[RPG] How to this regular hobgoblin from the Acquisitions Incorporated adventure “The Orrery of the Wanderer” use a Spell Scroll

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The official D&D 5e book Acquisitions Incorporated published by Wizards of the Coast includes an adventure, The Orrery of the Wanderer. In a section of Episode 2 (p. 116), a hobgoblin carries spell scrolls which it may use in battle:

One of those hobgoblins carries and will use two spell scrolls […]

This is a regular CR 1/2 hobgoblin with no spellcasting abilities, no spellcaster class, no spell slots or levels. It is not a shaman, witch doctor, acolyte/priest/mage/druid/magic initiate/ritual caster or in any other way different from a standard, non-magic-using hobgoblin.
How can it use these spell scrolls?

Similarly, Episode 3 (p. 121) and Episode 5 (p. 162) of the adventure include NPCs that use the typical wererat and spy stat blocks respectively (modified for special weapons or race, but not to add spellcasting). Both carry spell scrolls that it is strongly implied (although not actually stated) they will use if the situation demands.

Nowhere does it explain this as a special situation ("specific beats general"), either for these specific creatures or for this campaign setting (which takes place in the official Forgotten Realms setting, and refers players to the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide and similar resources).

Best Answer

Monster abilities do not have to mirror player character abilities.

Thomas Markov gives a very thorough explanation on a possibility that will allow this, but I wish to be more general.

It does it because it can. Monsters have abilities and skills and actions because of just generally what they are and the story that needs to be told. A Hobgoblin in this setting can read scrolls, one in another setting might be able to use a Staff of Power. If the writer of the adventure chooses to give you a background why this is ("A Djinn gave this Hobloblin the powerful staff and imbued it with the power to wield it as a spellcaster") then you can know why. But if the writer does not choose to inform you why this is then apparently it didn't matter to the writer. In this case, sure, maybe the hobgoblin is a documancer. Or maybe it's just a scroll savant.

DND is a set of rules that are used to guide gameplay in a fantasy setting . It is NOT a fully formed world with rules and logic that must work together in a complete whole. In this case there isn't a relevant rule that needs to be satisfied other than that the hobgoblin has the ability to use scrolls, which seems inherent in the description.

To finish with a bit of a rant... To me, this question is similar to questions about why characters in Star Wars acted a certain way (the reason is it's a fictional entertainment franchise, not a reckoning of actual beings with agency). Hopefully the writer does a good enough job on the movie or module to have it make sense, and if not there are at least enough shiny things to take your mind off of it (yeah, Lucas, I'm looking at you).