Warmage can't use Wand of Knock, right?

[Phaedrus]

A Warmage, with such a limited spell list, is pretty much screwed when it comes to using wands and scrolls, right?

Similar question: can a sorcerer use a scroll or wand of a spell he doesn't know since it is on his list of spells he can choose from?

 

[Markn]

That is correct, the warmage can not use the Knock Wand.

The Sorceror on the other hand CAN use the wand as long as it is on his spell list (and not neccessary what he knows or has learned). As for scrolls, not sure, I am at work and don't have my books (and our group rarely uses the sorceror so my rules knowledge regarding this are a little sketchy). I think the answer is yes though.

 

[Thanee]

Well, like any other character, the Warmage can learn Use Magic Device. Having a good Charisma (naturally) is a big plus here, which somewhat compensates for the skill being cross-class, but using wands is simple enough (only DC 20), so it's quite reasonably possible to do so at moderate levels.

And yes, it's completely irrelevant, what spells a character actually knows. As long as the spell is on the class spell list (note: specialist wizards do not have the spells from their prohibited school(s) on the class spell list anymore), a spell completion (scroll) or spell trigger (wand) item can be activated.

Bye
Thanee

 

[billd91]

A Warmage, with such a limited spell list, is pretty much screwed when it comes to using wands and scrolls, right?

Yes, but that's what you get from making certain choices, other options become closed to you. Of course, taking a single level of either sorcerer or wizard (think of it as cross-training) suddenly opens up a whole ton of possibilities for spell-completion magic items.

Similar question: can a sorcerer use a scroll or wand of a spell he doesn't know since it is on his list of spells he can choose from?

Yes. Sorcerers would be pretty badly screwed if they could only choose the spells they actually knew. Wands and scrolls made by other people are a sorcerer's friend because they allow him to fill vast gaps that his own limited spell knowledge can't cover.

 

[MichaelH]

A Warmage, with such a limited spell list, is pretty much screwed when it comes to using wands and scrolls, right?

I would not say the warmage is screwed, but yes he can only use wands that contain a spell on his spell list. The same with scrolls, with the added requirements that the scroll be arcane and of a level he can cast unless he wants to risk an "accident."

Similar question: can a sorcerer use a scroll or wand of a spell he doesn't know since it is on his list of spells he can choose from?

The simple answer is yes. Wands are spell trigger items. To use a wand, the spell in the wand must be found on the users spell list, even if the spellcaster cannot yet cast the spell. For example, a 2nd level paladin can use a wand of cure light wounds because this spell is on his list.

Scrolls are spell completion items. For a sorcerer to use a scroll, the scroll must be arcane, the spell must be on the sorcerer's spell list, and the sorcerer must be of a level that he could actually cast the spell if he knew it, unless he wants to risk an "accident."

 

[Hypersmurf]

Scrolls are spell completion items. For a sorcerer to use a scroll, the scroll must be arcane, the spell must be on the sorcerer's spell list, and the sorcerer must be of a level that he could actually cast the spell if he knew it, unless he wants to risk an "accident."

Almost.

A Sorcerer-5 can't cast fireball - he needs to be 6th level to have access to 3rd level spells.

Nevertheless, he can use a CL-5 scroll of fireball (likely scribed by a wizard) with no chance of failure, because his caster level is at least as high as the caster level of the scroll.

On the other hand, he has a chance of failure when reading a CL-9 scroll of magic missile, even though magic missile is only a 1st level spell, because the caster level of the scroll is higher than his own.

If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell’s caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell’s caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll’s caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap (see Scroll Mishaps, below). A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers.

-Hyp.