Sharing Spells and Potions/Scrolls/Wands

[Marnak]

I can somewhat understand eliminating scrolls and wands (though I tend to favor allowing their use with shared spells, see post above), but I really think that you should be able to use staffs to share spells. Staffs are not only spell trigger, but they also allow the caster to personally use such things as caster level and ability scores for setting DC. This seems to make the spells cast from the staff very similar to spells cast personally by the character and thus ok to share even under the otherwise limiting interpretation of the rules espoused above.

"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."

Thoughts?

 

[Bad Paper]

So, it doesn't say "casting a spell from a wand"?

Technically, you do not "cast" a spell from a wand, you "trigger" it. You do not "cast" a spell from a scroll, you "complete" it. Because of these (lame) distinctions, I would separate them. Otherwise, you have a druid with ranks in UMD sharing a scroll of iron body with her dire bear, and the DM thoroughly applies the Smackdown Stick.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Technically, you do not "cast" a spell from a wand, you "trigger" it. You do not "cast" a spell from a scroll, you "complete" it. Because of these (lame) distinctions, I would separate them.

Well, I put "casting a spell from a wand" in quotes because that's the exact wording used by the wand Activation section. Lame or not, that's what it says. You can then rephrase it with the words "trigger" or whatever, but that doesn't change the rule text. So, with a wand you're casting a spell. There can be no doubt about it. Sharing spells says the same thing.

Otherwise, you have a druid with ranks in UMD sharing a scroll of iron body with her dire bear, and the DM thoroughly applies the Smackdown Stick.

Whether it's broken or not is a different story. The solution to iron body is a rust monster. A sorcerer with polymorph handles that nicely. Just ask those iron golems in the RT.