Wizards and Scrolls

[JohnDaBarr]

People I need some to cast some light on this subject

for some reason people I play DnD with are convinced that a wizard if he is to cast an arcane spell from a scroll and that spell is a higher lvl spell from the ones he can cast (lets say lvl 5 Wiz is casting lvl 4 spell, arcane ocf) he, the wizard, needs to use Use Magic Device?!?

so I am confused because Wizards don't have use magic device as a skill and I do a little checking and I then direct them to the DMG page 238, yet they are unconvinced.

right now i don't know how to think because their logic is for some reason to me illogically

[Pigkappa]

He doesn't have to use Use Magic Device. He just needs to pass an easy caster level check.

It's even trickier with wands: they always work, even if you are a level 1 wizard and that's a wand of Dimension Door.

[Aharon]

Well, you showed them the relevant rule, if that won't convince them, nothing will. It's clearly spelled out, if they don't believe it anyway, that's either
a) a house rule they made up before you joined
b) a lack of caring for the actual rules
c) a lack of reading comprehension.

[WildPyre]

I was going to say a spellcraft check, but a caster level check sounds righter... more correct... umm... the answer with a distinctly higher probability of being acurate.

It's most certainly not a UMD check.

[NNescio]

People I need some to cast some light on this subject

for some reason people I play DnD with are convinced that a wizard if he is to cast an arcane spell from a scroll and that spell is a higher lvl spell from the ones he can cast (lets say lvl 5 Wiz is casting lvl 4 spell, arcane ocf) he, the wizard, needs to use Use Magic Device?!?

so I am confused because Wizards don't have use magic device as a skill and I do a little checking and I then direct them to the DMG page 238, yet they are unconvinced.

right now i don't know how to think because their logic is for some reason to me illogically

It's explicitly spelled out here.


Activate the Spell

Activating a scroll requires reading the spell from the scroll. The character must be able to see and read the writing on the scroll. Activating a scroll spell requires no material components or focus. (The creator of the scroll provided these when scribing the scroll.) Note that some spells are effective only when cast on an item or items. In such a case, the scroll user must provide the item when activating the spell. Activating a scroll spell is subject to disruption just as casting a normally prepared spell would be. Using a scroll is like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure chance.

To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.

* The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, and bards) can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his or her class.)
* The user must have the spell on his or her class list.
* The user must have the requisite ability score.

If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell’s caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell’s caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll’s caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap (see Scroll Mishaps, below). A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers.

That said, have you met the three requirements noted above? If not, you'll have to use UMD.

Edit:

I was going to say a spellcraft check, but a caster level check sounds righter... more correct... umm... the answer with a distinctly higher probability of being acurate.

It's most certainly not a UMD check.
Spellcraft (or Read Magic) is required to decipher the scroll before reading it.

[Strife Warzeal]

On the subject of UMD, am I the only that thinks it's rather peculiar that the wizard, the guy who spends his whole life dedicated to learning magic and why it works and all that, does not have the skill to use magic devices on his list.

[Reficule]

On the subject of UMD, am I the only that thinks it's rather peculiar that the wizard, the guy who spends his whole life dedicated to learning magic and why it works and all that, does not have the skill to use magic devices on his list.

UMD runs off Charisma for a reason, it is essentially brute-forcing the item with pure willpower. Wizards dont have it as a class skill because they know how to actually cast those spells, hence a MUCH easier caster level check as opposed to UMD.

[JohnDaBarr]

thx ppl

and no i don't belive that is a house rule, anyway they didn't say that!

[WildPyre]

Spellcraft (or Read Magic) is required to decipher the scroll before reading it.

Heh knew spellcraft had something to do with scrolls... damn I'm out of practice.

[NNescio]

On the subject of UMD, am I the only that thinks it's rather peculiar that the wizard, the guy who spends his whole life dedicated to learning magic and why it works and all that, does not have the skill to use magic devices on his list.

UMD is basically using a Magic Item in a way that it's not meant to be used, especially without the requisite training. A wizard does not need UMD to use magic items that are intended for the use of wizards.

[Dreadn4ught]

On the subject of UMD, am I the only that thinks it's rather peculiar that the wizard, the guy who spends his whole life dedicated to learning magic and why it works and all that, does not have the skill to use magic devices on his list.

The point is he is so skilled in the use of magic items that he does not need to master a special skill for it, it is part of his class training (hence the caster level check).