Why can't my Wizard take the Use Magic Device skill?

[Hejdun]

I agree, I just can't see a wizened old wizard pushing a button on a stick while saying "Hmm... I wonder what this does."

This is essentially what Use Magic Device is, experimenting with items until you get magic. Kind of like randomly connecting wires, sometimes you get the right things, sometimes you get nothing, and sometimes you get a little shock.

 

[Selfloathing]

Why can't my Wizard take the Use Magic Device skill?

Because your wizard sucks. My wizard has four levels of loremaster. Look into it.

 

[Crothian]

Why can't my Wizard take the Use Magic Device skill?

Because your wizard sucks. My wizard has four levels of loremaster. Look into it.

LOL, that was pretty funny.

 

[drnuncheon]

I find it very weird that a wizard with knowledge of magic cannot take the Use Magic Device skill, to use magical items he or she couldn't use before.

Because a wizard can already use all arcane magic items - and why would wizardly training give them any advantage when trying to use divine magic items?

J

 

[Don21584]

Why can't my Wizard take the Use Magic Device skill?


Same reason why all classes don't have Listen and Spot as class skills, even though they spend their whole lives using their eyes and ears. It's to balance the classes and the skills; although I think Monks got jipped on Knowledge (religion)...

 

[maddman75]

Legacy.

In 2e, theives had a chance to use a magical scroll, with a % for failure based on level. In 3e, this translated as the Use Magic Device skill, which allowed the attempted use of any item.

 

[Zhure]

Why can't my Wizard take the Use Magic Device skill?

Because your wizard sucks. My wizard has four levels of loremaster. Look into it.

::golf clap::

Perfect acerbic tone. I give it a solid '4.0'

 

[Zhure]

Why can't my Wizard take the Use Magic Device skill?


Same reason why all classes don't have Listen and Spot as class skills, even though they spend their whole lives using their eyes and ears. It's to balance the classes and the skills; although I think Monks got jipped on Knowledge (religion)...

In Oriental Adventures, they gain it as a class skill.
Greg

 

[Cedric]

Magic is supposed to be able to do anything, and there's a lot of anything D&D wizards can't do.

I'm not trying to be argumentative...but the idea that Magic is supposed to be able to do anything is more your perception of Magic...then how the game presents it (imo).

Almost all of the healing arts and quite a few other spells and groups of spells are available only through Divine grace. Abilities provided by a God or Deity.

In my opinion, D&D makes it very clear that both Divine and Arcane magics have their own limitations. Neither of which are presented as being, Capable of Anything.

Cedric