Can Use Magic Device be used to emulate having Spell Slots?

[kamicosmos]

(Sorry, I'm sure this has come up many times, but I haven't found the search here. Signed up thinking it would be available, but still can't find it, so I'll just ask my question instead...)

My question is: Can Use Magic Device be used to emulate having Spell Slots? Situation is the rogue in the group is wanting to use the SpiderSilk Armor (Item of Legacy from Expedition to the DemonWeb Pits). Most of the features of the armor take spell slots, hence needing to have the ability to cast arcane spells. The rules say UMD can be used to emulate a class feature. I don't think this means Spell Slots, however. But, since UMD can emulate ability scores and race features, perhaps it can also emulate arcane spell casting. (If so, I am never going to play anything but a Rg/Ftr with high UMD again! Heh).

So, is there a rule errata or FAQ from an official source that can clear this up for me?

 

[Hypersmurf]

So, is there a rule errata or FAQ from an official source that can clear this up for me?

Interesting - I'd misremembered how Emulate Class Feature worked.

I was going to quote the example - where Lidda can activate an item that requires "ability to turn undead", but not an item that requires the expenditure of a turn attempt.

But that's not what the example says at all - it has her activating a chalice that requires the expenditure of a turn attempt.

So we see UMD emulating the expenditure of a limited resource from a class feature in order to activate an item.

The example actually strikes me as odd... rather than tricking the chalice into thinking you're a devout follower of X, and therefore it can use its magic to create holy water... you're tricking it into thinking that positive energy is being channelled into it. It seems strange that despite the fact no positive energy is actually being channelled, it still manages to create the holy water.

It sounds like you're tricking your car into thinking it has petrol... and so the car works, even though the tank is empty.

Weird... but nonetheless, what's written.

Spells are listed under Class Features in the PHB, so if you emulate the Spells class feature of a 3rd level wizard, it appears you can activate an item that requires the expenditure of a 2nd-level arcane spell. As many times as you like, until you roll a 1.

-Hyp.

 

[kamicosmos]

I've been doing some digging and thinking on this, and I think one can use UMD to emulate spell levels. I saw the example about the challice, and I thought the same thing: 'Okay, if you can somehow fake channelling a God, you can surely fake casting fireball...'

I also saw an interesting example about using UMD to use a Holy Avenger as a non-paladin, and how to use bardic magic via UMD. So, Since the PHB specifically says Spells are a 'Class Feature', I guess that means I allow the use of the suit via UMD. I guess I now have to figure up all the DC's. And I suppose since it's a suit that would be worn, the standard Once-Per-Hour-DC rule is in effect, on top of having a DC for each attempt at using a feature of the suit? (DC 20 + level of spell?)

 

[nittanytbone]

There's a feat from Complete Mage (Magical Attunement or something like that?) that lets one use an item via UMD all day long once you activate it once. Seems like it could easily be abused...

 

[Hypersmurf]

(DC 20 + level of spell?)

DC 20 plus the minimum level required to cast the spell... so for a 3rd level spell, it's 25; for a 5th level spell, it's 29.

I'd need to check the text of the armor, but if it requires the expenditure of a spell slot to activate, I wouldn't think the one-hour limit would come into play.

-Hyp.

 

[glass]

But that's not what the example says at all - it has her activating a chalice that requires the expenditure of a turn attempt.

But doesn't the text specifically says you can't actually use the ability, thereby making the example wrong?

Primary source: description trumps example.


glass.

 

[Rackhir]

I have a similar question, there's a lot of items in the Magic Item Compendium (MIC) that require you to burn a spell of equal or greater level to "power" the item (such as with Runestaffs). Even if you can successfully make the UMD roll to use the device, do you have to then read a scroll or use an item to generate the spell "power" to make the item work?

 

[Hypersmurf]

But doesn't the text specifically says you can't actually use the ability, thereby making the example wrong?

Primary source: description trumps example.

You can't use the ability; you can't actually Turn Undead. But you can activate a magic item that requires that you turn undead.

While Lidda can activate the magic chalice that requires she channel positive energy, even though she can't actually channel positive energy, if you put a skeleton in front of her, she can't even make it twitch by running through the same routine.

I have a similar question, there's a lot of items in the Magic Item Compendium (MIC) that require you to burn a spell of equal or greater level to "power" the item (such as with Runestaffs). Even if you can successfully make the UMD roll to use the device, do you have to then read a scroll or use an item to generate the spell "power" to make the item work?

As far as I can tell, the activation of the Runestaff is essentially identical to the chalice example; the emulation of the class feature includes emulation of the expenditure of the resource.

Don't forget you'd also need to make a UMD check at some point to 'attune' yourself to the Runestaff, before you can later activate it with another emulation check.

-Hyp.