D&D 5E Can Non-classed NPCs and Monsters Use Spell Scrolls?

[Hriston]

From the 5e SRD:

A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written in a mystical cipher. If the spell is on your class’s spell list, you can read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible.
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But what about characters without a class? Does a creature that counts as a member of a spellcasting class for the purpose of attunement to a magic item also count as a member of that class for the purpose of casting a spell from a spell scroll?

 

[Nailen]

If it fits into the story you're trying to tell then why not..?
Literally tonight I just had a dwarf safe NPC cast Knock from a scroll. It fitted into the story and where I wanted the PCs to go. There was a risk for the rogue/illusionist that he might fail to cast. And I wanted them to get through the door.
The players were happy so I don't see a problem.

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[Nailen]

Sage, not safe!!

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[Hriston]

Okay, assuming the dwarven sage isn't also a bard, sorcerer, or wizard, then it seems from the given text that casting knock from a spell scroll would depend entirely on DM fiat. I have no problem with that, but my question was more specific. What if the dwarf, while not a member of any of these classes because not built with the rules for PCs, had spell slots and used one of these classes' spell lists? Would that satisfy the requirement that the spell be on the list of the dwarf's class, or would that also rely on DM fiat?

 

[cmad1977]

Yes.


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[cbwjm]

If they are a spellcaster and cast spells as a certain class then I see no reason why they couldn't use spell scrolls from those classes as the spells would be on their list.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

But what about characters without a class? Does a creature that counts as a member of a spellcasting class for the purpose of attunement to a magic item also count as a member of that class for the purpose of casting a spell from a spell scroll?

NPCs use simplified stat blocks to make them easy to run, but both a mage and an archmage are still just wizards as far as everyone in the game world is concerned. So are liches, for that matter.

If you look at an NPC and think that they would belong to a certain class, if you bothered to stat them out correctly, then they can use scrolls from that class's spell list. If they cast spells, but don't seem to correspond to any of the known classes, then make a judgment call as to whether that spell would be on the class spell list if it did exist.

 

[Hriston]

If they are a spellcaster and cast spells as a certain class then I see no reason why they couldn't use spell scrolls from those classes as the spells would be on their list.

The obvious reason is they aren't part of those classes. If they were, there would have been no need for the DMG errata saying they count as members of those classes for the purpose of attunement, unless we're also to understand it's for the purpose of casting spells from spell scrolls. In which case, why didn't they say so?

 

[cbwjm]

The obvious reason is they aren't part of those classes. If they were, there would have been no need for the DMG errata saying they count as members of those classes for the purpose of attunement, unless we're also to understand it's for the purpose of casting spells from spell scrolls. In which case, why didn't they say so?

I've never really thought why they didn't say so because to me, I always figured that the NPC counts as the class that they draw spells from, I didn't even know they specifically called out that an NPC caster counts as X class for attunement until I read your thread. Reading Spell Scroll in the DMG it says that you can cast it if it is on your class' list. Sure the NPCs don't have a strict class, however, they do say which spells are on their spell list by saying which class they draw spells from so it makes sense to me that they count as a member of the class and that an Archmage is able to use a scroll of fireball or wall of fire, etc.

 

[ccs]

You're the DM, you tell us.