Scroll of spells
| ? | |
| Base value (Au) | 250 |
|---|---|
| Item level | 1 |
| Random generation | Probability table |
| Weight | 5 |
| Fragility | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Unidentified appearance | Random inscription |
| Cursed name | scroll of spell loss |
The scroll of spells can teach a random spell or make an already known spell less draining to cast. A cursed copy is identified as a scroll of spell loss and removes a known spell. Necromancers carry one when encountered.
Effects and interactions
| BUC state | Result |
|---|---|
| Blessed | Attempts to learn a random spell or halves the drain of one already known. Positive blessing adds no further modifier. |
| Uncursed | Attempts to learn a random spell or halves the drain of one already known; the attempt can fail. |
| Cursed | Removes the known spell that appears last in the game's spell list; if none is known, no spell is lost. |
Uncursed reading selects a random spell. An unknown spell is learned and grants experience equal to ten times its drain; an already-known spell instead halves that spell's drain, with a minimum of 1. The attempt can fail according to the spell's drain and the reader's Intelligence and level. A cursed scroll removes the known spell that appears last in the game's spell list; if none is known, nothing is lost.
An uncursed copy identifies itself before choosing a spell. Blessing adds no further benefit. A cursed copy does not automatically identify itself.
Strategy
Use an uncursed copy when learning almost any random spell is acceptable or when known-spell drain reduction is valuable. Do not test an unknown copy while carrying a critical spell unless the possible cursed loss is acceptable.