magic items, effects, spells, and who exactly can use them?

[Wellby]

Dear Sirs and Madams,

Just to make sure I've got this right.

Wands and Rods, with spells. Only PCs who have the spells on their spell lists can use them. My Wizard cannot use the wand of protection from evil from my dead cleric?

Rings: despite having no spell-like ability, a rogue can whisper a trigger word and disappear, with his ring of invisibility?

or have I got this wrong, and only scrolls are limited to spellcasters, and all these other items can be used with triggers, so actually a Rogue can shoot stuff with a wand of fireballs???

thanks!
Wellby

 

[Greenfield]

Almost right.

Rods can be used by anyone. Wands, Staves and Scrolls are restricted to characters who can use the spells they produce.

Rings, amulets, broaches, scarabs, etc work for anyone.

Now, presume you have a Wizard who picks up the fallen Cleric's staff. Some of the spells in the Staff may be usable, while others aren't. Protection from Evil, for example, is on the Wizard spell list as well as on the Cleric one, so either one could use it.

Detect Evil, on the other hand, isn't available to Wizard types, so the only way a Wizard could use that spell from the staff (or a Wand or Scroll for that matter) would be through a skill check for Use Magic Device.

That any clearer?

 

[Wellby]

excellent, thanks!

 

[steeldragons]

Depends on the system/edition and what your DM will allow...as well as any homebrew rules/rulings.

Depending on the edition, Detect Evil and Protection from Evil are both avaiable to mages/magic-users/wizards (I really wish we could just pick one title for the class and stick to it. But that's a discussion for another thread.

Some editions, like BECMI have certain class restrictions depending on an item vs. a "category" of items. Mages and Clerics can both use a Staff of Striking, for example. But a mage can't use a Staff of Healing or Snake Staff (the latter, in particular, I always found a silly restriction) and a cleric can't use a Staff of Power or Wizardry.

Also, certain wands were keyed to various effects. Unless it is just a homebrewed ruling that was always used in games I played (not necessarily only DM'd)...which is entirely possible. Been a loooong time. haha.

But things like Wands of Trap Detection or Metal/Mineral Detection, for example, I believe were permissible to anyone, including fighters and thieves, as long as whoever knew the command word.

If I'm not mistaken, though I have no play experience in 3e myself, but I think, in 3e, several wands (those packed with Cure Light Wounds charges, immediately comes to mind) were usable by anyone (now, whether that was also dependant on a command word or simply by touching the wand to the wound, I do not know).

I believe Greenfield has it right for "worn" items, not just jewelry things, but also boots, cloaks, armors and weapons could be used by anyone - whether an item did or did not have a magical "trigger"/word (insofar as those permissible by the class). I fighter could have/use a Cloak of Protection or a rogue Boots of Levitation, etc...

"Miscellaneous/Wondrous magic items" in general, with some exceptions, were not class specific.

In 1 and 2e, 1e's "Unearthed Arcana" in particular, many magic items were "keyed" for "clerics only" or "thieves only" etc...

So it really does depend what you are playing and what the DM is willing to allow, curtail or allow with certain restrictions, to your particular game.

--Steel Dragons

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Also, anyone can use a scroll or wand if the PC makes a successful Use Magic Device check.

 

[Empirate]

If I'm not mistaken, though I have no play experience in 3e myself, but I think, in 3e, several wands (those packed with Cure Light Wounds charges, immediately comes to mind) were usable by anyone (now, whether that was also dependant on a command word or simply by touching the wand to the wound, I do not know).

--Steel Dragons

No. Nonono.

All items that produce spell effects must either be spell trigger, spell completion, or "other" items.

Wands and Staves are always spell trigger items in 3.x. Only casters with a given spell on their class spell list can use a spell trigger item which produces that spell. Greenfield's description of what happens when a Wizard finds a staff formerly belonging to a Cleric is entirely accurate. Only a Cleric, Bard, Favored Soul, Druid etc. can use a Wand of Cure Light Wounds. Or a Wizard with the Arcane Disciple feat, but that's something else...

Scrolls, on the other hand, are spell completion items. Not only do you have to have the spell on your spell list to use a spell completion item; you must also observe the arcane/divine divide; and you must have the requisite ability score necessary to cast the spell. A Wizard finding a Cleric-produced scroll of Protection from Evil could not use it, because the scroll would be a divine one.

"Other" spell producing items include a lot of wondrous items, but also some rods and rings. Using the spells these items provide has no requirements, unless the item description specifically states otherwise (or states that it has a spell trigger or spell completion activation method). Anybody can use a Cape of the Mountebank's DimDoor power, for example, or a Ring of Invisibility.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Only a Cleric, Bard, Favored Soul, Druid etc. can use a Wand of Cure Light Wounds. Or a Wizard with the Arcane Disciple feat, but that's something else...

...or (Theoretically) a Barbarian, Fighter or Commoner (etc, etc) that succeeds on a Use Magic Device check of 20.
Really with proper, successful use of this skill, anyone can use any wand.

Scrolls, on the other hand, are spell completion items. Not only do you have to have the spell on your spell list to use a spell completion item; you must also observe the arcane/divine divide; and you must have the requisite ability score necessary to cast the spell. A Wizard finding a Cleric-produced scroll of Protection from Evil could not use it, because the scroll would be a divine one.

...or anyone beating the appropriate UMD check from 20-29. Even (Theoretically) that Commoner, as unlikely as one might be built to do so.

I say Theoretically because Barbarian, Fighter and Commoner don't have UMD as class skills, and you'd need to custom tailor a build to have a chance of doing this successfully. I'm being partially ridiculous to prove the point.

A Rogue however, would have little trouble doing these things, with no inherent magical ability.

 

[Empirate]

Yeah, UMD... (now where is that eyeroll smilie?).

So smart of you to point that out. Again.


EDIT: that read waaay snarkier than it sounded in my head, sorry. But still, UMD's not the point here, I think. UMD is there specifically to break an otherwise general rule, which needed clarifying in this case.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Yeah, UMD... (now where is that eyeroll smilie?).

So smart of you to point that out. Again.


EDIT: that read waaay snarkier than it sounded in my head, sorry. But still, UMD's not the point here, I think. UMD is there specifically to break an otherwise general rule, which needed clarifying in this case.

S-M-R-T! That's me!

no worries with being a little snarky, I can take it =)

I personally like seeing that everyone is aware of all options, no matter how far fetched. I do agree that UMD is completely outside the box and an exception to the neat and organized magical system.

I do think it's worth mentioning because the Rogue is often expected to carry around a few wands. I'm not familiar with a Rogue that didn't have a Wand of Knock in his pocket to pick those locks that were just a bit too tricky. And so on.

As for eye roll smilie, it'd be a combo of