Scrolls

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Scrolls are items which either contain written information, or have magical functions. In the latter case, they are commonly called "spell scrolls" and are used for the purpose of casting magic. In Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II, spell scrolls have restrictions on what classes can use them. 
== Scrolls ==
Regular scrolls, typically called "scrolls," have no magic function and often carry valuable bits of written information that pertain to characters or the world setting. Letters also fall under the scroll item type. Some scrolls can be very important and advance the central plotline or may be required to progress in some quests.
== Spell Scrolls ==
Spell scrolls are a type of item used for the casting of magic, and have 2 main functions. First, by right-clicking they can be written (scribed) into a character's spellbook, where inscription has a chance of success based upon the character's intelligence and/or specialist school. Second, spell scrolls can be a limited-use item to cast a spell directly, without needing to have the spell prepared or scribed.  
The 3 magic categories of spell scrolls are arcane, divine, and protection. These correspond to the spell type on the scroll. eg Wizard spells are arcane, Cleric spells are divine, and non-type protection spells are protection. Note: since divine spells are innately learned, divine spell scrolls are less common than the others. Notably in , there are no divine spell scrolls, instead various temples offer to perform divine spells for gold. In divine scrolls are found only in Durlag's Tower.  
== Gameplay/mechanics ==
=== Identification ===
To quickly ID which magic category (arcane, divine, protection) a spell scroll belongs, there are signs to reference. Arcane scrolls list the magic school in parenthesis below the name. Protection scrolls have a green icon. Divine scrolls have a blue icon. 
=== Scribing ===
Scribing a scroll simply means writing it successfully to the spellbook. (The actual rules for casting spells from memory are covered in [link]). To do this right-click on the scroll and select 'write.' If a caster hasn't scribed a spell but has the ability to do so, that scroll will be highlighted green. As mentioned previously, writing a scroll to a character's spellbook is not guaranteed to be successful; the rate of success depends upon the caster's intelligence score and/or specialist school. Specialist mages get a 15% bonus in writing spells from their specialization school, but a 15% penalty for all schools outside it. 
Once a spell has been scribed, a scroll is no longer needed to cast the spell, however it still must be memorized and then only has a limited number of uses per rest (depending on the caster's level). 
=== As a limited-use item ===
As a broad 'rule of thumb', the rules for using scrolls are: arcane scrolls can be used by arcane casters, divine scrolls by divine casters, and green protection scrolls by nearly everyone with INT 9 (except for Wizard Slayers). Beamdog Forums There are, however, some exceptions based on class. For a definite list of spell scroll usage by class, refer to the table below. Note that casting via scrolls doesn't have the same restrictions as casting from memory, and although some information on the wiki pages may appear inconsistent with the rules, this table was vetted by a top wiki contributor. Baldur's Gate Wiki - Discussion Post 
Spell scrolls can be used before the caster reaches the XP level required to cast the spell from memory. For example, a level 1 mage can cast the level 5 Cloudkill spell if they have the scroll in inventory. This makes spell scrolls very powerful in certain scenarios. (One example would be if playing solo as a dual-class Level 2 M>F, the character can cast high level mage spells from scrolls whilst gaining high levels in the fighter class). 
Main Categories 	Arcane Scrolls	Divine Scrolls	Protection Scrolls
Fighter, Barbarian 	No 	No 	Yes (except 
Wizard Slayer)
Paladin 	No 	Yes 	Yes
Ranger 	No 	Yes 	Yes
Cleric 	No 	Yes 	Yes
Druid 	No 	Yes 	Yes
Monk 	No 	Yes 	Yes
Shaman 	No 	Yes 	Yes
Mage 	Yes 	No 	Yes
Specialist Mage 	All except for 
opposition school	No 	Yes
Wild Mage 	Yes 	No 	Yes
Sorceror 	Yes 	No 	Yes
Thief 	HLA only 	HLA only 	Yes
Bard 	Yes 	HLA only 	Yes
Multiclass: Mage/F/T 	Yes 	No 	Yes
Multiclass: Cleric/F/T	No 	Yes 	Yes
== List of Important/Quest Scrolls ==
* Note for Mulahey (2)