has the guy hold the scroll and repeat after him as he reads it aloud.
Maybe a telepathy thing so the illiterate character hears the words in their head and says them out loud.

Ideas?
The caster reading the spell aloud must be literate.
The spell on the scroll works just like the spell is described.
Scroll of teleportation (superior) can be self or others, just like the spell description.
Presumably the target of the spell is part of the incantation said by the caster reading the scroll aloud.

Re: Magic Scrolls

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 3:49 pm
by Library Ogre
Let us take two characters. Bob is a wizard who knows Teleport, and Create Magic Scroll. Sally is not a wizard, but she is literate.

Bob creates a magic scroll of Teleport, then gives it to Sally. Bob Teleports away. Sally reads the scroll, and she teleports away.

When Sally reads the scroll, it is just as if she cast the spell, but at Bob's level of experience when he wrote that scroll. If the Teleport spell in question lets you bring others, you bring others, because you are casting the spell.

Re: Magic Scrolls

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 4:25 pm
by Grazzik
Library Ogre wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2024 3:49 pm Let us take two characters. Bob is a wizard who knows Teleport
<chuckle>
I can't help but think of Zer0 Kay's comment on another topic over in Rifts... it's ruined the name Bob for me...

Re: Magic Scrolls

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:31 pm
by darthauthor
Hey Library Ogre,

I like where you are going with the example.

This is more like it:

Sally is literate and has a magic scroll of teleportation.
Bob is a Dog Boy and illiterate.

Sally reads the teleportation spell but wants to cast it on Bob who willingly goes with it.

So? Does Bob teleport to where Sally wants to send him?

Re: Magic Scrolls

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 7:06 pm
by drewkitty ~..~
"Does the spell only work on the one who reads it?"
No. It is there in the text that it has to be read by a char literate with the language the scroll is written in, & it has to be read aloud.

*translates*
can the reader send a different character to a place the reader knows but the one being effected doesn't?
yes
Or is it just the one who can read it, reads it, and they alone are teleported?
Depends on which T-port spell is being cast through the reading of the spell scroll. There are three different T-port spells. Simple, self, and supirior.
Or is there a work around where he puts the other player character inbetween himself and the scroll and has the guy hold the scroll and repeat after him as he reads it aloud.
Maybe a telepathy thing so the illiterate character hears the words in their head and says them out loud.
No work around.

Re: Magic Scrolls

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 9:36 pm
by Grazzik
darthauthor wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:31 pm So? Does Bob teleport to where Sally wants to send him?
Yes, Sally is the one in control of the scroll-based Teleport Superior spell. Bob is the powerless Dog boy (Saving Throw: none) the spell acts on. Bob goes where Sally wants.

Re: Magic Scrolls

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2024 1:47 pm
by Library Ogre
darthauthor wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:31 pm Hey Library Ogre,

I like where you are going with the example.

This is more like it:

Sally is literate and has a magic scroll of teleportation.
Bob is a Dog Boy and illiterate.

Sally reads the teleportation spell but wants to cast it on Bob who willingly goes with it.

So? Does Bob teleport to where Sally wants to send him?
Much better example, yeah.

And I say Bob goes there.

Re: Magic Scrolls

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2024 2:48 pm
by ShadowLogan
darthauthor wrote:Question:
"Does the spell only work on the one who reads it?"
So if the literate character reads it, can they cast it on someone they can see and touch (the other player characters who can't read and haven't been to the place the reader/caster is trying to send them).

Or is it just the one who can read it, reads it, and they alone are teleported?

Or is there a work around where he puts the other player character inbetween himself and the scroll and has the guy hold the scroll and repeat after him as he reads it aloud.
Maybe a telepathy thing so the illiterate character hears the words in their head and says them out loud.

Ideas?
The Person Reading the Scroll essentially becomes the caster at this point, meaning depending on the spell in question it could impact the Reader/Caster, another individual, or both depending on how the spell works. As others have said.

Now onto the aspect that hasn't been covered "whispering in someone's ear what to say" (telepathy or the old-fashioned way) I'm going to say no due to several factors:
-as that could be seen as "copying" the spell text (a Strech I admit). If you can't make a written copy of what's on the scroll (either manually or mechanically), prompting someone else might be seen as a form of copying (within the context of the spell at least, it doesn't seem like a Scroll could be read aloud and the words can't be transcribed by another party)
-Also remember that the Scroll need not be in English, it could be another language which could complicate the chain. If the illiterate person doesn't know the spoken language, they might find it difficult to repeat it accurately.
-I also assume there is an expected "word rate" that this method might not support (as a safeguard to prevent accidental use)
-given the scroll seems to have some means of safeguards to prevent accidental use, it's possible it might have some to prevent illiterate use (some means to determine the reader is actually reading the spell)