The king has hired a stalwart team of mercenaries to retrieve the scepter of command from his rival to the east.
He wants them to succeed, so he equips them with shiny armor and pointy swords.
He wants them to survive so he gives them some healing potions and even a scroll of raise dead
...
um, wait. They are all fighters, they can't read a scroll of raise dead - only a Cleric/Bard/Paladin can? Then scrolls are pretty useless - there is no Conan scenario where he finds a scroll and invokes that smelly magic without having to "go to wizard school" for a level or take a feat..?
Is this the rule in 5e? I guess a DM could always homebrew around it, but I think I'm missing something.
Interesting. How would you deliver a potion of raise dead? They don't have a swallow response. I suppose you could pour the liquid in, use mouth-to-mouth to force it down with air pressure? Maybe through a snake's fang needle! It is necromancy after all, no? ;-)
Interesting solution. I am more curious about spell scrolls and their limitations across class - and why a cleric would even make a scroll in the first place..? Weird.
A Rod of Resurrection (how do you make the cool links! I'm sure there's instructions around here somewhere) - again you're stuck with needing a Cleric/Bard/Paladin, oh wait, Bards are out and Druids are in! To use it.
If I want to run an adventure without a Cleric, it's potions for heal support or nothing. I just thought a scroll would be cooler... The bedraggled warriors, breath heaving as they rest on their battle axes and maul handles while the two "smartest" guys wrestle with a scroll to try to revive poor Gullythaine from being mangled by an Umber Hulk...
The conversation regarding administrating potions to incapacitated fellows always yields hilarious results; but the rules allow you to. How you want to flavour that is up to you. I've had players dribble healing potions over gaping wounds. Another dipped a dart into a potion and used it as a sort of syringe. Remember, we're only dealing with about an ounce of liquid here.
To your point about wanting it to be a scroll, then homebrew a scroll. The rules are there for balance - to ensure that scrolls are another class feature, and to stop fighters being able to hurl spells around willy-nilly.
This is the perfect case for you to apply some simple house-rules. If you're all martial types, and you think scrolls would be cooler, then go for it! You're not upsetting the clerics' healing niche (because there isn't one) by allowing fighters to have a specific scroll that heals. Or homebrewing bandages that can restore hitpoints, or letting medicine packs increase healing on a short rest. Or something. Consider weighing the advantages with the disadvantage - bandages have to be changed every day for example or the hitpoints they recovered are lost - or there's a chance a scroll can fail etc.
Interesting. How would you deliver a potion of raise dead? They don't have a swallow response. I suppose you could pour the liquid in, use mouth-to-mouth to force it down with air pressure? Maybe through a snake's fang needle! It is necromancy after all, no? ;-)
Oils you apply to the surface of the target are basically potions as well. Alternatively you could come up with some other consumable you feel is thematic but has the same effect (e.g. Final Fantasy's phoenix down.) Remember that the items in the DMG are just a starting point for DMs.
Interesting solution. I am more curious about spell scrolls and their limitations across class - and why a cleric would even make a scroll in the first place..? Weird.
Pretty sure scrolls have worked this way going at least back to 3rd edition, possibly more. 3e was even pickier in that not only did the spell have to be on your class's list, it had to be of the right type (arcane or divine.) Bards (an arcane caster) couldn't use a scroll of Cure Lesser Wounds created by a cleric (a divine caster.)
Spell scrolls are great when you're unwilling or unable to spend slots to cast the spell, don't want to have the spell prepared all the time since the chances of actually needing it are low, or you want to help a wizard/warlock/ritual caster buddy out.
In theory, as long as they get to the guy before he's dead dead, everything is fine. If they're fighters, failing three death saves will take a long time. 0 hp isn't dead dead.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
In theory, as long as they get to the guy before he's dead dead, everything is fine. If they're fighters, failing three death saves will take a long time. 0 hp isn't dead dead.
Being at 0 HP is dangerous as hell. All it takes is two attacks made from 5 feet away, one attack and one save-for-half-damage spell, or one attack and one failed death save (50/50) to kill you. Even with 20 AC, an attack roll with advantage and a +4 bonus will hit 44% of the time. Unless you never fight more than one monster at a time, I really wouldn't tempt fate.
[feat]Magic Initiate[/feat] would not let you read a spell scroll; the feat gives you a couple spells, it doesn't give you the class' spell list.
You may be correct, but since any character can attempt to read an arcane scroll I would argue that Magic Initiates would fall under being able to cast in that class just not at that level.
MI does say "Choose a class" and select spells from that class list.
"If the spell is on your class’s spell list but of a higher level than you can normally cast, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other effect."
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Perpetually annoyed that Eldritch Knights can't use Eldritch Blast, Eldritch Smite, and Eldritch Sight.
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So...
The king has hired a stalwart team of mercenaries to retrieve the scepter of command from his rival to the east.
He wants them to succeed, so he equips them with shiny armor and pointy swords.
He wants them to survive so he gives them some healing potions and even a scroll of raise dead
...
um, wait. They are all fighters, they can't read a scroll of raise dead - only a Cleric/Bard/Paladin can? Then scrolls are pretty useless - there is no Conan scenario where he finds a scroll and invokes that smelly magic without having to "go to wizard school" for a level or take a feat..?
Is this the rule in 5e? I guess a DM could always homebrew around it, but I think I'm missing something.
Am I misunderstanding this game mechanic?
Indeed, only if the spell is on your class spell list, you can cast it with spell scroll.
I think the easiest solution is to homebrew an item, a minor version of [magicitem[Rod of Resurrection[/magicitem].
Or you can give them a potion of raise dead. That makes it a single use item.
Professional computer geek
Interesting. How would you deliver a potion of raise dead? They don't have a swallow response. I suppose you could pour the liquid in, use mouth-to-mouth to force it down with air pressure? Maybe through a snake's fang needle! It is necromancy after all, no? ;-)
Interesting solution. I am more curious about spell scrolls and their limitations across class - and why a cleric would even make a scroll in the first place..? Weird.
A Rod of Resurrection (how do you make the cool links! I'm sure there's instructions around here somewhere) - again you're stuck with needing a Cleric/Bard/Paladin, oh wait, Bards are out and Druids are in! To use it.
If I want to run an adventure without a Cleric, it's potions for heal support or nothing. I just thought a scroll would be cooler... The bedraggled warriors, breath heaving as they rest on their battle axes and maul handles while the two "smartest" guys wrestle with a scroll to try to revive poor Gullythaine from being mangled by an Umber Hulk...
The conversation regarding administrating potions to incapacitated fellows always yields hilarious results; but the rules allow you to. How you want to flavour that is up to you. I've had players dribble healing potions over gaping wounds. Another dipped a dart into a potion and used it as a sort of syringe. Remember, we're only dealing with about an ounce of liquid here.
To your point about wanting it to be a scroll, then homebrew a scroll. The rules are there for balance - to ensure that scrolls are another class feature, and to stop fighters being able to hurl spells around willy-nilly.
This is the perfect case for you to apply some simple house-rules. If you're all martial types, and you think scrolls would be cooler, then go for it! You're not upsetting the clerics' healing niche (because there isn't one) by allowing fighters to have a specific scroll that heals. Or homebrewing bandages that can restore hitpoints, or letting medicine packs increase healing on a short rest. Or something. Consider weighing the advantages with the disadvantage - bandages have to be changed every day for example or the hitpoints they recovered are lost - or there's a chance a scroll can fail etc.
As for adding those fancy tooltips for items, skills, spells etc to your posts: this is what you're looking for.
Oils you apply to the surface of the target are basically potions as well. Alternatively you could come up with some other consumable you feel is thematic but has the same effect (e.g. Final Fantasy's phoenix down.) Remember that the items in the DMG are just a starting point for DMs.
Pretty sure scrolls have worked this way going at least back to 3rd edition, possibly more. 3e was even pickier in that not only did the spell have to be on your class's list, it had to be of the right type (arcane or divine.) Bards (an arcane caster) couldn't use a scroll of Cure Lesser Wounds created by a cleric (a divine caster.)
Spell scrolls are great when you're unwilling or unable to spend slots to cast the spell, don't want to have the spell prepared all the time since the chances of actually needing it are low, or you want to help a wizard/warlock/ritual caster buddy out.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
In theory, as long as they get to the guy before he's dead dead, everything is fine. If they're fighters, failing three death saves will take a long time. 0 hp isn't dead dead.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
You can use an optional rule to make a wand limited-use, and have it be a single-shot Wand of Raise Dead with no attunement requirement.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
Magic Initiate Feat is the Fighter's friend :)
Perpetually annoyed that Eldritch Knights can't use Eldritch Blast, Eldritch Smite, and Eldritch Sight.
Magic Initiate would not let you read a spell scroll; the feat gives you a couple spells, it doesn't give you the class' spell list.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Being at 0 HP is dangerous as hell. All it takes is two attacks made from 5 feet away, one attack and one save-for-half-damage spell, or one attack and one failed death save (50/50) to kill you. Even with 20 AC, an attack roll with advantage and a +4 bonus will hit 44% of the time. Unless you never fight more than one monster at a time, I really wouldn't tempt fate.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
But it can give you Spare the Dying and Cure Woungs or Goodberry.
Professional computer geek
You may be correct, but since any character can attempt to read an arcane scroll I would argue that Magic Initiates would fall under being able to cast in that class just not at that level.
MI does say "Choose a class" and select spells from that class list.
"If the spell is on your class’s spell list but of a higher level than you can normally cast, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other effect."
Perpetually annoyed that Eldritch Knights can't use Eldritch Blast, Eldritch Smite, and Eldritch Sight.