Using wands

[Ingegnere]

Reading the core books, I have the feelings that the use of wands in not clearly defined.
Only a spellcaster can use a scroll, and every class can use potions, rings, rods and staffs.
However, can a non-spellcaster use a wand?
My core books are in Italian, so maybe something went lost in the translation (but the rest is translated very well..).

Thanks to anyone who can help me.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

In order to use a wand (or any spell trigger item), you need to have the spell contained in it on your class's spell list.

Thus, only spellcasters can use wands, but they can use them before they're technically spellcasters.

Take, for instance, a Ranger 1. He's not actually a spellcaster yet (and won't be, until he reaches 4th-level). However, Cure Light Wounds appears on his class spell list. Therefore, he can pick up a CLW wand and use it without trouble.

He can then hand the wand to his Bard 1 buddy, who also has CLW on his class spell list. The Bard can also use the wand without trouble.

Does that answer your question?

EDIT: Yeah ... Spell Trigger ... That's what I meant! I was just ... testin' ya ...

 

[Infiniti2000]

However, can a non-spellcaster use a wand?

Yes, but then he needs to utilize Use Magic Device (UMD). Without UMD, it's as Patryn pointed out.

 

[FEADIN]

Reading the core books, I have the feelings that the use of wands in not clearly defined.
Only a spellcaster can use a scroll, and every class can use potions, rings, rods and staffs.
However, can a non-spellcaster use a wand?
My core books are in Italian, so maybe something went lost in the translation (but the rest is translated very well..).

Thanks to anyone who can help me.

I can add that staffs are in the same ruling than wands, you made a mistake or your translation is very bad indeed.
Nothing worth the original, I began playing 24 years ago, there was no tranlation and now I don't understand the books in French

 

[Chorn]

In order to use a wand (or any spell completion item), you need to have the spell contained in it on your class's spell list.

Just so you won't get confused, Patryn probably meant to say spell trigger instead of spell completion above. Wands and staffs are spell trigger items while scrolls are spell completion items. They both require the user to have the spell on their spell list, but spell completion are a bit more complex in that they require actual caster levels and are typed as either arcane or divine.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Oops! Good catch on the typo!

 

[Ingegnere]

Thank you all for the clarification!