Ideas for an item to improve Use Magic Device checks for scrolls?

[Magus Coeruleus]

Hi folks,

I've got a player with a 5th level rogue who wants to know if he can find a mundane or magic item to help his chances of emulating spell ability when casting from scrolls created for him by the party wizard.

His current modifier is +10 total, giving him a 50% chance per attempt to activate scrolls (given the DC of 20). Deciphering the scrolls is a nonissue because he would do that ahead of time. Again, the point is really to use scrolls made for him by the wizard, not so much for ones he finds. Not meeting the caster level is also not really an issue because these scrolls will mostly be spell level 1, caster level 1, for a really easy caster check if he just hits the DC 20 on the nose.

Many skills have special equipment associated with them to give you a +2 circumstance bonus, but I'm hard-pressed to think of one that would make sense to help with the Use Magic Device skill. I run a particularly low magic campaign, so I'm not thinking of letting him get an item that just boosts his Charisma enough to improve that whole skill plus other things. A low-powered magic device would be acceptable. It could be use-based like the healing kit, as long as it makes some sense, or permanent if it's something that would logically cost on the order of hundreds (not thousands) of gp.

Again, the purpose is very narrow, that is emulating spell ability for the purpose of casting from scrolls. He doesn't necessarily care about getting a bonus for other uses of that skill.

So if you were to design a mundane or magic item that would give in the neighborhood of a +2 or +4 to this sort of check, what form would it take? How would you price it?

I'm looking for creative ideas that seem fair and balanced so I can let him buy a slight edge.

Thanks!

 

[Jack Haggerty]

from the SRD:

"If the character has 5 or more ranks in Spellcraft, the character gets a +2 synergy bonus on Use Magic Device checks related to scrolls. If the character has 5 or more ranks in Decipher Script, the character gets a +2 synergy bonus on Use Magic Device checks related to scrolls. These bonuses stack."

Suggest that he take a few ranks in these skills (although Spellcraft is cross-class).

And have him take Skill Focus (Use Magic Device) when he gets to 6th level.

That's a potential +6 (or +7, if you use the typical Skill focus house rule) bonus to Use Magic Device while using scrolls, without resorting to magical aides.

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

Thanks for pointing those out. Actually, we're aware of them, but he understandably doesn't want to spend 10 skill points to get the 5 ranks in Spellcraft for another +2, and I'm sure he won't want to burn a feat at 6th level, especially since he doesn't care about the overall skill enough, just the scroll use. Plus he's just leveled, and was asking about now, as opposed to next level or long term.

I was pretty exclusively wondering about prospects for some sort of item (mundane or magical) that would provide a bonus at an appropriate price. Any ideas from that angle?

Thanks,

 

[Crothian]

Reading Glasses (Magical Eyewear)

These eyeglasses will help anyone to read. They give automatic literacy in all the alnaguages the user can speak. They add +4 to all decipher script checks and use magical device checks for anything that uses the written word (magical scrolls and books).


How's that for a low powered magical item? You need to wear them tom use their magic and people can tease him and call him 4 eyes.

 

[Jack Haggerty]

Originally posted by Magus Coeruleus Thanks for pointing those out. Actually, we're aware of them, but he understandably doesn't want to spend 10 skill points to get the 5 ranks in Spellcraft for another +2, and I'm sure he won't want to burn a feat at 6th level, especially since he doesn't care about the overall skill enough, just the scroll use.

In other words, he wants a rogue who can easily use scrolls, without paying the price in skill points and feats to get good at it.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

A Circlet of Persuasion gives you a +2 on all charisma based checks. It is a very useful equipment for every bard or rogue, for just 4.500 gp.
A Cloak of Charisma gives you a enhancement bonus to charisma. But I bet he will already have a Cloak of Elvenkind. (But, when he gets finally a Ring of Chameleon Power or a Robe of Blending, he might switch. )

Crothians Eye Glasses seem nice. I would estimate a Market Price around 2.000 gold pieces. (a total +8 skill point bonus plus some reading abilities that probably won`t be worth much more than 2 other points...)

I strongly recommend against a +10 skill item, at least not at the usual cost.

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Crothian]

He said it was a low magic campaign, so I was trying to come up something with style but not much magic. The bonus of +4 could easily be +3 or even +2. The fact that they give bonuses to exclusive skills that you have to have ranks in to use severely limits it's usefulness. I actually like my idea and would like to use them in a game. IMC everyone is illerate unless they spend 2 skill points per language. That is why I included the literate part.

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

Crothian:

The glasses sound fun. I'm not sure the literacy thing is relevant in my game, but for yours it sounds good.

One way I could incorporate them is to have them be a gnomish item. I run a Mystara campaign, where the gnomes are somewhat like Dragonlance tinkerers, although their inventions are a bit less ridiculous and a bit less prone to catastrophe. In my campaign, these gnomes don't use arcane or divine magic (i.e. they aren't spellcasters), but they are master alchemists and their inventions and concoctions are universally referred to as "gnome magic." (IMC they are the creators of tanglefoot bags and alchemist fire (known as "gnomish fire").

I could see some of my gnomes making these glasses so they can try and use "human" magic scrolls, since I can see them trying to play with those things in much the same way that humans find the gnomish devices fascinating.

Getting a bonus to both Decipher Script and Use Magic Device for scrolls means it's that much more powerful than something just for the latter, but it makes such good sense, I can hardly see having these glasses NOT do both. To allow both effects without too high a price, perhaps there can be a compensatory negative effect. I'm thinking that these coke-bottle glasses, as reading glasses, make it difficult to see at a distance. Perhaps wearing them imposes a -2 penalty to Spot checks and attacks beyond a 30' range.

What do you think would be a fair price for a mundane +4 to Deciper Script and Use Magic Device (for scrolls only), with or without a -2 to Spot and attacks beyond 30'?

Also, Jack Haggerty wrote:

In other words, he wants a rogue who can easily use scrolls, without paying the price in skill points and feats to get good at it.

Not really. Perhaps I wasn't sufficiently clear in my original post, but I can't imagine how to have been more explicit about asking about an item than to use a subject of "ideas for an item to improve Use Magic Device checks for scrolls" and an opening line of "I've got a player with a 5th level rogue who wants to know if he can find a mundane or magic item to help his chances of emulating spell ability when casting from scrolls created for him by the party wizard." The rogue has spent the max of 8 skill points for Use Magic Device, and threw in 5 points for Decipher Script, but no, he doesn't want to spend an additional 10 points for cross-class Spellcraft to get the other synergy +2, and he was asking about now, not next level, when he gets a feat.

He's not asking to "easily" use scrolls, just if there's something that could help him that he can buy. I thought I was clear that we're talking about +2 to +4. He currently has a 50% chance per attempt, and was wondering about having a 60% or 70% chance.

I apologize if my reiteration of the original question made you feel that your suggestion wasn't appreciated. It's just not what I was asking about.

 

[Jack Haggerty]

Oh... Don't worry about it. I was just jerking your chain a little. Sometimes it just bothers me when a player wants the easy way out, instead of sucking it up and paying for what he wants. I just wanted to make certain I understood the situation. That's how it sounded to me... I got the wrong impression. It seemed to me that he should be do some long range planning for something like this, instead of asking at the last minute.

So, he's already getting the circumstance bonus from Decihper Script, right? I'd still recommend the Skill Focus feat, if he'll take it, but spending the cross class skills for Spellcraft is a bit steep, unless he plans on multiclassing to a wizard or sorcerer (which might not be a bad idea since he could write his own scrolls, then).

I like the idea of those Reading Glasses... A similar idea (except with a magnifying glass), was the first thing that popped into my head too. A similar lens item could grant the user a +2 bonus to Decipher Script and Use Magic Device checks with regards to scrolls, and, in addition, allow them to cast Read Magic and Comprehend Languages (but only with regards to written text, not spoken language) once per day.

A generic Charisma booster itme like the Mustrum's Circlet of Persuasion isn't a bad idea either.

 

[Crothian]

Okay, let's revise these and see what we can do.

Reading Glasses (Magical Eyewear)

These eyeglasses will help anyone to read. They give automatic literacy in all the alnaguages the user can speak. They add +4 to all decipher script checks and use magical device checks for anything that uses the written word (magical scrolls and books).
However, the glasses limit sight beyond 30 feet. All spot checks and ranged attacks to anything greater then 30ft recieves a -2 penalty.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequiste: Craft Wondrous Item; Market Price: 1,000gp; Cost to Create: 500gp + 40xp

I'm unsure of the cost. Skill bonuses cost bonus squared x20. That would be 320 +320. Then whatever the literacy plays in. But as many people don't use illeracy for characters, that might not be important. I just rounded up to the nearest thousand.