Wand of Wand Modulation

[Laniius]

For a character with UMD, would it be worthwhile to have a wand of wand modulation? Wand modulation is a 3rd level spell with a duration of 1 minute per level. Cast on a wand, it allows that wand to (For the duration of the spell) cast a spell of a level lower than what the wand originally cast, but it takes up 2 charges. So essentially if you don't care about burning through charges you can have a Wand of Wand Modulation, and therefore have the capability of casting any 2nd level or lower spell you choose. Am I correct? Would it be worth the price? The spell Wand Modulation is in Complete Scoundrel.

[Thurbane]

If you make it an Eternal Wand of Wand Modulation you can use it 2/day and never run out of charges. Also, you don't need to UMD it, you just need to be able to cast any arcane spell...

[Gadora]

There's a key part of the spell that you left out. After casting wand modulation, you need to cast the desired spell in the wand. If you only have UMD, and no casting, the wand of wand modulation is going to be useless to you*.

*Unless I've missed something, which is, as always, quite possible.

[Thurbane]

There's a key part of the spell that you left out. After casting wand modulation, you need to cast the desired spell in the wand. If you only have UMD, and no casting, the wand of wand modulation is going to be useless to you*.

*Unless I've missed something, which is, as always, quite possible.
Damn, just checked, and you're 100% correct...so if you're relying on UMD, you'd need to carry a swag of scrolls around, too.

[Laniius]

Hm, ok, how about if I were a factotum, and cast my 1 use per day spell on that wand after wand modulation had been cast.

[Thurbane]

I think technically a Factotum's Arcane Dilettante ability is an SLA, so it might not qualify for "casting" on the wand.

The SRD does say this, however:

Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells (though they are not spells and so have no verbal, somatic, material, focus, or XP components).

[Jack_Simth]

For a character with UMD, would it be worthwhile to have a wand of wand modulation? Wand modulation is a 3rd level spell with a duration of 1 minute per level. Cast on a wand, it allows that wand to (For the duration of the spell) cast a spell of a level lower than what the wand originally cast, but it takes up 2 charges. So essentially if you don't care about burning through charges you can have a Wand of Wand Modulation, and therefore have the capability of casting any 2nd level or lower spell you choose. Am I correct? Would it be worth the price? The spell Wand Modulation is in Complete Scoundrel.

Ah... useful in that it gives you access to any spell on - what, 1 round's advance notice? I haven't looked up the casting time on Wand Modulation - but...

Two charges of a 3rd level wand works out to (2/50)*750*3*5=450 gp. A scroll of a 2nd level spell is just 25*2*3=150 gp.

And that doesn't include the cost of the charge of Wand Modulation itself (another 225 gp). So for the cost of the setup, you could just get four scrolls of spells for every one casting you're faking. For the most part, you'll be better off simply getting a Handy Haversack and a large number of scrolls.

Where it is a useful trick is where you can only smuggle in two wands. In that case, being able to cast any 2nd level spell 25 times might be worth the extra expense.

Edit:
Oh, you also have to have the spell that you'll be burning the wand for? That... kinda makes it useless, then.

[Laniius]

I think technically a Factotum's Arcane Dilettante ability is an SLA, so it might not qualify for "casting" on the wand.

The SRD does say this, however:

Anyone have any ideas on that front?

[Laniius]

Ah... useful in that it gives you access to any spell on - what, 1 round's advance notice? I haven't looked up the casting time on Wand Modulation - but...

Two charges of a 3rd level wand works out to (2/50)*750*3*5=450 gp. A scroll of a 2nd level spell is just 25*2*3=150 gp.

And that doesn't include the cost of the charge of Wand Modulation itself (another 225 gp). So for the cost of the setup, you could just get four scrolls of spells for every one casting you're faking. For the most part, you'll be better off simply getting a Handy Haversack and a large number of scrolls.

Where it is a useful trick is where you can only smuggle in two wands. In that case, being able to cast any 2nd level spell 25 times might be worth the extra expense.

Edit:
Oh, you also have to have the spell that you'll be burning the wand for? That... kinda makes it useless, then.
I guess a wand of that would be useless. Still useful to cast on an existing wand though, i you have a casting ability, netting you potentially more uses of a spell than you otherwise would have per day.

[Gadora]

I'd like to point out that, if you have some sort of casting, you can get by with just a wand of wand modulation and use it on itself.

[Jack_Simth]

I guess a wand of that would be useless. Still useful to cast on an existing wand though, i you have a casting ability, netting you potentially more uses of a spell than you otherwise would have per day.
Yes, if you find a wand of Gentle Repose in the middle of a dungeon, it might be worthwhile to modulate it to Invisibility, Spider Climb, or some such, if you have immediate need of several copies of one of those spells.

However, it's a short-term strategy. That wand of a 3rd level spell is worth five times the half-charges equivalent 2nd level spell. Which means if you sell that wand of Gentle Repose for half-value, you can purchase two wands of 2nd level spells, and still have some cash left over.