D&D (2024) Thief Rogue / True Strike

[abirdcall]

Again, it comes down to "here's an ability that requires you to have a specific magic item in your possession that you can't rely on having" vs. one that works with a magic item that should, in theory, be more readily available.

A specific magic item? It's more than half the book.

Also we're getting common magic items in the 2024 DMG as well. This was just in the 2014 one which is not what this ability was written for.

 

[abirdcall]

The full ability is:

Pick a lock, disarm a trap, pick a pocket, take a utilize action, activate a magic item.

The ability does not require a specific item that may not be available to use.

The magic item activation as written will probably come up more often than needing to quickly pick a lock, disarm a trap, or pick a pocket and yet those are also abilities.

And if the idea is to use scrolls as they are readily available why have this ability at level 3 and use magic device at level 13?

 

[Oofta]

The wand of the war mage doesn't require any action to activate - it's always active so long as you're holding it. You don't even need to be using it as a spell focus to gain its benefits.

You use the wand to cast a spell. Just like using a scroll to cast a spell. If you're not going to allow someone to cast any spell that normally requires an action because they're using a wand, I don't see why a scroll would qualify.

A spell scroll is just a way to cast a spell without having it prepared or using a spell slot.

 

[MarkB]

You use the wand to cast a spell. Just like using a scroll to cast a spell. If you're not going to allow someone to cast any spell that normally requires an action because they're using a wand, I don't see why a scroll would qualify.

You're not activating a wand when you use it as a spell focus.

A spell scroll is just a way to cast a spell without having it prepared or using a spell slot.

Because it's a magic item that is charged with the magical energy required to cast the spell, and is consumed in the casting. If that's not activating it, I'm not sure what is.

 

[Oofta]

You're not activating a wand when you use it as a spell focus.

Because it's a magic item that is charged with the magical energy required to cast the spell, and is consumed in the casting. If that's not activating it, I'm not sure what is.

We disagree. Ask your DM.

 

[abirdcall]

Fast Hands doesn't say 'activate' it says 'use'.

How do you use the Wand of the War Mage without casting a spell?

 

[ECMO3]

You use the wand to cast a spell. Just like using a scroll to cast a spell. If you're not going to allow someone to cast any spell that normally requires an action because they're using a wand, I don't see why a scroll would qualify.

A spell scroll is just a way to cast a spell without having it prepared or using a spell slot.

I don't think that is true. All the Wand of the Warmage does is give you a bonus while holding it, whether you use it as a material component or not.

A Cleric, Paladin, Druid or Ranger who is holding a Wand of a Warmage in one hand and his holy symbol or a spell component in the other gets the bonus from Wand of the Warmage, and such a character is not using it for casting a spell at all, since they can't use an arcane focus.

Similarly a Wizard holding it while they cast Firebolt is not using it and as a matter of fact if that Wizard is also holding a weapon in their other hand, they can't cast Firebolt while holding the Wand of the Warmage.

Finally I don't think a Wand of the Warmage is used to cast a spell even when the spell has a material component of no cost. It is simply acting as that material component. It is part of the casting, just like the caster's body.

 

[Oofta]

I don't think that is true. All the Wand of the Warmage does is give you a bonus while holding it, whether you use it as a material component or not.

A Cleric, Paladin, Druid or Ranger who is holding a Wand of a Warmage in one hand and his holy symbol or a spell component in the other gets the bonus from Wand of the Warmage, and such a character is not using it for casting a spell at all, since they can't use an arcane focus.

Similarly a Wizard holding it while they cast Firebolt is not using it and as a matter of fact if that Wizard is also holding a weapon in their other hand, they can't cast Firebolt while holding the Wand of the Warmage.

Finally I don't think a Wand of the Warmage is used to cast a spell even when the spell has a material component of no cost. It is simply acting as that material component. It is part of the casting, just like the caster's body.

Like I said, we disagree. There's nothing more to add.

 

[LudicSavant]

But the scroll itself has no action associated to it. The item itself does not require a Magic action, the spell may or may not.

A scroll of (insert spell) requires the same action as the spell it casts, which in this case is a Magic Action.

 

[Kurotowa]

Related, if tangential, is the fact that the Arcane Trickster's Mage Hand is meaningfully better than any one else's. There are reasons to give the Rogue a perk not generally available to dedicated spellcasters.

I spent today mocking up an Int primary Arcane Trickster using True Strike to attack. Overall it seemed a pretty even trade compared to the standard Dex build. Slightly better damage, slightly worse AC. Slightly better spell DC, slightly worse Cunning Strike DC.

The big difference is that if you're going Int primary it's easy to take the Telekinetic feat. That on top of the AT feature gets you a Mage Hand spell that's has no casting components, can be cast and controlled as a Bonus Action, has a 60ft range, is invisible, and can perform Slight of Hand actions. The value of which is highly dependent on the player, the DM, and the campaign. But in the right circumstances I can see it being a strong central character gimmick.