Spell Scroll Costs and Rarity Guide – How to Price Spells

Last Updated on January 22, 2023

In this guide to pricing Spell Scrolls in DnD 5e, we’ll discuss how to distribute and value these magic items. When it comes to pricing Spell Scrolls, there are many factors a DM must consider.

Spell Scrolls are a powerful source of magic in DnD. With these items, spellcasters can unleash magic beyond their normal abilities.

Because most players are bound to stumble upon a Spell Scroll or two at some point in their adventures, DM’s should be prepared to handle the details of buying and selling these items.

While some players like to hold on to scrolls, waiting for just the right moment to release their secret magic, others will likely sell the Spell Scrolls and pocket some gold. Players are also able to craft their own Spell Scrolls, provided they have the time and money to do so.  

Spell Scroll Basics

Spellcasters can attempt to activate a Spell Scroll if the spell is on their character class’s spell list, otherwise, the scroll is illegible. If the scroll’s magic is more powerful than the character is able to cast, they must make an ability check to use the scroll successfully. 

With the utterance of the magical phrase written on the scroll, the spell’s magic is triggered, and the scroll crumbles to dust. Wizards can also copy the magic from a spell scroll into their spellbooks. Doing so, however, destroys the spell scroll.

Where to Find Spell Scrolls

Spell Scrolls are difficult to create, requiring a lot of time and money to produce. Characters won’t be able to just buy them anywhere.

Unless there is a powerful mage lurking in the local tavern, the players will need to journey to a large city where powerful items are likely to end up. 

Or the party can seek out a talented magician capable of crafting spell scrolls, but such a person is rare and hard to find. And you can be sure that any mage worth their salt will price their work accordingly. 

Because buying and crafting spell scrolls is usually out of the reach of low-level characters, the best chance most players have of getting their hands on one is by adventuring. Dark dungeons and Wizard’s towers are bound to have a scroll or two lying around. 

Pricing Spell Scrolls by Rarity

In DnD, every magic item has a rarity that tells the DM how difficult it is to find. An item’s rarity is used to determine how valuable it is. Rarity also tells the DM at what point in the game characters are able to find the magic item. For example, the party is unlikely to find a rare magic item before they reach level 5.

The following table lists the value ranges for magic items based on rarity. Common magic items are only worth between 50 and 100 gp. Players are likely to find items of common rarity even at level 1. Some Legendary items are worth more than a hundred thousand gold. 

Magic Item RarityMinimum Character LevelValue
Common1st50-100gp
Uncommon1st101-500gp
Rare5th501-5000gp
Very rare11th5,001-50,000gp
Legendary17th50,001+gp
Source: Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.135)

Spells also have a rarity based on their level. Low-level spells are common, while high-level spells are very rare, or even legendary. DM’s should use the rarity table as a guide for determining the individual price of spell scrolls. 

Spell LevelRarity
Cantrip-1Common
2-3Uncommon
4-5Rare
6-8Very Rare
9Legendary
Source: Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.200)

Most DnD players are unlikely to find very rare or legendary spell scrolls. Even the most deadly dungeons don’t hold items this powerful. Players will need to search an Archwizard’s Keep, or perhaps the treasure piles of an ancient dragon, to find such loot.

On the other hand, players can find low-level spell scrolls without much trouble. For example, the party could be adventuring deep within an abandoned mine. Suddenly, they stumble upon the corpse of an unfortunate mage.

Searching the body, they find a spell scroll of Leomund’s Tiny Hut. Because this spell scroll contains a 3rd level spell, the DM knows it is a rare magic item. As a rare item, the spell scroll could be worth several thousand gold pieces to the right buyer.

Where to Sell Spell Scrolls

Just because a spell scroll is worth thousands of gold pieces, doesn’t mean it’s easy to find someone who will buy it. Afterall, most people don’t have thousands of gold just lying around.

And shops are only willing to buy something if they think they can sell it. (“Sorry, but your spell scroll of Dancing Lights isn’t going to exactly fly off the shelf.”)

Large cities, however, are likely to see many travelers and adventurers looking for magic items to aid their journeys. Here, players can search for buyers for their goods. Priests and other spellcasters may also be interested in certain magic items.

Very valuable items, however, are unlikely to sell even in a busy market. Players will need to seek out auction houses or collectors that deal in such precious goods. And of course, valuable items and powerful spell scrolls can attract problems of their own. Be on the lookout for thieves and con artists looking to make a score.

Common Spell Scrolls and Their Prices

Spell ScrollSpell LevelRarityPrice
spell scroll of Fireball3Uncommon150gp
spell scroll of Plane Shift7Very Rare7,000gp
spell scroll of Leomund’s Tiny Hut3Uncommon500gp
spell scroll of Ice Storm4Rare1000gp
spell scroll of Feather Fall1Common50gp
spell scroll of Cure Wounds1Common90gp
spell scroll of LightCantripCommon50gp
spell scroll of Mass Heal9Legendary50,000gp
spell scroll of Remove Curse3Uncommon500gp
spell scroll of Greater Restoration5Rare450 gp

How To Craft a Spell Scroll in 5e

With time, patience, and gold, some talented spellcasters can create their own spell scrolls. Any character with proficiency in Aracana can attempt to transfer a spell to a scroll, provided they know the spell. 

The art of scribing the spell, however, is arduous. It can take days, or even weeks, to finish a single spell scroll. And the results are by no means guaranteed.

Complications can arise in the process. Typically, there’s a 10 percent chance that something strange happened while creating the scroll.

How Much Does it Cost to Create a Spell Scroll?

Crafting spell scrolls isn’t cheap. Special material components are required, as well as valuable time and effort. A cantrip, for example, can be scribed for around 25 gp and a day’s work. But a 3rd level spell can take 3 weeks or more to create, and require up to 500 gold in the proces.

Extremely powerful spells can take even longer to scribe. Higher-level spells can take months of work and energy, consuming a character’s life for days on end. And the gold cost can get extraordinary. Some spells cost tens of thousands of gold to turn into spell scrolls.

Can Spell Scrolls Be Copied into a SpellBook?

Wizards are nothing without their spellbooks. Learning new spells and copying them into a spellbook is half the fun of playing a Wizard. When a Wizard finds a spell scroll, they can take time to copy the spell and add it to their list of known spells.

Copying a spell into a Wizard’s spellbook requires an Arcana check equal to 10 + the spell’s level. Attempting to copy a spell scroll always destroys the item. Even if the check fails, the scroll crumbles to dust and is lost forever.

How Good are Spell Scrolls?

Spells scrolls have many uses. Firstly, spare scrolls keep players from having to expend precious spell slots. Secondly, spellcasters can also use these magic items to cast spells that would normally be beyond their abilities. And spell scrolls give the characters more options.

Spell scrolls are a great resource for any party’s spellcasters. Many character classes in DnD can cast spells, so there’s usually a good chance someone can read a scroll. Of course, for a party lacking magic, spell scrolls are little more than expensive paper.

Conclusion

Spell Scrolls are a great way to round out a party’s spellcasting abilities. With spell scrolls, players gain access to a greater range of spells and more opportunities to use them.

Also, trading or crafting these items can prove an excellent source of income for the group. 

And DnD players should always be on the lookout for the chance to buy a spell scroll. You never know when you might need one.

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