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View Full Version : Immediate Action Wands [3.5]



Zaq
2009-09-22, 09:47 PM
Long story short, if you have a wand of a spell with an immediate (not swift, immediate) action casting time, can you cast it as an immediate action? That seems like there are many bad things we can do with that, but still, I'd like to make sure it's possible in the first place before I ask my GM to ban it... or, failing that, exploit it. Y'know, whatever he's in the mood for.

Here's the relevant text from the Rules Compendium:


...Activating a spell trigger item takes the same amount of time as the casting time of the spell that the item stores, but activating the item doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity.

Myrmex
2009-09-22, 09:51 PM
Ehh, it's only overpowered in that those spells exist in the first place and most characters (ie, non-casters), don't have access to them.

Letting the rogue or bard (or anyone else with UMD) use their immediate actions isn't so awful.

Stegyre
2009-09-22, 09:52 PM
Yes, that is correct. Remember, however, that a character only gets a single immediate or swift action in a turn. If you take an immediate action during someone else's turn, you cannot take a swift action on your next turn, nor may you take another immediate action until your next turn.

9mm
2009-09-22, 09:53 PM
yes... i think spell compendium updates the rules to Casting time = activation time.

PinkysBrain
2009-09-22, 09:53 PM
AFAICS it's DM prerogative ... I think most people would agree that the time it takes determines the action for all other actions, but immediate actions are a bit special. It would have been nice if it said that it took the same action instead of the same amount of time, but alas.

Keld Denar
2009-09-22, 10:23 PM
Maybe for a rogue. I know my bard NEVER has enough swift actions, between starting his song with Insp Boost + Badge of Valor (first 2 rounds woth of swift actions), and then either casting another swift spell or using his Sudden Stunning weapon. If I end up with a Circlet of Rapid Casting, I'll NEVER have a swift action go unused, and would miss out if I tried to use an Immediate Action wand...nothing I can think of on a wand would would be worth more than my swift action in the following round unless it was like, the uber expensive Greater Mirror Image or Celerity combined with some method of daze protection.

PinkysBrain
2009-09-22, 10:27 PM
This is mostly about celerity, sometimes being able to interrupt the flow of events when things start going really wrong is a nice ability.

Akal Saris
2009-09-22, 10:48 PM
I'd say yes, though you have to be careful about what's in your hands, since a lot of immediate/swift action spells are weapon buffs or reactions to events.

For example, to use Nerveskitter in a wand as an immediate action I'd rule that your character would have to be holding the wand at the time.

Thurbane
2009-09-22, 10:50 PM
Here we go:

Activating a spell trigger item takes the same amount of time as the casting time of the spell that the item stores, but activating the item doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. You can’t activate a spell trigger item in the area of a silence spell or if unable to speak.

tyckspoon
2009-09-22, 10:53 PM
For example, to use Nerveskitter in a wand as an immediate action I'd rule that your character would have to be holding the wand at the time.

This. You still have to follow the rules and have your wand readied to use it. Typically, you'll have one wand available in a Wand Chamber modification on your primary weapon. Maybe two, if you're a dual wielder. Nerveskitter is probably the most generally-applicable choice for that wand, if you're not going with a Swift buff spell instead.

Person_Man
2009-09-23, 09:50 AM
Yes, it's legal.

But abusing action advantage is one of he easiest ways to prompt the DM to throw Batman Sorcerer Dragons at your party. Anything you can do, he can do better. So I suggest keeping Immediate Action wands in a Wand Chambers and Wand Bracers, but only using them sparingly.