You ever have multiple wands you want to use in combat?

[kreynolds]

All right, I'll bite... why do you have spells and powers take up the same slot, but not SLAs?

Because I see more of a difference between a spell-like ability and a spell than I do between a spell and a power. "Power" is just a fancy, or refreshing if you will, way of referring to a spell. Fundamentally, ignoring all the fluff involving psionics (and it is indeed mostly just fluff, IMO), powers and spells have more in common than spells and spell-like abilities.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Because I see more of a difference between a spell-like ability and a spell than I do between a spell and a power. "Power" is just a fancy, or refreshing if you will, way of referring to a spell. Fundamentally, ignoring all the fluff involving psionics (and it is indeed mostly just fluff, IMO), powers and spells have more in common than spells and spell-like abilities.

So the description "Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells" doesn't come into it?

-Hyp.

 

[kreynolds]

So the description "Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells" doesn't come into it?

Sure, but the way I see it, it doesn't bring them as close to spells as powers and spells already are. I can understand your viewpoint perfectly though.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Interestingly, a wand of feather fall would require a standard action to activate.

-Hyp.

 

[Caliban]

Interestingly, a wand of feather fall would require a standard action to activate.

-Hyp.

For the third time:

DMG, page 175, Using Items, 2nd paragraph, "Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the items indicates otherwise. However, the casting time of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in an item, wether it's a scroll, a wand, or a pair of boots, unless the item descriptions specifically states otherwise."

So a wand of identify takes 8 hours to activate, and a wand of Quickened Ray of Frost is a free action to activate.

A wand of Feather Fall would also be a free action.

 

[Hypersmurf]

However, the casting time of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in an item, wether it's a scroll, a wand, or a pair of boots, unless the item descriptions specifically states otherwise."

The wand description does state otherwise. It says standard action, unless the casting time is longer.

Quicken Spell changes things, because metamagic feats applied to spells in items take effect normally.

But Quicken Spell isn't applied to Feather Fall. Feather Fall is a spell with a casting time shorter than a standard action. Since the casting time is not longer than a standard action, and a wand specifically says standard action or longer to activate, a wand of Feather Fall taking a standard action complies with your quoted paragraph.

-Hyp.

 

[kreynolds]

The wand description does state otherwise. It says standard action, unless the casting time is longer.

No. It says...

...casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action...

By stating usually, it is leaving it open to exceptions.

 

[Hypersmurf]

By stating usually, it is leaving it open to exceptions.

Yes. Exceptions that it identifies in the next sentence - if the casting time is longer.

-Hyp.

 

[kreynolds]

Yes. Exceptions that it identifies in the next sentence - if the casting time is longer.

The wording of the activation method in no way limits that to the only exception. Not by a long shot. If the wording had been...

"...casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn't provke an attack of opportunity, unless the spell being cast has a longer casting time than 1 action, in which case it takes that long to cast the spell from the wand."

...then I might agree with you. But it doesn't say that.

 

[Destil]

Yes. Exceptions that it identifies in the next sentence - if the casting time is longer.

-Hyp.

And other conditions, covered in two other places, brought up by both KR and Caliban.

But, like I said, I still see that sentance as an error now and think it should read: (If the spell being cast, however, has a casting time other than 1 action it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand/staff.)