Greenfield
Adventurer
Simple question: Can a person use the Use Magic Device skill to cast cross-class spells from a Runestaff?
So no, it isn't enough to be supplying an Arcane spell slot (3rd level) to trigger the Fireball spell in a Runestaff. The wielder must have Fireball on his or her spell list.WOTC said:...When an arcane spellcaster is attuned to a runestaff, she can substitute any of the spells stored in the runestaff for a prepared spell or spell slot of equal or greater level. She must have the spell on her spell list and be of sufficient level to cast it, though she need not know it or have it in her spellbook. If she has some of the spells on her spell list, but not others, she can only substitute spells that are on her spell list.
I would say yes. If the person expends an arcane spellslot and uses UMD to emulate a class feature from a class that has that spell on it's list. (DC 21 will suffice for all classes that get spells at lvl 1, since a spell list is part of its spells classfeature) at the moment of activating the staff.Simple question: Can a person use the Use Magic Device skill to cast cross-class spells from a Runestaff?
These are two excerpts from MiC p224 (bold mine):The question comes up because this particular magic device doesn't cast the spell, the user does. That is, it isn't a "Spell Trigger" item nor a "Spell Completion" item. Instead it grants spell knowledge to the user.
At least, that's the interpretation I've seen. This position is undercut, however, by the fact that it only works X times a day per spell.
You need just the one check. Nowhere is it specified in the rules that you need to be able to cast any of the spells of the runestaff in order to attune yourself to it. You do need to roll for UMD when you activate the item though.I'd imagine that you'd need two UMD checks to pull this off, one in the morning when you attune yourself to the Runestaff (you'd need to emulate a class), and one when you actually try to use the spell.
p224 from MiC states that you need to sacrifice an arcane spell slot in order to cast a spell from the runestaff aswell as have the spell on your classlist (but this part could be overcome with UMD). So technically you could sacrifice an arcane spell slot of 6th lvl in order to cast heal from the staff if it had it, however none of the provided runestaffs has heal and under the rules of creating new ones it mentions that only arcane spells can be put in a runestaff. If you can cast an arcane version of heal you can create a runestaff with which any arcane caster can sacrifice an 6th lvl arcane spell slot and either have a lvl in or use UMD to emulate a lvl in say cleric (or any class with heal on its spell list) and cast it. No mention is made that the spell slot being sacrificied must be of the same class as classlist from wich the spell is derived.emulating a class is all good for UMD, so yes a bard should be able to convert one of its 3rd level arcane spell slots into a fireball from the Runestaff... it would just require the Bard to UMD emulation of Sorcerer.
Arcane spell slots are arcane spell slots, there is no use of UMD that can make them into divine spell slots so a Bard can't use a Runestaff to cast Heal.
The rules for runestaffs or on MiC p224 and not in it's entry on p176 to p182. They do mention specifically that the spell must be on your spell list. You are right that they are for arcane spells only.Bards don't have to emulate anyone for a Runestaff. All the Bard has to do is spend the appropriate level arcane spell slot to cast a spell from the Runestaff. I just read all of the Runestaff rules, doesn't say anything about the spell needing to be on your class list for you to cast it from the Runestaff.
Runestaffs are for arcane spells only. Up to your/the DM to incorporate divine runestaffs.
This seems to be a moot point since you can't create divine runestaffs, nor are you allowed to pay with divine spell slots to activate one.So, the question is, since you actually have to expend a divine spell slot to use a divine spell from a Runestaff, can you do that via UMD if you don't have a divine spell slot? ....etc