A-to-Z d30: Quills

Welcome to entry 17 in my A-to-Z blogging challenge,
wherein I attempt to do 26 d30 charts during the month of April.
Today... quills.

Today's chart is based on an idea I've had for quite a while.

In the 1e DMG, you'll note that, in order to manufacture a scroll, "A fresh, virgin quill must be used for each spell transcribed." Furthermore, "the quill must be from an animal of a strange or magical nature." Okay... so how often has that character sat down to manufacture a scroll, and assumed they were doing it with a goose, duck, or chicken quill? Not gonna work, my friends. And where are they getting those strange and extraordinary feathers needed to prepare them for writing (and thereby turning them into a "quill proper")? Especially considering they need a new quill after each spell. Yes! Not each scroll, but each spell!

So what I've done is outline a list of extraordinary (i.e., "strange") and magical creatures that have feathers (as well as a couple others of a "normal nature" beyond the standard 1 gp goose, duck, chicken). I've calculated costs for a prepared quill (not the same as a raw feather, mind you), and how that affects the scribe's chances for scribing the scroll, as well as any possible increased effects that may result if the scroll is scribed successfully using that quill.

Use this chart to stock that magic-item shop.
Throw a couple into that secret study behind that secret door in that evil MU's bedroom.
Put a few in a small scribe's case and mix it in with that treasure horde.

Click here to download a free PDF of this
d30 Quills page from MediaFire.