Scroll of dispelling
| ? | |
| Base value (Au) | 250 |
|---|---|
| Item level | 3 |
| Random generation | Probability table |
| Weight | 5 |
| Fragility | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Unidentified appearance | Random inscription |
| Cursed name | scroll of self-dispelling |
The scroll of dispelling targets magical effects on the reader, a monster, or certain terrain. A cursed copy is identified as a scroll of self-dispelling and strips the reader's temporary beneficial statuses instead.
Generation and appearance
It is one of the 24 common random scroll types and uses the per-game shuffled inscription pool described at Scroll#Unidentified inscriptions. Randomly generated copies begin uncursed. No fixed carrier is defined for this scroll.
Data and mechanics
It is object ID 62 and scroll ID 20, with weight 5, fragility 1, base value 250 Au, and item level 3. A noncursed copy adds a hidden random 0 through 2 to its blessing before calling the effect, so even two otherwise identical uncursed copies may have different dispelling strength.
Effects and interactions
| BUC state | Result |
|---|---|
| Blessed | Prompts for a target with effective strength 1 through 3. |
| Uncursed | Prompts for a target with effective strength 0 through 2. |
| Cursed | Does not prompt; truncates temporary beneficial statuses and immediately runs a ten-minute status check. |
Targeting the reader can uncurse equipped cursed items when `effective strength + 1 + item blessing` is at least zero. A weaker attempt leaves the item cursed. Targeting a monster below three times the effective strength removes its special and ranged functions, replaces a nonempty melee function with a normal attack, clears all immunity bits, and removes invisibility and intangibility. The same targeter can disable fire, waking-statue, teleport, and disintegration traps or turn a magic pool into water.
A cursed scroll sets temporary accuracy, displacement, haste, breathing, invisibility, regeneration, alertness, heroism, levitation, accurate, and true-sight counters to their final unit when they are below 1000. The immediate ten-minute check expires the ten-minute statuses; haste and regeneration remain at one until their next per-move check.
Strategy
For self-dispelling cursed equipment, an uncursed scroll is unreliable because its effective strength is random; a blessed copy has the better floor. Against monsters, strength 0 cannot affect any positive-level target, and even stronger rolls require the monster's level to be strictly below the threshold. Choose the target before reading because cancelling after the scroll is selected still consumes it.
Trivial
No reliable creator statement tying this generic item name to a particular cultural source was found.