Yes, it really works and not just in the area where NPC get killed. Lost NPC in the area south of Nashkel, get double quick to the temple of Helm and raised him with the scroll. Seems that the main problem is saving and reloading the game. Congratulations! ( smiley ).
-set the effect from "CastSpell: Raise Dead" to "Raise Dead"
-increase the range to 30 (although I am not really sure this changes anything.)
-change the target to Dead Character (or whatever it is called)
With this, the Raise Dead scroll can be used at the place the NPC died. The NPC will be recreated near the PC (also, if the PC is further away - I did not check what happens if the PC is in another area).
Save and reload breaks this!! - After a reload, the scroll cannot be used to raise the dead party member (it remains blacked out, spell cannot be cast). - No idea what causes this.
If the range is too far, i.e. if the Raise Dead scroll is tried to be used too far away from the place the death has taken effect, the spell will not be executed. So, the scroll will not be wasted, at least.
Increasing the range to enable raising from further away did not work.
And now it's working! (And I tested it myself this time, too.) The next update of the 13.2 beta will include the fixed Raise Dead scroll. Please note the notes, though, as its functionality is less comfortable as in BGII.
Good catch! Seems in original BG1, the scroll also targets "living actor" (this is a bug in the original game). I'll prepare an update with a corrected scroll for BG1!
Well, as the title say. Version 13.1. Seems that no one plays classic BG anymore for a long time now. Oh, and bartender in Red Sheaf thinks he is in Nashkel. He gives rumors from there ( spy maybe ).