Description

Gameplay

The caster places this scroll in one of their Quick Items slots then selects the item - this in turn brings up a targeting cursor.

Place the targeting cursor over a target creature on the map in range, or self, or a party member's portrait, and click to activate the scroll.

The scroll has zero casting time, and no projectile, so it should immediately render a "bluish globe" upon the designated creature for the duration of the protection effects.

That creature will now be under the effects of the Protection from Magic.

If a player character is under the scroll's protection, an icon is shown (No. 28) titled "Protection from Magic" on their portrait.

Notes - what occurs from this scroll's protection effects

Here are some facts and notes about what occurs when a Protection From Magic spell is cast from the scroll.

• In the first opus of Baldur's Gate and in Siege of Dragonspear, the spell is cast on the user of the scroll only. In the second opus, where the scroll is much rarer, one creature within 30 feet can be on the receiving end.
• The spell has no assigned School or Type, such as "Abjurer" or "Magic Attack" as examples. Spell Immunity cannot block the scroll's spell.
• The effects can't be removed or dispelled once cast. The duration of the spell must run its course.
• Feeblemindedness and Deafness are cured.
• The spell will immediately remove all dispellable effects on the target creature. Examples include; Stoneskin, Potion of Power, Potion of Fire Resistance.
• While under the spell, a creature has 100% Miscast Magic upon their Wizard and Cleric spell casting abilities.
• Innate spell abilities selected by the Special Abilities menu button can still be used, such as Enrage, Evasion, or Hardiness.
• The spell bestows the same protections as a Demilich, and more. No spell or effect of level 1 through 9 can affect the creature, unless it is an innate ability that they cast on themselves and it isn't marked hostile or dealing damage. This means, for example, that the character cannot be healed by magic unless it is a self-cast innate ability like Lay On Hands. The single exception is Time Stop, which because of the unique way it functions, Protection From Magic will not protect against.
• Despite the spell's description, magical sources that have 0 (zero) spell level power can affect the creature under this spell, such as a Psionic Blast.

More notes

• Instead of self-usage for protection, its guaranteed dispel & spell failure effects are very harmful to enemies as a disabler (but this can only be done in Baldur's Gate II, where only two scrolls exist in the entire game).
• Extended usage:
• Any potion used on self that doesn't have any hostile effects will work as normal - after activating the scroll.
  • Can use sequencer, innate powers from special abilities menu, can only be affected by the positive/healing types
  • Can trigger contingency, can be affected by both positive/healing and negate/harmful types
  • Can still use items, including wands, but can be affected by them in turn
  • Cannot block physical attacks, nor the weapon’s elemental damage or on-hit effects
  • Cannot block Dispel Magic, but can't be dispelled by it either
  • When the scroll is used on a non-party target, for example a mage, dragon, demon, Demogorgon, Kangaax the demilich etc. - these creatures apply some spells via scripting actions that cannot be disrupted nor are they affected by miscast magic or spell failure. This scroll cannot stop these kinds of spell scripting actions from manifesting/casting/releasing spells.

• See Status Effects for more of its uses.

Even during the final battle against Melissan, the unconventional use of this scroll against the opponent should prove very effective. It's important to note that this was intentional on the part of the game's developers (whether the original developers or Beamdog), as this script combines uninterruptible and interruptible spells. (see image)

Scroll Locations

Baldur's Gate

• High Hedge Estate: sold by Thalantyr (×1) ^(AR3202)
• Firewine Bridge: Bentan carries⁽⁵⁰⁾ one ^{(AR4500 | 475.425)}
• Gibberling Mountains: if spoken right to, Hafiz will give one to the party; can be pickpocketed^{(50)(AR5500 | 843.849)}
• Baldur's Gate, east – Sorcerous Sundries: sold by Halbazzer Drin (×1) ^(AR0703)
• Baldur's Gate, north – Ramazith's Tower, top level: on the locked⁽⁶⁰⁾ table ^(AR0138)
• Candlekeep Catacombs, 1st level: in the southern octagonal crypt's trapped⁽⁵⁰⁾ and locked⁽⁶⁰⁾ sarcophagus ^{(AR2615 | 2475.1897)}

Siege of Dragonspear

• Unstealable item
  This icon indicates an item that cannot be stolen. Northeastern Underground River: Vidyadhar carries one ^{(BD5100 | 4468.667)}

Gladiators of Thay

• May be given by Gerrold Darkfellow

Shadows of Amn

• Athkatla, Waukeen's Promenade – Adventurer Mart: sold by Ribald (×2) ^(AR0702)

Trivia

The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition ruleset describes the "Protection from Magic" scroll in the Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG), and the Encyclopedia Magica sourcebooks.

Protection from Magic - (Reading time—8) This scroll invokes a very powerful, invisible globe of antimagic in a 5-foot radius from the reader. No form of magic can pass into or out of it, but physical things are not restricted by the globe. As with other protections, the globe of antimagic moves with its invoker. The protection lasts for 5d6 rounds.

In the PnP game this scroll has a value of 6,500 gold.

The BG2 video game version of this scroll is much cheaper to purchase, and has fixed duration that lasts significantly longer, and can be cast upon someone other than the scroll reader - these departures from the source material make the video game version remarkably and materially more powerful than the D&D version.

Gallery

Gorion's Ward is invisible and has a Protection From Magic scroll in his quick items slot - he observes a Lich that senses the Ward and instantly is protected by Protection From Magical Weapons and Spell Trap.

The ward casts the spell upon the lich, and the combat log shows that it is under some kind of Dispel Effects, even as it appears that the creature is in the midst of attempting to cast some more magic. The Spell Trap is still functioning on the lich, based on the visual animation.

The lich's Spell Trigger is activated sending out three functioning spells, including a True Sight, Death Spell, and Remove Magic.

Indeed, the scroll's powers can't prevent spell triggers and sequencers from functioning, and the Ward's invisibility and Mirror Images have been destroyed by the divination magic. However, the combat log reads that a Casting Failure has occurred to the lich, so the scroll's powers are still useful.

Gorion's Ward casts the magic protection scroll on Kangaxx. Then, Kangaxx's spells fail. You still need to hit him hard enough before he finishes casting all his spells (he attacks with a ghoul touch if you are too slow).

During the 3rd fight against Amelyssan, she casts the timestop spell and then attacks a character, but she is blocked by the protection from magic scroll.

Here, the project image of Aerie, thanks to the protection from magic scroll, has just blocked part of Amelyssan's spells; the way is clear for the warriors to annihilate her.

Bugs

As of BG2EE 2.6, The Protection from Magic Scroll is not removing all buffs before going into effect. This is identified and corrected in The Enhanced Edition Fixpack (EEFP). Ref: (scrl07.itm)

Mod Content

Installation of the Sword Coast Stratagems Mod makes a few changes to the Scroll and spell (if you install that component, after being asked). These changes are made only if you are not playing with Spell Revisions Mod, as Spell Revisions already implements this. From the SCS Readme:

Allow Spellstrike to take down a Protection from Magic scroll (BG2,BGEE,BGT,EET)

In the original game, the protective sphere produced by a Protection from Magic scroll is completely impenetrable by any spell at all - if you use one, all a hostile wizard can do is run away or fight in melee. This component allows the most powerful mage anti-magic spell, the 9th level spell Spellstrike, to destroy the anti-magic sphere of one of these scrolls. It also allows the anti-magic ray of the Hive Mother beholder to destroy the sphere.

If you are using the Icewind Dale spell system, Spellstrike and the Hive Mother ray can also destroy the Antimagic Shell.

External links

• Advanced D&D 2nd Edition Wiki - Scroll of Protection from Magic (Magic Scroll)