[Pathfinder] Scroll activation - caster level check for a different class?

[reefwood]

I have a 4th level Ranger (4th level -3 = 1st level caster) with a Wisdom score of 11. She has a divine scroll of cure light wounds created by a 1st level Druid. The scroll is set at caster level 1, and cure light wounds is a 1st level spell for a Druid but a 2nd level spell for a Ranger. What Wisdom score is needed, and what, if anything, does my Ranger need to roll on a caster level check to activate the scroll?

To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.

* The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, and bards) can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his class.)
* The user must have the spell on her class list.
* The user must have the requisite ability score.

If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell's caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell's caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll's caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap (see Scroll Mishaps). A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers. Activating a scroll is a standard action (or the spell's casting time, whichever is longer) and it provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does.

The scroll spell was created as a 1st level spell by a 1st level caster. The Ranger is a 1st level caster with a Wisdom score of 11. She would no have problem nor need a caster level check to activate a divine scroll of a 1st level Ranger spell, such as longstrider.

Q1) But does it matter that this spell is a 2nd level spell for a Ranger? Would she need a Wisdom score of 12 to activate it? Even though the creator just needed a Wisdom score of 11 to cast this spell / create this scroll?

Q2) What if this the scroll was set to 5th level (to cure 1d8+5 points of damage)? Would the scroll spell's caster level then be 5? Would the caster level check be "scroll caster level 5 +1" = DC 6?

Q3) So, let's say she does have the requisite ability score (regardless of whether it is 11 or 12)... the Ranger is a 1st level caster, so her caster level is not lower than the scroll spell's caster level. Does this mean that no caster level check is needed, or again, does it matter that this is a 2nd level spell for a Ranger who wouldn't have access to the spell until 7th level as a 4th level caster? If so, does she roll "1d20+ caster level 4" vs "scroll caster level 1 +1" = DC 2 based on the Drd level to cast this spell...or "scroll caster level 4 +1" = DC 5 based on Ran level to cast this spell?

Q4) Does the caster level check just have to line up with the stats of the scroll creator (1st level caster, 1st level spell) or the stats needed for the scroll user to to normally cast that spell (4th level caster, 2nd level spell)?

Q5) How about to activate a divine scroll of cure moderate wounds created by a 5th level Druid? Cure moderate wounds is a 3rd level spell for both a Druid and Ranger, but a Druid has access to it as a 5th level caster, while a Ranger gets it at10th level as a 7th level caster (10th level -3). I know that a Wisdom score of 13 is needed to activate this scroll, but what do you roll for the caster level check? Based on the Druid stats, it would be "scroll caster level 5 +1" = DC 6, and a 10th level Ranger would roll 1d20+caster level 7 which guarantees success unless a natural 1 is rolled, while a 4th level Ranger would roll 1d20 +caster level 1.

But based on Ranger stats, it would be "scroll caster level 7 +1" = DC 8, which provides the same chance of success (as using the Druid stats) for the 10th level Ranger but now less chance for the 1st level Ranger.

[Greenish]

Q1) But does it matter that this spell is a 2nd level spell for a Ranger? Would she need a Wisdom score of 12 to activate it? Even though the creator just needed a Wisdom score of 11 to cast this spell / create this scroll?

"Note that some spells appear at different levels for different casters. The level of such spells depends on the caster scribing the scroll."

So it doesn't matter what level it would be for you, and you can do it with 11 wis.

Q2) What if this the scroll was set to 5th level (to cure 1d8+5 points of damage)? Would the scroll spell's caster level then be 5? Would the caster level check be "scroll caster level 5 +1" = DC 6?

This is correct.

Q3) So, let's say she does have the requisite ability score (regardless of whether it is 11 or 12)... the Ranger is a 1st level caster, so her caster level is not lower than the scroll spell's caster level. Does this mean that no caster level check is needed, or again, does it matter that this is a 2nd level spell for a Ranger who wouldn't have access to the spell until 7th level as a 4th level caster? If so, does she roll "1d20+ caster level 4" vs "scroll caster level 1 +1" = DC 2...or "scroll caster level 4 +1" = DC 5?

If the caster level of the scroll is not higher than the ranger's caster level, no check is needed.

Q4) Does the caster level check just have to line up with the stats of the scroll creator (1st level caster, 1st level spell) or the stats needed for the scroll user to to normally cast that spell (4th level caster, 2nd level spell)?

I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but: "If … her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell's caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll's caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully."

Q5) How about to activate a divine scroll of cure moderate wounds created by a 5th level Druid? Cure moderate wounds is a 3rd level spell for both a Druid and Ranger, but a Druid has access to it as a 5th level caster, while a Ranger gets it at10th level as a 7th level caster (10th level -3). I know that a Wisdom score of 13 is needed to activate this scroll, but what do you roll for the caster level check? Based on the Druid stats, it would be "scroll caster level 5 +1" = DC 6, and a 10th level Ranger would roll 1d20+caster level 7 which guarantees success unless a natural 1 is rolled, while a 4th level Ranger would roll 1d20 +caster level 1.

If the scroll's caster level is not higher than your caster level, no check required, so the 10th level ranger could do it with no check. 4th level ranger would still have to roll.

But based on Ranger stats, it would be "scroll caster level 7 +1" = DC 8, which provides the same chance of success (as using the Druid stats) for the 10th level Ranger but now less chance for the 1st level Ranger.

The scroll's caster level is 5, regardless of who you are.

[reefwood]

Thanks for all the info Greenish! That clears up all my questions. :)

[reefwood]

Oh, but here's another scroll related question about wands too. The potion section says...

Potions are like spells cast upon the imbiber. The character taking the potion doesn't get to make any decisions about the effect—the caster who brewed the potion has already done so. The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect (though the potion indicates the caster level, the drinker still controls the effect).

Therefore, a potion of resist energy would have to already specify what kind of energy, so something like potion of resist fire or potion of resist energy [fire], right?

The scroll section doesn't seem to say anything about this, so can a scroll of resist energy be used to protect against whatever energy the activator chooses?

How about wands? That section doesn't say anything like the potion section, and while it makes sense that someone using a scroll has enough know-how / ability to have some influence over the magic being released...I always took wands to be much simpler than scrolls...sort of in between the potion that anyone can use and the scroll that only specific casters can use...so I would think it would be a more restricted use of the spell, like with a potion, but maybe not?

[Yuki Akuma]

Potions are "pre-cast" spells. Scrolls and wands let you actually cast them.

'Kay? 'Kay.

[Krisgensch]

SO if a Ranger is only level 2 (and has no effective caster levels yet, but still has a spell list) tries to cast a level 1 Cleric Cure Light Wounds scroll,

a.) would this even be possible

b.) would he just have to overcome a DC 1 wisdom check?