Skill Mastery and Use Magic Device

Ogre Mage · Dec 9, 2004

Normally, you cannot take 10 on UMD. Does the rogue's Skill Mastery special ability allow you to bypass this restriction? I have heard conflicting views on this, does anyone have a link to the OFFICIAL WoTC ruling?

Patryn of Elvenshae · Dec 9, 2004

The general consensus I've seen (basically, Hypersmurf) says "No."

Skill Mastery allows you to Take 10 in situations where being under stress would otherwise prevent you from doing so.

Specifically:

SRD said:
The rogue becomes so certain in the use of certain skills that she can use them reliably even under adverse conditions.

...

When making a skill check with one of these skills, she may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so.

A rogue cannot take 10 on a UMD check because UMD specifically does not allow one to take 10 on it, not because the stress of battle precludes it.

SRD said:
Special: You cannot take 10 with this skill.

Therefore, Skill Mastery does not apply to UMD.

shilsen · Dec 9, 2004

What Patryn said.

uzagi_akimbo · Dec 9, 2004

Patryn of Elvenshae said:
A rogue cannot take 10 on a UMD check because UMD specifically does not allow one to take 10 on it, not because the stress of battle precludes it.

Of course that rule absolute has just received a massive dent by the wonky Warlock class from CA, which gains the ability "Deceive item" at 4th level which allows the Warlock to do just that.

I fully agree this isn't a good thing (because taking "10" in mind represents taling elaborate precautions, proceeding step by step in known process, eliminating possible mistakes through time-consuming carfeulness. As UMD basically doesn't allow taking your sweet time - you either activate it or you don't - it seems illogical to allow it ), but the absolute rule that taking "10" or even "20" on UMD has officially been rendered obsolete.
Well, then again, the Warlock has so many "problematic" and "nerf-worthy" special rules that he isn't a prime example of rules consistency anyway.

Patryn of Elvenshae · Dec 9, 2004

uzagi_akimbo said:
Of course that rule absolute has just received a massive dent by the wonky Warlock class from CA, which gains the ability "Deceive item" at 4th level which allows the Warlock to do just that.

I don't see it as that big of a dent, actually. Also, the ability to Take 10 on a UMD check also appears in the Eberron campaign, as a high-level feature of the Artificer class.

In fact, the two abilities can be summarized as follows:

Skill Mastery
1. When you are not under stress, you may Take 10 on the following skills: [List of basically all of them]
2. When you are under stress, you cannot Take 10 on the above skills.
3. With Skill Mastery, you can.

UMD
1. You cannot ever Take 10 on a UMD check.
2. With [Insert Ability Name], you can.

EDIT TO ADD:

Quick aside question: Do the Warlock / Artificer Take 10 on UMD abilities allow them to Take 10 under any circumstance?

Or do they merely add UMD back to the list of skills on which one could Take 10?

If it's the latter (and I believe it is), then combining the two would allow you to Take 10 on a UMD check while under stress.

Sejs · Dec 9, 2004

Skill Mastery does not allow you to take 10 on UMD checks.

Skill Mastery lets you take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent you from doing so.

Stress or distraction are not the reasons you cannot take 10 with UMD.