I Read the Scroll....


The very act of reading a scroll could have its own magic.





"Ok I read this scroll of fireball I found in the wizard's lab...."
  1. Each word ignites as it is read. The smoke coalescing at the target.
  2. Like the caterpillar in wonderland, each word emerges from the reader's mouth as colorful smoke letters.
  3. The smell of ozone fills the air as small arcs of electricity dance across the scroll.
  4. The reader's eyes glow with increasing brightness as it is read. Blinded for 1 turn after reading.
  5. The reader becomes quieter as they read. As the spell takes effect the reader is surrounded by a circle of silence (10' radius) for 1 round.
  6. As each word leaves the reader's mouth, so does a fly.
  7. Ice crystals form on the face and mouth of the reader. Take 1hp cold damage per level of the spell.
  8. The reader's shadow becomes detached for 24 hours and gets into mischief that the character would approve of if they could let themselves go with no consequences.
  9. Blood is pulled from the reader's hands and paints each word as it is read. 1hp damage per spell level.
  10. The reader's mouth fills with ink as it is read. Mouth fills completely per level of the spell and spitting/swallowing does not interrupt casting.
  11. Words drip off as fresh ink as the scroll is read. The reader drips spots of black ink as they walk around for the next 30 minutes.
  12. Vermin, no larger than a rat, within 1000' of the reader emerge and swarm around their feet for 1 minute. Are non-aggressive unless stepped on or otherwise disturbed.
  13. Ice encases the reader's feet, freezing them to the floor until it melts or breaks. Encases one additional [random] target within 60' per spell level. If no suitable target is found the ice encases 1 additional foot of the reader per spell level.
  14. Each word evaporates when read and floats to a spot above the reader's head, eventually forming a small black storm cloud. Follows the reader. Cumulative 10% chance each hour to rain itself out of existence.
  15. Shining golden scales of light encase the reader, beginning at the fingertips, then disappear in a bright flash as the spell is cast.
  16. The smell of cinnamon and baked pastries fills the air. When the spell casts the scroll is replaced with a purple paper bag containing 40 freshly baked snickerdoodles. Each cookie heals d4hp when eaten. Remove 4 cookies per spell level.
  17. Small yellow flowers bloom from the ground around the reader then scream and die as each word is read. 20% chance to find a wondrous seed of some type among their desicated corpses after the spell is cast.
  18. As the spell is read, a nasaly voice explains in pedantic detail what the spell will do and the particulars of its effects.
  19. Knobby, black, curved horns grow painlessly from the head of the reader. 4" per spell level. If sawn off the stumps vanish in 24 hours. Otherwise permanent.
  20. As each word is read the ground beneath the reader's feet grows hotter. 10 words will ignite dry vegetation. 100 will make rock molten.
  21. Shadows flash before the reader's eyes as each word is read. When the spell is cast a new spell of the same level will be on the backside of the scroll.
  22. The words spill from the reader's mouth as iridescent beams. For the next 7 days the reader will release a cloud of iridescent bubbles when they burp.
  23. The reader's tongue forks, scales cover their body and as they read they transform into a venomous bright green palm viper. They stay a snake until they move (attacking doesn't count and neither does being thrown by a friend).
  24. Black metallic spikes grow from the exposed flesh of the reader. Upon completion of the reading they shoot off and "become" the spell in whatever flashy way makes sense.
  25. Each word grows legs like a spider and runs off the scroll as it is read. If the spell is not read fast enough, a word or two may escape, causing the spell to change or fail.

Bonus: Translucent, iridescent film grows up from the ground and surrounds the reader like the cellophane wrapper on a gift basket. The wrapper can absorb one mundane attack completely, but it shatters like glass at the lightest touch. Its shrapnel deals d4 dmg per spell level to anyone within 10'.

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