Use magic Device

Horrendos

First Post
Hiho Community,

i am not so sure if i have understand the Skill "Use Magic Device" right.
In which circumstances have i to use the Skill?

For Example:

A Paladin found a Wand of Cure Medium Wounds. Can he use the wand because it is on his Spell-List or does he need the Skill? Same Example and a Rogue found the Wand?

thx
Horrendos
 
Last edited:

log in or register to remove this ad

The paladin can use it automatically, since wands are spell trigger activation items (see DMG pg.213 for explanations) and anyone with the spell on their spell list can use it. The rogue has to use the skill.
 

Wands are spell trigger items. Anyone who has the wand's spell on his/her spell list can use it freely, once they determine what spell it casts. The Paladin can use the wand of cure moderate wounds without a problem; a Rogue would need to make a UMD check to successfully use it. (DMG 3.5 pg. 213).
 

UMD is a skill specific to bards and rogues. It allows them to use magic items which normally they couldn't normally due to not having the required pre-requisites (e.g. the ability to cast a spell or be of a particular race).

For your specific example, the pre-requisite to be able to use a wand is to have the same spell as part of your class spell list. In addition you need to know the command word. The paladin in your example could use the wand automatically assuming he knew the command word (an identify spell would reveal this) as he has CMW in his class list. Note it makes no difference if he is too low level to cast CMW himself just yet, he only needs to have levels in class that has it.

The rogue could also potentially use the wand, but as he does not have a spell list, let alone one that contains cure moderate woulnds, he would have to rely on UMD skill. If he knew the command word he could activiate it by making a roll DC20. If he didn't he could still try, but the target number would be higher and there would be a risk of a malfunction if he got it wrong. Read the skill description carefully for how this works, sometimes the character needs to make more than one roll to activate an item as he may be short more than one pre-req.

Final note, if a rogue or bard finds a magic item that anyone can use (e.g. a ring of protection or potion of cure serious wounds) then he does not have to make a skill roll. UMD is only used to activate items they normally couldn't.
 

jimmicus said:
UMD is a skill specific to bards and rogues.

Not really in 3.5. Since there are no exclusive skills any more, any class can pick up ranks in UMD. Although it will be a cross-class skill for anyone without levels in bard or rogue, a character with a decent Cha can soon become quite good at it.
 


If he knew the command word he could activiate it by making a roll DC20. If he didn't he could still try, but the target number would be higher and there would be a risk of a malfunction if he got it wrong.

This is incorrect in two ways. First, a wand is a spell trigger item, not a command word item. The UMD check for all wands is a flat DC 20. Secondly, it is impossible to have a mishap when using UMD to activate a wand, scroll, or any item that you know the command word for. Mishaps only occur with the UMD skill when activating an item "blindly".
 

Remove ads

Top