Is it possible to destroy a spell scroll without using it? Or do they follow the same "can't be destroyed/incredibly hard to destroy" rules as other magical items? I had a player get their hands on (read: steal) a 9th level spell scroll without knowing what it was, and out of fear of the responsibility of that power, they dropped it into the ocean. A normal scroll would dissolve eventually in water, but do I now have to deal with the possibility of some random peasant fisherman pulling up a Gate spell scroll in their nets?
The DMG has a paragraph about Magic Item Resilience, in which it says that magic items are at least as durable as nonmagical items of the same kind, and "other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage." With only artifacts being mentioned as practically indestructible.
So, official speaking, it sounds like a spell scroll would be susceptible to water damage if tossed in the ocean.
Only artifacts are nearly indestructible. Most magic items have resistance to damage, but have the same AC and HP as a nonmagical item. E.g. The difference between destroying a normal longsword and +1 longsword is that the latter can take twice as many hits before breaking. Potions and scrolls in particular are just as easily damaged as their mundane counterparts.
Magic Item Resilience
Most magic items are objects of extraordinary artisanship. Thanks to a combination of careful crafting and magical reinforcement, a magic item is at least as durable as a nonmagical item of its kind. Most magic items, other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage. Artifacts are practically indestructible, requiring extraordinary measures to destroy.
Is it possible to destroy a spell scroll without using it? Or do they follow the same "can't be destroyed/incredibly hard to destroy" rules as other magical items? I had a player get their hands on (read: steal) a 9th level spell scroll without knowing what it was, and out of fear of the responsibility of that power, they dropped it into the ocean. A normal scroll would dissolve eventually in water, but do I now have to deal with the possibility of some random peasant fisherman pulling up a Gate spell scroll in their nets?
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D&D Beyond FoundersI've always treated them as just a roll of parchment, but with some magical ink on, so they can be burned or ruined like a regular scroll.
I don't recall seeing any written rules about their durability.
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The DMG has a paragraph about Magic Item Resilience, in which it says that magic items are at least as durable as nonmagical items of the same kind, and "other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage." With only artifacts being mentioned as practically indestructible.
So, official speaking, it sounds like a spell scroll would be susceptible to water damage if tossed in the ocean.
Only artifacts are nearly indestructible. Most magic items have resistance to damage, but have the same AC and HP as a nonmagical item. E.g. The difference between destroying a normal longsword and +1 longsword is that the latter can take twice as many hits before breaking. Potions and scrolls in particular are just as easily damaged as their mundane counterparts.
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