Pathfinder 1E Wizard's banned schools and wands

koesherbacon

First Post

• Aug 16, 2013

• #1

Quick question...

If I'm playing a Wizard with Evocation as a banned school and have Magic Missile in my spellbook, can I cast Magic Missile through a wand without difficulty, or do I have to roll a UMD to activate it?

Thanks!

 

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Cadence

Legend

Supporter

• Aug 16, 2013

• #2

The phrasing from the use magic device skill sounds like no roll is needed Normally, to use a wand, you must have the wand's spell on your class spell list. The spell from your opposition school is not only on the list, but in your spell book and you can cast it.

The section on creating wands makes it sound like you'd have to spend twice as many slots to make the wand in the first place though. So I guess you could argue having to make the UMD here would be a double penalty.

 

MarkB

Legend

• Aug 16, 2013

• #3

In D&D 3.5e you'd be out of luck, as it's specifically spelled out in the Opposition Schools text, but Pathfinder's take on school specialisation is a lot more relaxed. It looks like you'd be perfectly fine using such a wand.

I guess if a DM wanted to interpret the rules extremely strictly, he might require you to expend two charges from the wand for each casting, reflecting the need to use two spell slots if you wanted to cast the spell normally, but I think that'd be pushing into house-rule territory.

 

P

paradox42

First Post

• Aug 16, 2013

• #4

Yes, your main problem here appears to be mental- a result of using the incorrect word ("banned" instead of the rules-correct "opposition") to refer to the mechanic of specialist Wizards having less access to some spells. PF lets Wizards prepare spells of those opposition schools; it lets them write scrolls and create items using them, you just have a higher DC on the Spellcraft check. Using a wand is no big deal at all- there's no change from using a wand for a spell that's not in one of your opposition schools. Putting any burden on your character at all for using a Wand of Magic Missile would automatically be a house rule; RAW says it shouldn't happen.

 

koesherbacon

First Post

• Aug 16, 2013

• #5

Okay, cool. So I'll assume I can, but I will check with my DM regarding whether or not he wants to houserule otherwise.

Thanks so much!

 

Starfox

Adventurer

• Aug 23, 2013

• #6

If you are a thassilonian wizard, you have 3.5-ish prohibited schools and cannot use wands of those spells. Otherwise you should be good.