An Intelligence check seems like the applicable mechanic, though you may decide another ability or skill applies based on the player's stated approach. If time is short, then that suggests some meaningful chance of failure and an ability check may be appropriate. If they have all the time in the world to figure it out, then just give them automatic success. I can't think of any spells that serve this purpose.Ī timeline for cracking the code is only useful if time is actually valuable. It is not a spell a PC can use, but there can be magic that NPCs can use and PCs do not have.Ī character with the Linguist feat can create ciphers this may reasonably grant advantage on checks to decipher the codes of others. I cannot think of a specific spell, but you could have a temple, perhaps to a magic or knowledge god, cast some sort of ritual and make the words become normal. You can have this side adventure take a few sessions of play before moving onto the next more scripted adventure. A guide NPC who is a traitor and leads them to an underground temple that is a trap,but gives them a clue to the next piece of the adventure. You can have cool new NPCs and more cultists attacking to recover the scroll.

Make an adventure about looking for a place with secret code-breaking scrolls. Make the DC really high like 30 so they need to get assistance by going to a temple, or sage. You could also take it and run for more adventure and intrigue. You can also have them in town and just say that they find a sage who translates it for 10gp, done. If you want to get to the next part of the adventure and have the PCs go there soon you can give it an DC15 Investigation check and one of the characters should pass. How hard you make it depends on what you want the outcome to be.

Magic translator crack codes