Scroll of Universal Access
wondrous item, very rare
This scroll appears to be a blank parchment with some arcane runes on the edges.
Present Document
When you present this document it to a creature that can read, you can mentally choose what kind of document you want it to appear as. The scroll uses illusion magic to create a convincing forgery of any official document that grants access or permission to any location or action within reason. For example, you could make it look like a royal decree, a letter of recommendation, a passport, a warrant, or a contract.The creature that reads the scroll must make an Intelligence (Investigation) check against DC 18 to see through the illusion. Creatures with true sight automatically succeed on this check. If the check fails, the creature believes the document is authentic and acts accordingly. If the check succeeds, the creature realizes the document is fake and may react with suspicion or hostility.
You can use this scroll once per day. It regains its magic at dawn.
Lore
The scroll of universal access was created by a notorious con artist named Renee LeBlanc, who used it to infiltrate and swindle various noble houses, guilds, and organizations. Renee was a master of disguise and deception, and she had a knack for finding the right document for the right situation. She claimed that she had learned the secret of creating the scroll from an ancient tome she had stolen from a wizard’s tower, but no one knew for sure if that was true.
Renee’s luck ran out when she tried to use the scroll to impersonate a high-ranking official of the Zhentarim, a powerful network of mercenaries and spies. She had hoped to gain access to their vault and loot their treasures, but she was caught by a sharp-eyed guard who recognized her from a wanted poster. Renee was captured and tortured for information, but she refused to reveal the location of her scroll. She managed to escape her cell with the help of a hidden lockpick, but she was cornered by her pursuers in an alleyway. She used the scroll one last time to create a fake letter of pardon from the king, hoping to bluff her way out. Unfortunately for her, the king had died the day before, and her letter was exposed as a fraud. Renee was killed on the spot, and her scroll was taken by the Zhentarim.The scroll changed hands several times over the years, as different factions and individuals sought to use it for their own purposes. Some used it for good, others for evil, and some for personal gain. The scroll’s current whereabouts are unknown, but rumors say that it is still out there, waiting for someone clever enough to wield it.
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