D&D 3E/3.5 PHB3.5 UMD example question

[ThirdWizard]

Does the cant activate rule mean she cannot activate it with a turning attempt?

Oh, and thanks for the answers.

I guess that would depend on the reading of "try to." If "try to" means "attempt using this skill" then you can activate it with a turning attempt. If "try to" means "attempt to activate by any means" then you can't activate it with a turning attempt." I could see people reading it both ways. Me, I interpriet it as the former.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Me, I interpriet it as the former.

I also read it that way.

 

[Sil]

Not to be a pain, but let me ask again

Does it not seem strange that a UMD user can activate the item more times than the actual class?

 

[ThirdWizard]

Not to be a pain, but let me ask again

Does it not seem strange that a UMD user can activate the item more times than the actual class?

Well, it is balanced by the fact that it takes a lot of ranks to be able to do this with any consistancy. Otherwise, you'll be wasting rounds in battle failing at attempting to activate items. Plus, this is a fairly rare case in itself, where the item is activated by a per day use ability.

 

[Len]

A little strange, yeah, but fun:

Cleric: I'm sorry, I cannot use the chalice again until dawn tomorrow.

Rogue: Here, let me show you how that thing works. *bing* *bing* *bing* *bing* How many more do you want? *bing* *bing* *bing*

Cleric: [blasphemes]

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Not to be a pain, but let me ask again

Does it not seem strange that a UMD user can activate the item more times than the actual class?

Not really.

I mean, how does UMD work, anyway?

The UMD user is subject to it not working.

The actual class is not subject to such failures. The actual class can also, if they wish, take ranks in UMD and thereby use it infinitely, as well. Heck, I might even be persuaded to provide a circumstance bonus to the UMD roll to emulate a class feature you already possess.

 

[Sil]

Again thanks all.

 

[moritheil]

Not really.

I mean, how does UMD work, anyway?

The UMD user is subject to it not working.

The actual class is not subject to such failures. The actual class can also, if they wish, take ranks in UMD and thereby use it infinitely, as well. Heck, I might even be persuaded to provide a circumstance bonus to the UMD roll to emulate a class feature you already possess.

IME, that would be needed to stop an artificer or rogue from completely stomping on a cleric in terms of general magic item use. They put casters to shame surprisingly often.

 

[Tatsukun]

If you have honed the ability to pretend to be a cleric and use a cleric item, why not just pretend to be a congo-line of different clerics?

Maybe in the example given Lidda has to put on some glasses and claim to be a different person after 3 times?

Although, I must say there is some validity to the argument that UMD can't be used for such a device...

As to it being odd that a trained rogue can use it more than a cleric, that's fine. They are ricking a mishap, the cleric isn't.

-Tatsu

 

[moritheil]

As to it being odd that a trained rogue can use it more than a cleric, that's fine. They are ricking a mishap, the cleric isn't.

-Tatsu

I have to disagree if you mean "fine" as in "in terms of balance it is perfectly balanced." At only level 4, my group's artificer has a +21 to UMD checks. He can roll a 2 and still manage to cast dispel magic from a scroll, when no one in the group even has the spell yet. In fact, it happened the other night. In short, in terms of bringing out the big guns, he is more powerful than the party wizards. Time and time again his spells have been the ones that end combat.

Now, granted, there is a cost in terms of exp and gp for those scrolls, and it takes a while to prepare them, but when spells are really needed, the artificer puts the actual casters to shame. Is that something that should be happening?