Use that Magic Device!

[Morrow]

There are two PCs in the game I DM that have ranks in Use Magic Device. They just don't get much use out of it. Between PCs and cohorts, the party already has a sorcerer, wizard, cleric, and bard. Except for the occasional item with a druid only spell, wands and scrolls tend to go to the character that can use them without making a skill check. In the interest of giving the PCs the opportunity to UMD more often, I'd like to compile a list of magic items that would require use of the emulate a class feature, emulate a race, or emulate an alignment features of the UMD skill. I'd be interested both in existing published items and new items created by members of the ENWorld community. Thanks!

 

[Corsair]

Just slap a random race/alignment restriction on an item they find in the next treasure horde. That +4 Cloak of Resistance? Sorry, it can only be used by Evil Gnomes. Good luck finding someone interested in buying that off the party.

 

[Chimera]

There are two PCs in the game I DM that have ranks in Use Magic Device. They just don't get much use out of it. Between PCs and cohorts, the party already has a sorcerer, wizard, cleric, and bard.

There are quite a few 'Personal' spells that may well benefit the PCs with UMD skills, and obviously, the spellcasters can't cast them on those people. If I was playing one of those PCs, I'd be either asking to get those scrolls out of the treasure, or to have them made for me by the Wizard.

Unless your campaign is brimming with Potions, I know that I wouldn't mind my Rogue having a Scroll of Invisibility, "just in case", assuming that I had the UMD to use it.

 

[Kvantum]

Looks like no paladin in the party. Demon + holy sword that only a LG or paladin can use = Rogue really wanting to make his UMD check.

 

[QuaziquestGM]

Try a play on the artificer rules from Eberron. An artificer can make pretty much anything, but has to choose if it is a divine or arcane item during construction. Just have some common spell items that can only be used with UMD, "just because". They were made to be "generic", so generic in fact, that that they can't be automatically used by any class.

 

[Solarious]

I've always found it useful to give UMDing characters a few utility scrolls and (perhaps obsoleted) wands of staple spells, in order to maximize their usefulness. Got hobgoblin hordes? Always better to fire off 4 Fireballs a round instead of 2. Shadows ruining the rogue's day? Magic Missile never misses, unlike that darn 50% incorperal miss chance with cover from the floor and immunity to sneak attacks. Wizard isn't willing to memorize Dimensional Anchor because it has no save, he misses far too much, and frankly there are better uses for that slot? Scroll on the bard to the save!

Because, the most important resource in DnD is time, and the actions you can do with it. Having 5 spells fly in round 1 is indeed more impressive (and useful) than 3 spells in the same round.

And as described above, personal spells are always a plus. Antimagic Field on an Assasin, anyone?

 

[KenSeg]

My beguiler is the backup healer with a wand of cure light wounds. Always a good idea to have a second person available to cast a heal in case the cleric is unconscious or in combat.

-KenSeg
gaming since 1978

 

[Morrow]

While I appreciate the feedback, we haven't covered much in the way of new ground. Perhaps my mention of wands and scrolls served as a distraction from my actual question. I'm specifically interested in items that require the little used emulate a class feature, emulate a race, or emulate an alignment functions of the UMD device skill. While one could of course have an existing item designed to only function for a particular race or class (like the mentioned cloak of resistance that only works for gnomes) such a cheat is hardly likely to make the player glad that they stuck those hard earned skill points into UMD.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

While I appreciate the feedback, we haven't covered much in the way of new ground. Perhaps my mention of wands and scrolls served as a distraction from my actual question. I'm specifically interested in items that require the little used emulate a class feature, emulate a race, or emulate an alignment functions of the UMD device skill. While one could of course have an existing item designed to only function for a particular race or class (like the mentioned cloak of resistance that only works for gnomes) such a cheat is hardly likely to make the player glad that they stuck those hard earned skill points into UMD.

Just kill or incapacitate another character.

Don't feel bad because your players decided to create a balanced party. UMD gets the most mileage out of small parties, or ones that aren't balanced.

 

[DragonShadow]

I'm specifically interested in items that require the little used emulate a class feature, emulate a race, or emulate an alignment functions of the UMD device skill. While one could of course have an existing item designed to only function for a particular race or class (like the mentioned cloak of resistance that only works for gnomes) such a cheat is hardly likely to make the player glad that they stuck those hard earned skill points into UMD.

I honestly can't think of many pre-existing items that require a particular race/class feature/alignment. Most of those restrictions are expected to be placed upon the items by the DM himself (WotC makes players female enough, I'm making them all male. deal).

That said, Horn of Valhalla has prerequisites, depending on the type.

Unfortunately for you and your party, there's no prerequisite on the list that can't be reached by some member of the party anyway. I hate to say it, but it would seem that anybody with ranks in UMD in the example you've given is SOL (unless somebody dies).