Question regarding scrolls.

Strykr · 08-02-06, 10:18 AM

I am curious about using scrolls. I thought, but I could be wrong, that not long ago using a scroll (magic missle for example) cast the spell as if you the caster were casting it, thus getting level appropriate numbers and such. But I think as of the last 2-3 weeks they were changed to being the level of the caster to attain such a spell (save 1st level spells). Is this something that had been changed, or am I just mistaken? I can understand how this could be considered overpowering for someone with many scrolls, but on the other hand it creates more of a market and use for scribing. Just a thought/question.

Dorganath · 08-02-06, 10:23 AM

There were no changes to scrolls in the last 2-3 weeks. I'm fairly certain they've always functioned as though cast by a fixed-level caster (not the caster level of the actual user of the scroll).
We do have several spells which function in a custom manner here, and depending on the spell and your caster level, it may appear as though the spell is underperforming.

Filatus · 08-02-06, 10:30 AM

I don't think they changed the way scrolls work and it would be take a large amount of work to implement it. For one thing, the problem would be that with the implementation of caster level for scrolls as done in NWN, there would have to be a scroll for each casterlevel. So, that would mean 40 versions of each scroll type.

Next to this the whole scribing craft would need to be changed.

miltonyorkcastle · 08-02-06, 11:01 AM

this, of course, means that scroll cost and effectiveness increases exponentially with the level of the spell on the scroll, for, not only is the higher level spell inherintly more powerful, it also has a longer duration/more poweful effect because the caster level of the scroll must be higher to accomodate the higher level spell.

EdTheKet · 08-02-06, 12:09 PM

Quote:

I'm fairly certain they've always functioned as though cast by a fixed-level caster (not the caster level of the actual user of the scroll).

They have always been like this for as long as I've been scribing (which is like 3 years almost).

crazedgoblin · 08-02-06, 12:09 PM

to have 40 versions of one scroll......

Strykr · 08-02-06, 07:23 PM

Ok, thanks for the reply. Like I said, I might have been mistaken. It could very well be that when I first used some of the scrolls they were similar to the casting level I was at, at that time. But thought I'd ask. Thanks for the replies.

And I don't know anything about programming, but I'd be that it could be coded that reading a scroll would take the caster level into consideration as if they were casting the spell vs. having 40 different levels of a scroll. But that isn't an issue anyways.

Thanks again.

Eredel.

Talan Va'lash · 08-02-06, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Strykr - 8/2/2006 10:23 PM Ok, thanks for the reply. Like I said, I might have been mistaken. It could very well be that when I first used some of the scrolls they were similar to the casting level I was at, at that time. But thought I'd ask. Thanks for the replies. And I don't know anything about programming, but I'd be that it could be coded that reading a scroll would take the caster level into consideration as if they were casting the spell vs. having 40 different levels of a scroll. But that isn't an issue anyways. Thanks again. Eredel.

All items that cast spells in NWN use a fixed caster level (its in parenthesis after the spell name in the description) and have since the game came out.

For scrolls, this is how it should be as per D&D rules (though with full D&D rules the scriber can choose to scribe a scroll at a higher than minimum level when scribing it, but this costs more in scribing components and xp expended.) However this isn't fesible in NWN due to the overhead of having 40 versions of each scroll as was mentioned previously.

In D&D magic staffs that cast spells let you use your caster level when casting the spell (which is why they're better than wands or scrolls.)

The way the cast spell (from an item) property is set up in NWN does not allow any way to check caster level (nor would it make sense for a rogue using a scroll.) The only way to do this would be to make a "unique power" for every spell that checks your caster level then casts the appropriate spell. This would be a general pain in the keister and wouldn't work quite right with the combat mechanics (casting time and such.) And it wouldn't be done for scrolls anyway since they SHOULDN"T be using the users caster level, they should be at some set level, usually the minimum caster level for the spell.