[3.5] Detect Magic on a muggle

[Zaq]

I'm thinking about making a Scout, and although a Scout's Trapfinding ability allows them to disarm magic traps, I find that having Detect Magic helps a lot in knowing to look for magic traps in the first place. Of course, Scouts are nonmagical, and they don't even get UMD. I'd rather not burn a feat or a level on getting Detect Magic, so that pretty much leaves items.

TL;DR: Is there an item (ideally noncustom) that lets a character with no caster level and no UMD use Detect Magic? Potions exist, sure, but they have their own special problems.

[Human Paragon 3]

Nothing springs to mind, but an "always on" item of detect magic shouldn't be too expensive. I would allow it as a DM following the book guidelines for ad-hoc items.

Maybe flavor it like a "Compass" that spins when magical fields are nearby, and spins faster the closer it gets to the source, and the stronger the source is. A spellcraft check could judge the school by the wobble of the needle.

[OracleofWuffing]

Just going through MIC for now...

Dagger of Denial has at-will detect magic if you're willing to spend a feat, be evil, and have 11 HD.

Ring of Spell-battle will let you know about spells getting cast in combat, but that's probably not what you want.

...Hm, and that's it, outside of wands. I'll keep looking out for one, though.

Edit: Arms and Equipment Guide (Old material, check with DM first) has Thurible of Divining 3/Day and Mark of the Favored at-will. Both quite pricey.

Edit2: Not an item, but Complete Arcane's Insightful will get you Detect Magic 1/day as a feat. Still a first-level caster, though, so not a good thing for long-range planning.

Edit3: Magic of Eberron, Dragonmark Rod of Detection. I have no idea how playing with dragonmarks work, though, so read up on that.

Edit4: Player's Guide to Faerun has Shazzellim, an intelligent longsword that can detect magic at will. I think that's all I can dig up... Really looks like custom magic items are the way to go for this.

[maysarahs]

I think you can get detect magic permanencied if you can find a caster of high enough level

[ericgrau]

Permanency detect magic only works on the caster.

I'd advise against allowing an unlimited detect magic item as it's one of the things that could be abused, if every so little, by spamming it 24/7. It's still a huge boost in usefulness if player figure it out. How about a 3/day item for 1800*1*1/2*3/5 = 540 gp. Or 10/day for 1800 gp if you want to semi-spam it; virtually unlimited, but not abusable. Duration is 1 minute or concentration (standard action everyone round), whichever is shorter. Command word activated. Those prices are for an amulet or ring or etc. Double those prices for a slotless item.

[Draz74]

I disagree that it's broken when spammed. (More powerful effects can be made permanent, after all.)

An item is probably the best way (and this is fair ground for using the custom item guidelines, IMO), though I seem to remember a feat in Complete Arcane that lets you cast a few cantrips ...

[HunterOfJello]

The cheapest way I know of is to take the feat Shape Soulmeld (Disenchanter's Mask) so that you can Detect Magic at-will for 10ft as a standard action.

[ericgrau]

Permanent could be fair at a higher price, but not the standard 2,000 gp. If you're not going to abuse it then 3-10/day is virtually unlimited. If you are then 2,000 gp is too cheap. I mean at most levels all day detect magic means you'd notice everything with treasure (most things) from 60' feet away, even in the bushes and through doors. Who needs spot checks or dungeon scouts?

Permanency gives a personal only dispellable version for 500 xp, arguably the equivalent of 2500 gp.

[ffone]

My policy as DM - and recommendation - is to virtually never allow at-will / continuous items for 2000 gp or 1800 gp x SL x CL, even with the 'duration multipliers', but allow most uses/day items at the standard price (360 gp * SL * CL per charge per day; 360 comes from 1800/5). At high levels, 1st level spells are really really cheap (what rogue won't want an item to cast Sniper's Shot and-or Grave/Vine/Golem Strike a bunch of times a day?) at 360 gp per use per day.

CL 1 detect magic is only 1 round, so you may still need a bunch of uses per day if you plan to do the Paranoid Trap Searching thing and try to tread no square of a dungeon you've not Detect Magick'ed. You may just want to convince a party spellcaster to shadow you. A benefit of that is, if the buddy has Spellcraft, he'll learn more from the auras than you would.

If you do have UMD, I believe scrolls/wands/staves can be used to self-permanency (from the RAW of the language, and circumstantially b/c the Scrolls SRD has Permanency.) If your DM is nice s/he may allow you buying really high caster levels (cost is only linear in CL) to protect vs dispelling, and may allow you to 'buy' individual staff/wand charges from Magic Mart (cheaper than scrolls and with lower UMD DCs.) If your DM is *really* nice, you could take 1 cross class rank of UMD, and the wand/staff DC is only 20, so if you have months or downtime or start the campaign this way, you could have a UMD mod of +0 and still be able to perm anything from wands and staves.

[ericgrau]

CL 1 detect magic is 1 minute, so it's not so bad per use. CL 2-3 might be nice so you don't have to say the loud command word as often though.

[Draz74]

I mean at most levels all day detect magic means you'd notice everything with treasure (most things) from 60' feet away, even in the bushes and through doors. Who needs spot checks or dungeon scouts?

That's a good point. OK, having the spell at-will wouldn't be broken if it didn't have that stupid works-through-solid-objects clause (the same one that means no skillmonkey can actually sneak up on a spellcaster :smallyuk:).

[Asheram]

Feat: Insightful.
Complete argane p80.

1/day - Detect magic, detect secret doors, read magic

If you can manage with it just being once a day.

[Khatoblepas]

Permanent could be fair at a higher price, but not the standard 2,000 gp. If you're not going to abuse it then 3-10/day is virtually unlimited. If you are then 2,000 gp is too cheap. I mean at most levels all day detect magic means you'd notice everything with treasure (most things) from 60' feet away, even in the bushes and through doors. Who needs spot checks or dungeon scouts?

You realise:


The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.

Any treasure hoard is going to be kept behind more than this, because the spell exists - otherwise the dungeon designers were being ignorant of a cantrip's ability to detect magic. It's also a cantrip that requires 3 rounds of concentration to be of any use other than "There is magic here." Everburning torches give off magical radiation. Lead is cheap, and if you really want a thin wall protecting your items, just line the walls. Heck, even lead glass can be made. It's ludicrously easy to protect your items from the prying eyes of Detect Magic.

Anything with magical items is likely either an adventurer, or something that can afford to protect their hoard with 3 feet of dirt. If they don't, they're likely not rich enough, or not clever enough to hide it that well.

Warlocks get it at will at level 2. I'd say 1000gp for Goggles of Detect Magic is more than fair.

[herrhauptmann]

Permanency detect magic only works on the caster.

I'd advise against allowing an unlimited detect magic item as it's one of the things that could be abused, if every so little, by spamming it 24/7. It's still a huge boost in usefulness if player figure it out. How about a 3/day item for 1800*1*1/2*3/5 = 540 gp. Or 10/day for 1800 gp if you want to semi-spam it; virtually unlimited, but not abusable. Duration is 1 minute or concentration (standard action everyone round), whichever is shorter. Command word activated. Those prices are for an amulet or ring or etc. Double those prices for a slotless item.

Above 5/day, cost doesn't change at all.

[arguskos]

If you had a level to spare, you can do it with Paladin 1, via the Golden Lion sub level from Champions of Valor, but I somehow doubt you have a level to burn. It's not a half-bad level though.