Raven Familiar and magic Wands

[Thanee]

Can a raven familiar use a Wand?

Does it need a successful Use Magic Device check (DC 20) to do so?

I guess, that the skill check would be needed, as the familiar itself doesn't possess any spellcasting knowledge, but being a Rogue/Wizard it's have access to the Use Magic Device skill to pretend so.

And since no gestures or such (No verbal components either? Well, a raven could provide these.) are needed to use the Wand, the only problem left should be how the raven can hold the Wand!

Is that correct?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

anyone?

Bye
Thanee

 

[StealthyMark]

IMO, a familiar can't use trained-only skills. The PHB says: "Use the normal skills for an animal of that type or the master's, whichever are better." So the familiar can use the master's skill ranks, but doesn't have them. Some DMs may allow a familiar to use the master's Tumble/Use Magic Device/Innuendo/Disable Device etc skills, others may not.

The activation of scrolls (Spell completition) and wands/staffs (Spell trigger) requires the user to have these spells on his spell list(s). No standard familiar has a class and thus has no spell list.

Use Magic Device is the familiar's only chance to use spell completition or spell trigger items, if the DM allows it. Command word items are a complete different thing. The raven could use them, of course.

 

[Thanee]

Hmmm... Tome & Blood isn't very specific, but seems to read, that the familiar can use all your skills/skill ranks.

Skills: The familiar can use its own skills, plus your skills if is physically able to do so. To calculate the familiar's score when using one of your skills, use your skill ranks and the familiar's relevant ability modifier. If you both have the same skill and the familiar's score is higher than the score it gets using your ranks, it can use its own, higher score.

Bye
Thanee