HOF5 – Volute Scrolls by Frank Schmidt is a role playing game supplement published by Adventures in Filbar. This is an April 1st release, and not entirely serious in nature.
The supplement is available for free from DriveThruRPG as a 31-page PDF. One page is the front cover.
History explains that Volute Scrolls are rare magical items created by chaotic wizards of the past. Parchments were imbued with wild magic and the scrolls were sealed on making. When a scroll is opened, its enchantment is released. Scrolls either appear as a scroll, rolled up and sealed, or as a piece of paper that has been folded over and again sealed. The ability to manufacture the items has been lost and identify does not work on them. They have been compared to a wand of wonder or deck of many things, but with a generally less volatile nature.
Usage explains that the scrolls have wreaked more havoc and caused more problems or hilarious stories than any other magic item in the Filbar Campaign. They have been used in personal play and at conventions. The pages are printed out on parchment like paper, cut in two, for there are two scrolls on each page and folded in three to hide the effects. They can be sealed with wax, but this is optional.
The scrolls then take up the next 28 pages of the supplement, with two on a page, making 56 in total. An error was noted with one scroll, where part of the text was printed in white, making it invisible. The scrolls vary in type. Some are simply instructions on how to do something, such as knot a tie. Others create beneficial effects, and some detrimental ones. Most are generally pretty minor, rather than the more campaign-changing potential of a deck of many things. Each scroll has a simple illustration relevant to the scroll
HOF5 – Volute Scrolls in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and probably doesn’t need them, despite the length. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a single column format and appeared to be free of errors. As mentioned, the different scrolls each have a relevant piece of artwork. It would have been nice, but also fairly expensive, for the artwork to be consistent in nature. Presentation is adequate.
This is a not entirely serious and less destructive version of the deck of many things, though it may at times approach a wand of wonder in terms of power. It does make an interesting way to add something similar to a deck of many things to a game, but without the problems that can cause; many players are understandably reluctant to draw from a deck of many things. The effects are written with a generally D&D aim, and will be easiest to use in such games, but are fairly system-neutral in nature. HOF5 – Volute Scrolls is an interesting little supplement and it can be downloaded for free by clicking here.
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