scroll

Scrolls are flammable. If you are hit with a blast of flame, or read a scroll of fire, the scrolls you are carrying have a good chance of catching fire and burning to ashes. Scrolls aren't particularly waterproof, either -- getting dunked may erase the scrolls you are carrying. This effect can be avoided by putting them inside an oilskin sack.

Scrolls can be written by applying a magic marker to a scroll of blank paper. Different scrolls take different amounts of charges, from 8 charges for a scroll of light to 30 charges for a scroll of genocide. Your chances of successfully writing a scroll are better if everything is blessed and you are a Wizard of decent level.

If you read a scroll while confused, chances are you will mispronounce the formulae and the spell will be twisted in some way. See the individual scrolls for explanations. If you want to ascend "illiterate" (which bestows certain bragging rights in the NetHack community as it is very difficult to pull off), you cannot read any scrolls or spellbooks during your game.

As of version 3.3.0, available scrolls include:

• scroll of amnesia
• scroll of blank paper
• scroll of charging
• scroll of confuse monster
• scroll of create monster
• scroll of destroy armor
• scroll of earth
• scroll of enchant armor
• scroll of enchant weapon
• scroll of fire
• scroll of food detection
• scroll of genocide
• scroll of gold detection
• scroll of identify
• scroll of light
• scroll of magic mapping
• scroll of mail
• scroll of punishment
• scroll of remove curse
• scroll of scare monster
• scroll of stinking cloud
• scroll of taming
• scroll of teleportation

Scroll (?), n. [A dim. of OE. scroue, scrowe (whence E. escrow), OF. escroe, escroue, F. 'ecrou entry in the jail book, LL. scroa scroll, probably of Teutonic origin; cf. OD. schroode a strip, shred, slip of paper, akin to E. shred. Cf. Shred, Escrow.]

1.

A roll of paper or parchment; a writing formed into a roll; a schedule; a list.

The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. Isa. xxxiv. 4.

Here is the scroll of every man's name. Shak.

2. Arch.

An ornament formed of undulations giving off spirals or sprays, usually suggestive of plant form. Roman architectural ornament is largely of some scroll pattern.

3.

A mark or flourish added to a person's signature, intended to represent a seal, and in some States allowed as a substitute for a seal.

Burrill.

4. Geom.

Same as Skew surface. See under Skew.

Linen scroll Arch. See under Linen. -- Scroll chuck Mach., an adjustable chuck, applicable to a lathe spindle, for centering and holding work, in which the jaws are adjusted and tightened simultaneously by turning a disk having in its face a spiral groove which is entered by teeth on the backs of the jaws. -- Scroll saw. See under Saw.

© Webster 1913.