Scroll/Wand of Spiritual Weapon?

[Pyrex]

First, the easy question:
--> When I activate a scroll/wand of Spiritual Weapon it uses my Wis and BaB to determine the attack bonus of the weapon, right?

There's a case to be made that the scroll/wand would use Wis 12 and a BaB of 3/4 Caster Level, but I really can't find any rules to support that.

Next, the slightly harder one:
--> If I use UMD to activate the scroll/wand can I use the emulated Wis score instead of my Wis score to determine the attack bonus?

Yeah, I realize this requires a simply massive UMD score to be effective, but, again, as far as I can see it should work

 

[frankthedm]

--> When I activate a scroll/wand of Spiritual Weapon it uses my Wis and BaB to determine the attack bonus of the weapon, right?

Nope.

Next, the slightly harder one:
--> If I use UMD to activate the scroll/wand can I use the emulated Wis score instead of my Wis score to determine the attack bonus?

Nope. Emulate abilty score allows you to use the scroll. The user having a high score does not help with a wand and Emulate an Ability Score" is a soption with UMD with scrolls.

Emulate an Ability Score
To cast a spell from a scroll, you need a high score in the appropriate ability (Intelligence for wizard spells, Wisdom for divine spells, or Charisma for sorcerer or bard spells). Your effective ability score (appropriate to the class you’re emulating when you try to cast the spell from the scroll) is your Use Magic Device check result minus 15. If you already have a high enough score in the appropriate ability, you don’t need to make this check.

 

[Pinotage]

Nope.Nope.

Meaning in the first instance that it'd be based on the minimum Wis score required for the spell, i.e. 12. I suspect that it'd also be based on the caster level of the wand as far as BAB is concerned.

Pinotage

 

[Pyrex]

Now can either of you provide rules to back it up?

The rules *do* specifically mention using minimum attribute to set save DC's, but don't say anything about other dependent spell attributes.

 

[moritheil]

Now can either of you provide rules to back it up?

The rules *do* specifically mention using minimum attribute to set save DC's, but don't say anything about other dependent spell attributes.

I'm pretty sure that they do say that scrolls, wands, etc. are generally purchased at the minimum caster level needed. If you want a higher CL, you can get one - just be prepared to pay more.

 

[GorTeX]

for scrolls:

Determine Effect
A spell successfully activated from a scroll works exactly like a spell prepared and cast the normal way. Assume the scroll spell’s caster level is always the minimum level required to cast the spell for the character who scribed the scroll (usually twice the spell’s level, minus 1), unless the caster specifically desires otherwise.

The writing for an activated spell disappears from the scroll.

Note that you can create a scroll at a different CL than the minimum..just that found scrolls generally have the minimum CL.

aslo note:

Staff Descriptions
Staffs use the wielder’s ability score and relevant feats to set the DC for saves against their spells. Unlike with other sorts of magic items, the wielder can use his caster level when activating the power of a staff if it’s higher than the caster level of the staff.

can't find the wand specifically stating anything about CL, but note that the random wand treasure table has multiple of many wands at different caster levels (magic missle and fireball to point out two of them).

 

[Christian]

But, the spell doesn't say that it attacks with a BAB of a cleric with a class level of the caster level of the spell. It just says, "your BAB". Does a 12th level cleric's SW, when cast at CL 1 (see PHB pg. 171), have a BAB of +0 or +9/+4? When a Cleric 1/Paladin 19 casts this spell, does it have a BAB of +0 or +19/+14/+9/+4?

IMO, the user of a spell completion or spell trigger item is the caster, for all purposes except caster level and saving throw DCs. So, a scroll of SW activated by a 20th-level rogue via a UMD skill check will have a BAB of +15/+10/+5, and an attack bonus equal to the rogue's wisdom score. I would not, however, allow the UMD check to emulate a wisdom score to affect the attack. UMD allows you mimic ability scores for the purpose of activating items; the rogue with an 8 wisdom needs to make a successful DC 26 UMD check to emulate an 11 wisdom in order to activate this scroll, but this does not give him an actual 11 (or higher) wisdom for purposes of the scroll's (or wand's, or most importantly, staff's) effects. His SW will be at -1 to hit ...

 

[Hypersmurf]

But, the spell doesn't say that it attacks with a BAB of a cleric with a class level of the caster level of the spell. It just says, "your BAB". Does a 12th level cleric's SW, when cast at CL 1 (see PHB pg. 171), have a BAB of +0 or +9/+4? When a Cleric 1/Paladin 19 casts this spell, does it have a BAB of +0 or +19/+14/+9/+4?

Yup - I agree with Christian. It will use the Wisdom (non-emulated) of the person using the item, and his BAB.

-Hyp.

 

[moritheil]

Yup - I agree with Christian. It will use the Wisdom (non-emulated) of the person using the item, and his BAB.

-Hyp.

Per a literalist reading, that is correct. How do you rule a Clr 1/Ftr X who casts Shield of Faith?

 

[Christian]

Per a literalist reading, that is correct. How do you rule a Clr 1/Ftr X who casts Shield of Faith?

?? I don't see any references to the caster's BAB or abilities in that spell. The spell effect & duration is dependent on the character's level--which, in a spell description, refers to caster level unless specifically stated otherwise*. So the spell would last one minute and give a +2 to AC ...

* See, for example, Tenser's Transformation, which states that the caster's BAB becomes equal to her "character level".