To make a spell scroll in D&D 5e, you need to be a spellcaster with proficiency in either the Arcana skill or Calligrapher’s Supplies, have the spell prepared every day you work on it, and spend 8 hours per day inscribing. The 2024 rules codify this directly in the Equipment crafting section. The 2014 rules handled it through Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Both editions agree on the core loop: time, gold, and preparation.
What Do You Actually Need to Scribe a Scroll?
The 2024 rules lay out four hard requirements. First, you must have proficiency in Arcana or with Calligrapher’s Supplies. Second, the spell must be prepared on each day of the inscription process. Third, you need any material components the spell requires on hand throughout the work. Fourth, if the spell consumes its material components, those components are only consumed when you finish the scroll, not on day one.
That last point matters a lot for expensive component spells. You’re not burning a 1,000 gp diamond every morning you sit down to write.
Each day of work is 8 hours. If a scroll takes multiple days, those days don’t have to be consecutive, which means your wizard can scribe a 3rd-level scroll across three separate downtime periods spread over a month of in-game time.
How Much Does It Cost to Create Spell Scrolls in 5th Edition D&D?
The 2024 Player’s Handbook includes a full cost and time table. Cantrip scrolls are the cheapest at 15 gp and 1 day. A 9th-level scroll sits at 50,000 gp and 120 days of work. The jump between tiers is steep, especially from 5th level onward.
| Spell Level | 2024 Cost (gp) | 2024 Time (days) | 2014 Approximate Cost (gp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cantrip | 15 | 1 | Varies by DM |
| 1st | 25 | 1 | ~25 gp |
| 2nd | 100 | 3 | ~250 gp |
| 3rd | 150 | 5 | ~500 gp |
| 4th | 1,000 | 10 | ~2,500 gp |
| 5th | 1,500 | 25 | ~5,000 gp |
| 6th | 10,000 | 40 | ~15,000 gp |
| 7th | 12,500 | 50 | ~17,500 gp |
| 8th | 15,000 | 60 | ~20,000 gp |
| 9th | 50,000 | 120 | ~50,000 gp |
The 2014 edition handled costs differently. Xanathar’s Guide to Everything introduced scroll crafting rules, and the general formula discussed in the community was roughly 12.5 gp multiplied by the spell level multiplied by the caster level, with any casting costs added on top. The Dungeon Master’s Guide also notes that crafting many magic items typically costs half the market value of an equivalent item. It doesn’t provide the same clean scroll-price table, though. That difference is why table variation was common in 2014 campaigns.
The 2024 numbers are lower at some low levels and higher at several mid and upper tiers compared with many 2014 table conventions. The big change isn’t simply price reduction, though. The 2024 rules standardize the scroll-crafting table and remove the need for DM interpretation. This is similar to other rules updates in the 2024 revision, where later text often clarifies or standardizes earlier ambiguities.
Who Can Cast a Scroll in 5e?
In 2024, a spellcaster can use a spell scroll only if the spell appears on their class spell list (unless the scroll specifies otherwise). So a Fighter with no spellcasting can’t just pick up a Fireball scroll and let it rip. A Wizard can use a Wizard-list scroll. A Cleric can use a Cleric-list scroll. A character with access to multiple spell lists, like a multiclass Cleric/Wizard, can use scrolls from either list if the spell is on one of those lists.
The scroll’s spell uses the save DC and spell attack bonus of the person who scribed it. That’s a meaningful distinction when a high-level Wizard scribes a scroll for a lower-level party member to use. The cantrip case is slightly different in 2024: a cantrip scroll uses the level of the creature casting it, rather than the scribe’s level.
This matters for classes like the Druid. If you’re curious how Druids fit into the broader spellcasting picture, the Druid class breakdown covers their spell list and how they prepare spells each day, which is directly relevant to whether a Druid can scribe or use a given scroll.
How Do Scrolls Work in D&D 2024?
Using a scroll is straightforward: you read it, the spell fires, and the scroll is consumed. The spell uses the scribe’s save DC and attack bonus. You must be able to read the language the scroll is written in. If the spell is on your class list, you can use it without any additional check. The 2024 rules present scroll crafting in the Equipment section as a crafting activity, making it a standard downtime option rather than a DM-only award.
One practical note: because the spell must be prepared every day you work on a multi-day scroll, a Wizard scribing a 9th-level scroll for 120 days is locking that spell into their prepared list for four months of in-game downtime. That’s a real cost beyond the gold. Your proficiency bonus doesn’t factor into the crafting check itself, but it does affect your spell save DC and attack bonus, which get baked into the finished scroll.
My Table Experience
I have not had a player really commit to scribing scrolls during downtime, but I like the idea because the cost and time make it an actual choice. At my table, I’d want the player thinking about which spell is worth having in their back pocket instead of just turning every spare spell into a scroll. The time requirement especially keeps it from feeling like free extra spell slots between adventures.
The 2014 rules also required the spell to be prepared during crafting, but the lack of a clean cost table meant GMs often had to make judgment calls mid-campaign. Players who wanted to craft scrolls in 2014 frequently hit a wall when the DMG pointed to item rarity without giving specific scroll prices. Xanathar’s helped but still left gaps. The 2024 approach of publishing a single authoritative table removes much of that friction. If you’re running a 2014 campaign and want cleaner scroll economics, the 2024 table is a usable house rule if your DM approves it.