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LordZarth
2008-12-25, 12:27 AM
The Melodic Casting feat, in CM, says:


In addition, you can cast spells and activate magic items by command word or spell completion while using a bardic music ability.

Does this apply to making a UMD check to activate a wand?

In addition: How does that even work? I'm quite inexperienced, and don't understand how wands work or how UMD checks to use them work. Anyone can explain...?

Thanks!

BardicDuelist
2008-12-25, 12:34 AM
As far as I remember, there is nothing preventing you from making a skill check while performing, and thus the answer is yes.

JaxGaret
2008-12-25, 12:34 AM
Does this apply to making a UMD check to activate a wand?

Yes, you can use UMD to activate a wand pretty much any time you can normally activate a wand, unless there's something that explicitly states that you cannot use UMD at that time.


In addition: How does that even work? I'm quite inexperienced, and don't understand how wands work or how UMD checks to use them work. Anyone can explain...?

Activating a spell trigger item (such as a wand) normally requires no check. If you cannot activate a wand normally, it requires a UMD check. The DC to activate a wand is 20.

Here's a good place for more information on UMD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/useMagicDevice.htm).

Here's the section on using magic items, such as wands (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#usingItems).

d20srd.org is a great general reference for questions such as these, by the way.


Thanks!

Good gaming!

LordZarth
2008-12-25, 02:06 PM
I can't figure out if I make a UMD check the first time I use the wand, or every time.

Tengu_temp
2008-12-25, 02:12 PM
Every time. Of course, you need to roll for UMD only if you use a wand of a spell that's not on the list of spells of your class.

Here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/useMagicDevice.htm) are the rules on UMD.

LordZarth
2008-12-25, 02:38 PM
Thanks! Does 'on my spell list' mean on the class's spell list (bard) or on my list of spells known.

Tengu_temp
2008-12-25, 02:40 PM
Class spell list.

Flickerdart
2008-12-25, 02:57 PM
Thanks! Does 'on my spell list' mean on the class's spell list (bard) or on my list of spells known.
As Tengu said, you don't have to know the spell to use it from a scroll or wand, which is what makes Wands of Lesser Vigor or Cure Light Wounds so valuable. Alternately, instead of learning mostly useless spells that you'll never need except for a very specific situation, just buy a scroll of it and go to town when it comes up.