Use Magic Device

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What would be the impact of making this 3E skill available to C&C characters?

Obviously, it'd make Charisma attractive as a prime -- possibly too attractive.

Would it be OK if restricted to just rogues?

 

[Treebore]

I for one prefer the "iconic" nature of C&C, etc... but if I were to allow this to be possible in C&C I would definitely restrict it to Rogue, and maybe even Assassin at maybe 3 levels lower behind the rogue, kind of how the Paladin turns undead 2 or 3 levels below his own level. I'd probably also limit it even further to spells 1/2 the rogues level. So a 4th level rogue can't use anything with higher than second level, 8th level would allow third, etc..

Plus I would think you would set the CL at the level of the items maker, so the base CL is going to be a 9 anyways, so won't be a terribly reliable skill until later levels anyways. Clerical items would likely be minimum of 12th.

What are you going to do about Decipher Script and allowing it to enable using scrolls? Btb you begin with a -10 penalty, and divine scrolls aren't even possible.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Rogues being able to use others' magic goes back to at least 1E, so I don't view it as being particularly tone-breaking. That said, I don't know if I want every rogue to essentially have two required primes.

 

[Treebore]

Rogues being able to use others' magic goes back to at least 1E, so I don't view it as being particularly tone-breaking. That said, I don't know if I want every rogue to essentially have two required primes.

Not 1E. The best they got in 1E was their ability to read magic user and cleric scrolls. At 10th level. They don't have a universal "use magic device" ability in 1E. Unless it was made available in Unearthed Arcana, Dragon mag, or some other book, but it is not in the PH write up. I don't remember if 2E adapted one or not, been too long since I last read over the 2E books. Could also have been something in the boxed sets/Rules Cyclopedia, I don't know those very well either.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I was referring to them using scrolls.

 

[Treebore]

I was referring to them using scrolls.

Have to admit it helped me fall in love with thieves in 1E. I had a habit of "collecting" scrolls and spell books, so when I reached 10th level and could all of a sudden use them, I had a lot more fun. Still, a far cry from being able to universally use items. Then again, in 1E a lot of classes can use a lot of things they can't in 3E. Like the other night I was reading through the 1E DMG and was kind of startled to be reminded just how many items were (any).

So I think back then such a things as "Use Magic Device" wasn't quit as important as it has become in newer versions of D&D. Probably made to intentionally be more important.

So in comparison, maybe 1E, at least in terms of what magic items you can and cannot use, is less "iconic" in that regard.

 

[Stormonu]

Have to admit it helped me fall in love with thieves in 1E. I had a habit of "collecting" scrolls and spell books, so when I reached 10th level and could all of a sudden use them, I had a lot more fun. Still, a far cry from being able to universally use items. Then again, in 1E a lot of classes can use a lot of things they can't in 3E. Like the other night I was reading through the 1E DMG and was kind of startled to be reminded just how many items were (any).

One of the things I miss from the old 1E DMG is the protection scrolls that *any* class could use.