- A wizard spell on a spell scroll can be copied just as spells in spellbooks can be copied just as spells in spellbooks can be copied. When a spell is copied from a spell scroll, the copier must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 10 + the spell's level. If the check succeeds, the spell is successfully copied.
- PCs have to craft magic items in their downtime (if the DM allows them to), rules for which can be found in the Crafting a Magic Item section on page 128 of the aforementioned DMG, or (for spell scrolls specifically) on page 133 of Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
Combat is a large part of Dungeons and Dragons. To make it as immersive as possible, the game’s designers added nuances to the game that will balance combat yet grip the player and make them feel the thrill of the fight. That said, there are many things about the combat mechanics to learn, let’s tackle the basics, and explore Attack Rolls and Damage Rolls.
In this article, you’ll find what they are exactly, the calculations required, and some practical examples for each. They are arranged as such, so feel free to scroll down to the section you want.
Contents
What Are Attack and Damage Rolls?
In Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition, Attack and Damage Rolls are rolls you take when you attack an enemy during combat. The Attack Roll determines whether or not you hit the target, while the Damage Roll determines how much damage you inflict on the target.
If you’re looking for more beginner guides, I’ll leave an interactive infographic below that can help you or a friend understand the game better. Be sure to check it out!
A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written in a mystical cipher. If the spell is on your class’s spell list, you can read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible. Casting the spell by reading the scroll requires the spell’s normal casting time. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible. Casting the spell by reading the scroll requires the spell’s normal casting time. Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and it crumbles to dust. If the casting is interrupted, the scroll is not lost. Wand of Paralysis (p. The third and fourth sentences.
These are the basics of combat in Dungeons and Dragons. In order to attack, you must use your action for your turn. Once you do, you pick a target, roll an Attack Roll and if it hits, you roll an Damage Roll for the damage.
If your Attack Roll results in a miss, you will not need to do a Damage Roll.
During an Attack Roll, your aim is to get a value higher than the target’s AC. AC stands for Armor Class. In DnD 5e, this basically represents how hard to hit the target will be, either due to their armor or fast reflexes.
So, for example the result of your Attack Roll is 14. You will now run this value against the target’s AC. Let’s give three different scenarios below:
So, as you can see your aim during an Attack Roll is to get at least the same value of the target’s AC or higher to land a hit.
There are special cases, though, like when you get a Nat20.
A Nat20, or Natural 20, is when the d20 (20 sided-die) rolled results in a 20. This means independent of the other modifiers or bonuses, you get a 20. You will then score a Critical Hit.
Critical Hits ignore the target’s AC and let you hit automatically. Crits also let you double the dice you use during the next step, which is the Damage Roll.
The Damage Roll, as mentioned above, determines your damage. The variables involved in the damage roll include the weapon you are using, the class your character is, and other bonuses afforded through different means.
If you want to know how to calculate AC, you’ll find our guide useful. Find it by clicking here.
By the way, I work really hard on my content and it takes a long time to research and write all the information in the site. If you find it useful, please be sure to share and link back to articles for credit!
What Do You Add to Attack Rolls in DnD 5e?
In Dungeons and Dragons 5e, The variables included in an Attack Roll are: d20, Ability Modifier, Proficiency Bonus, Other Bonuses. With all these factors accounted for, all you need to do is add them together to get your Attack Roll.
The resulting formula for Attack Rolls will be:
= Attack Rolls
= d20 + Ability Modifier + Proficiency Bonus + Other Bonuses
D20 = as mentioned above is the 20 sided-die
Ability Modifier = Based on the applicable Ability Score
Proficiency Bonus = Proficiency Bonus based on your level and Proficiencies
Other Bonuses = These are spells, items, or special abilities that can add to your Attack Roll
Ability Modifiers may cause some confusion because the applicable Ability Modifiers may change depending on the weapon being used. For weapons it is best to refer to the Player’s Handbook, on page 149. There you’ll find a chart outlining what the applicable ability scores are for each weapon.
In general, melee weapons require Strength, ranged require Dexterity, and Finesse weapons allow you to choose between the two, Strength or Dexterity. However, bear in mind that these are generalizations. You need to look at the items themselves to see their properties and how they work.
For spells, there are certain spells with attack rolls and some that don’t. For those with Attack Rolls, the formula is the same, except the Ability modifier may change.
= Spell Attack Rolls
= d20 + Ability Modifier (Spellcasting Class Feature) + Proficiency Bonus
If you want to know how to calculate Spell Attack Rolls, you’ll find our guide useful. There’s a bunch of example that can make things way clearer. Find it by clicking here.
Calculating Attack Rolls
Now, let’s put this into practical use. Let’s make a hypothetical character using the Standard Array.
Level 1 Paladin
Since the Paladin is Level 1, his Proficiency Bonus will be + 2.
Using these stats, we’ll calculate the Attack Rolls for when this Paladin is using a +2 Greatsword. Since Paladins have proficiency with Martial Weapons, we will be able to use his Proficiency Bonus in the equation. Let’s also say he rolled a 14 with the d20. The computation will come up like this:
= Attack Rolls
= d20 + Ability Modifier + Proficiency Bonus + Other Bonuses
= 14 + 1 (Strength Modifier) + 2 + 2 (+2 Greatsword)
= 19
For how to calculate Proficiency Bonuses, we’ve made a guide that has a lot of examples, as wells as answers to common question you may ask. Find it by clicking here.
Let’s take another look for spellcasters.
Level 1 Wizard
Since the Wizard is Level 1, his Proficiency Bonus will be + 2.
Using these stats, we’ll calculate the Attack Rolls for when this Wizard is casting Fire Bolt. With the Spellcasting Class Feature, you are able to use your Proficiency Bonus as well. Let’s also say he rolled a 14 with the d20. The computation will come up like this:
= Spell Attack Rolls
= d20 + Ability Modifier + Proficiency Bonus
= 14 + 2 (Intelligence Modifier) + 2
= 18
For both cases, it goes without saying that rolling a natural 20 will let you hit no matter what.
What Do You Add to Damage Rolls?
In Dungeons and Dragons 5e, The variables included in an Damage Roll are: Weapon’s Damage Dice, Ability Modifier, and Other Bonuses. With all these factors accounted for, all you need to do is add them together to get your Damage Roll.
The resulting formula for Damage Rolls will be:
= Damage Rolls
= Weapon’s Damage Dice + Ability Modifier + Other Bonuses
Weapon’s Damage Dice = Depends on the weapon
Ability Modifier = Based on the applicable Ability Score
Other Bonuses = These are spells, items, or special abilities that can add to your Damage Roll
For weapons it is best to refer to the Player’s Handbook, on page 149. There you’ll find a chart outlining what the damage dice used are.
You’ll notice that Proficiency Bonus is no longer included in the computation, instead it solely relies on the weapon and ability modifier. There are many abilities that can add to Other Bonuses, one of which will be divine smite, which we will use for an example later.
For spells, they act similarly to weapon damage rolls in that instead of a weapon damage die, you’ll be depending on the spell itself for damage. Again, it is best to consult the Player’s Handbook for the damage dice that each spell uses.
The ability modifier, like the proficiency modifier will not come to play anymore, except when specified.
As such, spell damage rolls will look like this:
= Spell Damage Rolls
= Spell Damage Dice + Other Bonuses
Calculating Damage Rolls in DnD 5e
Once again, let’s do an example. Let’s make a hypothetical character using the Standard Array.
Level 2 Paladin
Since the Paladin is Level 2, his Proficiency Bonus will still be + 2.
Since we will be using Divine Smite as an example, we’ll calculate the Damage Rolls for when this Paladin is using a Greatsword. Let’s say he rolls a 10 for the 2d6 of the Greatsword.
= Paladin With Greatsword Damage Rolls
= 2d6 + Ability Modifier
= 10 + 1 (Strength Modifier)
= 11
Now, let’s add something to spice up the damage: Divine Smite. Divine Smite adds 2d8 by using a level 1 spell slot. Let’s say the 2d8 roll resulted in a 12. The computation will now look like:
= Paladin With Greatsword Using Divine Smite Damage Rolls
= 2d6 + Ability Modifier + 2d8
= 10 + 1 (Strength Modifier) +12
= 23
But wait, there’s more. If you use Divine Smite on a Fiend or Undead, you get to add 1d8 more of damage. Let’s say the 1d8 resulted in a 5. It will now be:
= Paladin With Greatsword Using Divine Smite VS Undead Damage Rolls
= 2d6 + Ability Modifier + 2d8 +1d8
= 10 + 1 (Strength Modifier) +12 + 5
= 28
Lastly, let’s say you roll a nat 20 for your Attack Roll. Now, you get to double all your attack dice, the final formula looking like this:
= Critical Hit Paladin With Greatsword Using Divine Smite VS Undead Damage Rolls
= 4d6 + Ability Modifier + 4d8 +2d8
I’ll leave the total damage to your imagination.
Now, the damage rolls for spellcasters.
Level 1 Wizard
The damage roll for spells is pretty straightforward. Mostly, you just look at the description of the spell and use the damage dice specified there. In this example, let’s use Fire Bolt again. Let’s say the result is a 7. The formula will now be:
= Level 1 Wizard Spell Damage Rolls
= 1d10 + Other Bonus
= 7 + 0 (No Bonuses)
= 7
Now, let’s spice it up. A Level 10 School of Evocation Wizard has a Class Feature called Empowered Evocation, which lets you add your Intelligence Modifier to the Damage Roll. Also, Fire Bolt begins to use 2d10 once you reach level 5.
Let’s say the roll for the 2d10 results in a 16. Now the computation will be:
= Level 10 School of Evocation Wizard Spell Damage Rolls
= 2d10 + Empowered Evocation
= 16 + 2
= 18
Dnd Dmg Spell Scroll Rules
But wait, there’s more, in the case of a critical hit, your computation will become:
= Spell Damage Rolls
= 4d10 + Empowered Evocation
Again, I’ll leave the total damage to your imagination
This guide is an unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Here are the infographics I promised. Feel free to swipe left or right!
Here’s one you can save and share with friends!
D&d 5e Using Spell Scrolls
Dungeonsand Dragons may seem complicated at times. There are still somethings my friends and I are unsure of when it comes to gameplay, likemagic scrolls in the 5th edition. After a little research, I wantedto share what was helpful to us.
Whocan use scrolls in DnD 5e? Thesimple answer is that any creature that can understand writtenlanguage can attempt to use a scroll. Whether it will be effective ornot depends on the type of scroll, if the scroll is on your class’slist, and if the scroll is within your spellcasting level.
Manythings can impact scroll usage in DnD 5e, and it may take playtimeand practice before you feel fully confident in your character’sability to use them. I hope the information I’ve gathered willbenefit your gameplay.
How do Scrolls Work in DnD 5e?
There are two types of scrolls in Dnd5e. A scroll of protection is very rare. Spell scrolls areessentially a scroll with a spell written on it that must bedeciphered by the caster. Spell scrolls come in different levels thatwill vary from common to rare, and their attack bonus increases thehigher the level of the scroll.
A scroll of protection can be used byany creature with the ability to read, but you must make sure thescroll of protection you use is specific to the monster you areattempting to protect yourself from. After using an action to readthe scroll, this barrier will follow you for five minutes, theduration of the scroll. When moving with the protective barrier, usecaution. If you encase the creature, it will end your protection.
The rules for spell scrolls are alittle more complicated. You will know the spell scroll is in yourclass’s list if you can decipher the spell written on it. If you areunable to read the spell on the scroll, you aren’t able to cast thespell. If you can read the spell but aren’t sure if the spell levelis too high for you to cast, it is best to do an ability check.Unsuccessful casts will result in a useless scroll.
Scroll levels range from Cantrip to the9th level. The level of a cantrip spell is 0, and it is so immersedin the caster’s mind they can use it over and over. As the levelincreases, so do the rarity of the scroll and the damage it willproduce. Follow this link for a helpful chart on spelllevels.
Game Masters are also able to createspell scrolls, and may even allow their characters to create them intheir downtime. These spell scrolls would function as the onesalready found in gameplay.
What Scrolls Can My Character UseDepending on Their Class?
So your character can use a scrolldepending on if the spell on the scroll is in their class, and if thespell is on their class’s spell list. Classes like Sorcerers,Bards, and Warlocks will know however many spells are in their “knownspells” and are not able to learn more. If the scroll contains aknown spell and is within your character’s casting level, you will beable to use that scroll.
- Every class can use ascroll of protection. Non-magic classes, or classes without spelllists, like Fighter’s and Barbarians, would only be able to use ascroll of protection.
- Druids and Clerics willonly know the spells on their list and also are not able to learnmore. So if a scroll contains a spell from their spell list, theycan use that scroll.
- Wizards are the only classthat can learn spells from scrolls instead of being restricted toonly using the scrolls. The spells on scrolls will come from one ofthe eight schools of magic.
How Scrolls and Schools of Magic Work
In Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition,schools of magic have no impact on the rules for how scrolls are usedscrolls.
In D&D 3.5e it worked like this:
- You can specialize in a particularschool of magic, which will give you the ability to learn extraspells in your chosen school. Choosing to specialize will force youto choose two schools of magic that you will no longer have theability to learn or use spells from.
- There is an exception for thosethat specialize in Divination. They only give up one other school ofmagic. Any spell that doesn’t fall into one of the categories is auniversal spell. So as long as a scroll doesn’t have a spell fromthe one school of magic a Wizard that specializes in Divinationcan’t learn from, they will be able to cast the spell if it’swithin their level.
Thiswebsite lists the schools of magic and all of theexisting spells for scrolls in more detail.
What Happens When a Scroll Fails?
If the spell cast succeeds, the spellfades from the scroll, and the scroll crumbles to dust. If it fails,the spell words simply disappear from the scroll. But what kind ofmishaps can occur if your character attempts to use a scroll and thespell cast fails?
If your saving throw fails, a six-sideddie is rolled to reveal the outcome. The number shown on the diereflects the outcome listed.
- A surge of magical energy will bedealt, equal to the level of the spell.
- The spell will rebound or you oran ally randomly. If the caster was the target, it would affect arandom target nearby.
- Affects a random location withinthe spell range.
- The spell effect is neitherharmful nor beneficial and is reversed.
- You suffer a minor, yet odd effectfor the duration of the spell.
- The spell activates after 12hours.
Are Monsters and NPC’s able to usescrolls?
If a monster is intelligent enough toread the spell written on the scroll, I would have to say yes. Thescroll would have to be a scroll of protection. Alternatively, thescroll would have to include a spell from the type of magic thecreature can perform spells from a certain class. They could use ascroll with a spell from that class’s spell list.
Non-classes NPCs would not be able touse a scroll, except, of course, a scroll of protection. If the NPChas a class, they would be able to use any scroll that had a spellfrom that class’s spell list.
This is according to the rules for using scrolls in Dnd 5e. Ofcourse, a Game Master can decide whether or not they want monstersand NPC’s to have the ability to use scrolls in their campaign.
How are Scrolls Beneficial to Game Play inDnD 5e?
You might be wondering why scrolls arean element of gameplay if your character can only use one if they areable to perform the spell anyway. It was something that I didn’tquite understand when I started researching scrolls, but only becauseI didn’t really understand how spellcasting works.
Dnd Dmg Spell Scroll Rules Worksheet
- Save time and Money: Tocast a spell, it first needs to be on your character’s spell list,just like with scrolls. However, all the materials and ingredientsneeded to cast a spell are “baked” into the scroll, savingyou time and money since you no longer need to gather thoseingredients or materials.
- Save spell slots: Yourcharacter also has a limited amount of spell slots, which arenecessary for spell casting. Using a spell scroll doesn’t requirea spell slot. A spell scroll allows you to use a spell if your spellslots are full or if you don’t want that spell to take up a slotbecause you only need to use it once.
- Perform more powerful spells:Spell scrolls also give you the chance to perform more powerfulspells than normal. Be sure to do a skill check before using ascroll with a spell that is a higher level than you’re able to cast,or the scroll will be useless.
- Store spells: You can evenuse spell scrolls as a way to store rarely used, but useful spells,and bypass the preparation time of some spells. Wizards can evencopy spells from scrolls into their spellbook to learn a new spell.
The best thing about Dungeons andDragons, in my opinion, is that the rules are really just guidelines.You can adjust them for your group or campaign if you find them toorestrictive or not restrictive enough. The best way to learn aboutscrolls is to play the game. Don’t worry about being new or notunderstanding something fully. The most important thing is to havefun with your friends because that has always been the heart ofDungeons and Dragons.
Dnd Dmg Spell Scroll Rules Printable
Images:
Scrolls © joahol0323 | Canva.com
ID 163508462 © Taran Schatz | Dreamstime.com