Oh UMD, what is your use?

[VestigeArcanist]

Alright, other then using wands, what do you use UMD for? I am also wondering what would be a prudent amount to invest in this skill with my llevel 11 Wizard/Loremaster.

[olentu]

Alright, other then using wands, what do you use UMD for? I am also wondering what would be a prudent amount to invest in this skill with my llevel 11 Wizard/Loremaster.

Enough to hit 21 for a bead of karma perhaps.

[PId6]

Beads of Karma.

So short answer: Yes. Long answer: YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

Edit: Wow, twice in one hour. Ninja infestation lately...

[Fax Celestis]

UMD is THE STRONGEST skill in the game. You can use it to fake being of a race! Of a class! Fake having spellcasting! You can use it to activate items! You can have magic even when you don't normally! Activate artifacts! Comes in red, green, and psionic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/skills/usePsionicDevice.htm)! Also makes Julian fries!

[Coidzor]

You can use it to emulate an alignment to avoid getting zapped by evil-only or good-only items as well.

[AmberVael]

UMD is THE STRONGEST skill in the game. You can use it to fake being of a race! Of a class! Fake having spellcasting! You can use it to activate items! You can have magic even when you don't normally! Activate artifacts! Comes in red, green, and psionic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/skills/usePsionicDevice.htm)! Also makes Julian fries!

*Not available in all locations. Additional details may apply. Side effects may include cash deprivation, power madness, excessive item binging, sleeplessness, dragon syndrome, heart disease, and eternal damnation. Ask your local DM for details.

[T.G. Oskar]

Alright, other then using wands, what do you use UMD for?

Activating scrolls from other spell lists, activating staffs with spells of other lists, faking an alignment for purposes of using an item (such as having an Evil character use a Holy weapon), faking a class for purposes of using an item (so that you can use a Holy Avenger as a rod of infinite Greater Dispel Magic, for example, plus immunity to mind-affecting effects), deciphering a spell from a scroll without having Spellcraft, fake an ability score (so you can use a 9th level spell from a Cleric scroll with 8 Wis), fake a race (um...no comments?)...

Use Magic Device is a pretty versatile skill, as shown here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/useMagicDevice.htm).


I am also wondering what would be a prudent amount to invest in this skill with my llevel 11 Wizard/Loremaster.

AHAP. As high as possible. You won't need it for many things (you can activate scrolls, wands and staffs with Sorcerer/Wizard spells), but the DC of the abilities is pretty high, and you'll probably won't have the amount of Charisma necessary to grant a high positive modifier to the skill. Then again, it's not a class skill for you so you'll need to devote a large amount of points just to make it worthwhile.

[PId6]

AHAP. As high as possible. You won't need it for many things (you can activate scrolls, wands and staffs with Sorcerer/Wizard spells), but the DC of the abilities is pretty high, and you'll probably won't have the amount of Charisma necessary to grant a high positive modifier to the skill. Then again, it's not a class skill for you so you'll need to devote a large amount of points just to make it worthwhile.
Loremaster gets UMD as a class skill. That's one of the main reasons people take that class.

[T.G. Oskar]

Loremaster gets UMD as a class skill. That's one of the main reasons people take that class.

It's not a class skill for Wizard. So you start at a disadvantage, remember.

Loremaster gives UMD only later, and by that moment, you'd be well pressed to combine that with Concentration and Spellcraft, as well as the odd skill you might be pressed to have. You don't need most of the skills, but Concentration works to cast defensively (and if you don't have a good Concentration skill, a tanglefoot bag well placed suddenly gets on your way to dominion), and you need Spellcraft, as high as possible (because otherwise you wouldn't be capable of writing spells, or getting Epic Spellcasting). If you make stuff, you'd need the Craft skill (albeit that's depending on the flavor), and Wizards are one of the few classes with Decipher Script as a class skill, so it makes little sense to not have it and having to spend precious spell slots in Comprehend Languages and Read Magic to replace a single skill. So Wizards have several useful spells, without mentioning all Knowledge spells (for when you can't scry on the enemy). You'd need a very high Int modifier to work all those skills, which are only high because of the Wizard's high Intelligence, not because the Wizard has enough skill points.

I'm mentioning this because the amount of UMD you'll need to learn is quite high, on the upwards of using two or even three points once you get to Loremaster in order to have a high enough UMD, while keeping enough for Concentration and Spellcraft. Depending on when you enter, it may not be until much later when you'll be capable of adding lots of points to UMD, which makes the Wizard's lack of UMD as a class skill a bit hurtful (even more when you realize that the best method of using skill points is to keep UMD learning until you reach Loremaster)

[PId6]

As a wizard, you should have at least 20 Int by that level. That's at least 9 skill points per level, 10 if you are human or a +Int race.

Spellcraft and Concentration are maxed, but you still have 7 left. Decipher Script is completely useless except for synergy. Craft is not needed for crafting. UMD is The best skill in the game, and you have so many skill points that you have plenty of room to spend them, especially since wizard/loremaster's skill lists are so small.

[peacenlove]

As a wizard, you should have at least 20 Int by that level. That's at least 9 skill points per level, 10 if you are human or a +Int race.

Spellcraft and Concentration are maxed, but you still have 7 left. Decipher Script is completely useless except for synergy. Craft is not needed for crafting. UMD is The best skill in the game, and you have so many skill points that you have plenty of room to spend them, especially since wizard/loremaster's skill lists are so small.

Also loremaster gets 4+ skillpoints rather than 2+ per level leaving you more than enough to max UMD at the end of the class progression.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Wizard skills(2+Int[so 6-7 at levels 1-7]):Concentration, Spellcraft, Tumble, a bunch of Knowledges.
Loremaster skills(4+Int[9-10, since you're at least 8th]):Concentration, Spellcraft, UMD, Balance, a bunch of Knowledges. The extra 2 skill ponts per level shoulc catch you up fairly quickly, especially given your lack of skill need.

[Zincorium]

It's so monks can use partially charged wands to make them perfectly playable characters.

Giacomo wouldn't lie to me like that, would he :smalleek:?

[Bayar]

Alright, other then using wands, what do you use UMD for? I am also wondering what would be a prudent amount to invest in this skill with my llevel 11 Wizard/Loremaster.

Artificier. To make items, use items, melt faces with multi-metamagic wands of burnination.

[Tyrmatt]

*Not available in all locations. Additional details may apply. Side effects may include cash deprivation, power madness, excessive item binging, sleeplessness, dragon syndrome, heart disease, and eternal damnation. Ask your local DM for details.

Can we get a True Resurrection on Billy Mays?

[Yuki Akuma]

Wizard skills(2+Int[so 6-7 at levels 1-7]):Concentration, Spellcraft, Tumble, a bunch of Knowledges.
Loremaster skills(4+Int[9-10, since you're at least 8th]):Concentration, Spellcraft, UMD, Balance, a bunch of Knowledges. The extra 2 skill ponts per level shoulc catch you up fairly quickly, especially given your lack of skill need.



Tumble? What sort of wizard ever needs tumble? Why would he be in any position to provoke an AoO by moving?

[Fitz10019]

Need is not important. The emphasis should be that Tumble is not a Wizard class skill.

[Project_Mayhem]

It's so monks can use partially charged wands to make them perfectly playable characters.

Giacomo wouldn't lie to me like that, would he :smalleek:?

aww, you beat me to it

[Sir Giacomo]

{Scrubbed}

[NorseItalian]

Also makes Julian fries!
It will not break! It will not- it broke.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Tumble? What sort of wizard ever needs tumble? Why would he be in any position to provoke an AoO by moving?Mage Slayer+Pierce Magical Concealment+Spiked Chain.

And yeah, it's cross class. You can afford it, though, and are doing it decently well by level 9(DC 15 to avoid AoOs, you have 6 ranks, +3 Dex, make it 75% of the time).

[ericgrau]

99% of its use is for wands and scrolls, which is enough. You don't want to shell out gold for high level items anyway. Get cheap low level utility wands and scrolls from every spell list in the game, be ready for anything.

Also, I'd be quite surprised if a non-caster, non-rogue wouldn't be satisfied spending the extra gold to get low level potions, wondrous items, etc. to get their magic fix. Regardless of whether or not, um, other methods are allowable.

[Yuki Akuma]

{Scrubbed}

[ericgrau]

Yeah, we can look to the left for a user's screen name, but many people sign anyway. Don't be rude about it. Also, the forum has a 10 character minimum on posts, which there are a multitude of valid ways to overcome.

[Yuki Akuma]

That doesn't mean he needs to sign his post. He could, for example, actually type out a question rather than just posting a question mark...

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham:We've been through this issue before. Signing one's posts does not violate any forum rules. Telling others what to do, however, does. Please report violations of the Forum Rules, and let the moderators decide what to do about it. And if their conduct doesn't violate the forum rules, let them do as they please (and don't tell others what to do (or not do) here).

[Indon]

Use it to cast low level spells with wands from other classes, like Vigor.

[Curmudgeon]

You can emulate a specific individual with a DC 40 UMD check. Got a magic vault keyed to the owner? Use Magic Device will let you open it.

[herrhauptmann]

You can emulate a specific individual with a DC 40 UMD check. Got a magic vault keyed to the owner? Use Magic Device will let you open it.

Awesome use of the skill. One which may make the party rogue both love and hate you.

I recommend keeping UMD as high as possible, along with the wizard necessities. After that, I would recommend looking at the skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel. The one which gives lets you attempt to cast an identify by using a skill check, WITHOUT using up a 100gp pearl, is outstanding, especially when you're workinig a long way from town for a long period of time. It's even more useful if you don't plan to stay in loremaster long enough to get Identify and Legend Lore as class abilities.

[Ianuagonde]

You can emulate a specific individual with a DC 40 UMD check. Got a magic vault keyed to the owner? Use Magic Device will let you open it.

Now I have this urge to play an alternative Lord of the Rings campaign, where Frodo uses UMD to convince the One Ring he really is Sauron...

UMD also lets you use scrolls from other classes, like cleric or wu jen. Giantsize is very funny.

[deuxhero]

Wand of Cure Light Wounds/Lesser vigor for good healing/gold.

[Yuki Akuma]

..Gold? From a wand?

What, you mean, charging NPCs for healing? You won't get back the cost of the wand that way. The cost to have a first-level Cleric cast Cure Light Wounds on you is, what, 10gp? The cost for 50 charges of CL 1 Cure Light Wounds is 750gp - you'd have to charge one and a half times the standard price to break even!

[kamikasei]

..Gold? From a wand?

No, "healing/gold". As in, a good ratio of hit points healed per gp spent.

[Yuki Akuma]

Oh.

It'd be cheaper to hire a cleric to do it. :smallwink:

I mean it. NPC cleric hireling. They're great. He might even have the Healing domain to boot, making him strictly better than a wand of his caster level.

[Bayar]

Oh.

It'd be cheaper to hire a cleric to do it. :smallwink:

I mean it. NPC cleric hireling. They're great. He might even have the Healing domain to boot, making him strictly better than a wand of his caster level.

Most players hate DMPC's.

[Yuki Akuma]

A hireling is not a DMPC. A hireling is an NPC the players consciously go out and hire. They are his boss. He does what they say. He does not impact the story any more than an intelligent magic item does.

A DMPC is the DM's PC, not an NPC. He's an equal member of the party, not an employee.

[Bayar]

Sweet ! Next time when my party is in a tavern, they will recruit adventurers to do their adventure for them !

Nah, just kidding, I see your point.

[PinkysBrain]

No rules for getting cleric/adepts except through Leadership ... the hireling table doesn't have any casters. Which is not to say you can't get them, but the cost is entirely up to DM fiat.

[Yuki Akuma]

Pay him for each spell slot he owns per day? I'm sure a DM could work something out.

The point is, going by the prices in the PHB for spellcasting services, a cleric/adept hireling should be cheaper than a wand of Cure Light Wounds, if all he does is heal.

[PinkysBrain]

True, but there is the nodwick factor for which he has to be compensated too ... in the case of a TPK he is part of the P and adventurers do tend to die a lot.

[Cieyrin]

True, but there is the nodwick factor for which he has to be compensated too ... in the case of a TPK he is part of the P and adventurers do tend to die a lot.

Yeah but Nodwick is part of the Henchmen Union, whose by-laws are controlled by the Adventurer's Guild, which makes Henchmen not that much better than slaves. As a Henchmen, he's expected to die, so it eventually doesn't cost anything except the spell slot (no diamonds or negative levels for him :smallbiggrin:) to bring him back, as he's just that inundated with positive energy. I don't think his pay is really all that great, either.

Them's my 2 coppers. Take as you will.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Oh.

It'd be cheaper to hire a cleric to do it. :smallwink:

I mean it. NPC cleric hireling. They're great. He might even have the Healing domain to boot, making him strictly better than a wand of his caster level.

You can't hide an NPC in your codpiece.

[Lamech]

Also note: Your familiar has all your skills! So he can assist you when you use your skills. And use wands with UMD.

[Bayar]

Also note: Your familiar has all your skills! So he can assist you when you use your skills. And use wands with UMD.

Unless he can speak the command word...

That is why the Familiar Handbook reccomends using Ravens and Imps for such things.


Although the artificier's homonculi do that better. Like mobile sentry drones equiped with LAZORZ !!!

[Yuki Akuma]

You can't hide an NPC in your codpiece.

Depends what race the NPC is.

[Bayar]

Depends what race the NPC is.

A Halfling Spelunker might do it.

[Mushroom Ninja]

You can't hide an NPC in your codpiece.

But if they can make a DC 80 Escape Artist check you can...