Fun uses of 1 rank UMD?

[pariahpaladin]

In general what are good uses of UMD? I have a 5th level druid with 1 rank and was looking for interesting or practical ideas.

[Pilo]

You can destroy powerful evil scroll by trying to cast them.

[nedz]

You can take 20 to activate a wand. I just hope you are not in a hurry.

[Slipperychicken]

You can take 20 to activate a wand. I just hope you are not in a hurry.

The first roll will be treated as a Natural 1. When you Nat1 a UMD check, you can't UMD the item again for 24 hours.


You can run around failing hilariously with your Wands, because all the DCs are 20 or more. It could even become a running gag: "Hey guys this wand will totally solve our problems!.. [Failure]. No really it'll totally work this time...". If you fail enough times, it can be even funnier when it eventually succeeds.

[pariahpaladin]

So it sounds like just one rank is just enough to screw up everytime. Heh, fun.

[nedz]

Oops, missed that.

Actually activating an item blindly is funnier.
The DC is 25, so you can't succeed, however if you roll a 14 or less you will get a mishap.
So get yourself a Rod of some kind, and claim its a Rod of Wonder. :smallbiggrin:

[BowStreetRunner]

Oops, missed that.

Actually activating an item blindly is funnier.
The DC is 25, so you can't succeed, however if you roll a 14 or less you will get a mishap.
So get yourself a Rod of some kind, and claim its a Rod of Wonder. :smallbiggrin:

So THAT'S how Presto (http://www.dungeonsdragonscartoon.com/2009/08/presto-magician.html)'s hat worked!!!

[Snowbluff]

I don't know. You'd be able to reliably activate the Level -19 scrolls we're all so fond of.

[Cruiser1]

I have a 5th level druid with 1 rank
You don't even need 1 rank. :smallsmile: Just 1/2 a rank (1 skill point) will be enough to make the skill Trained for you, since UMD is cross-class for Druids and most other classes.

[Slipperychicken]

So get yourself a Rod of some kind, and claim its a Rod of Wonder. :smallbiggrin:

Max ranks in Bluff. Profit.

[ericgrau]

Get a caster level 10 wand of fireballs and give the entire party fire energy resistance. Activate it blindly ("Don't tell me how it works, I don't want to know!"). Target the person furthest from the center of the cluster of combat so that when it suffers a mishap and affects a different target you're more likely to hit the cluster. Sometimes it'll explode in your face for 2d6 instead, but that's a risk worth taking.

Later upgrade to a staff of twinned empowered fireballs and whole party energy immunity.

More seriously grab about 79 level 1 scrolls from various classes. There's a 50:50 chance that, with enough retries, you'll activate it successfully before you're unable to try again for 24 hours. Given the minimal drawback those odds are pretty good. If you carry extras you'll have even better odds or worst case you'll use the scroll another day. Oh well.

I wouldn't try a wand because wands require spamming to be worth it and it's hard to spam a wand that keeps jamming on you.

[Kurald Galain]

You can take 20 to activate a wand. I just hope you are not in a hurry.

Yes, but it needs to be a partially-charged wand.

[Slipperychicken]

Yes, but it needs to be a partially-charged wand.

Why's that?

[elonin]

I don't understand the reason why a partially charged wand would be better, unless that counts as an "unknown item". Also, you would need a full rank to be considered trained in a skill.

My vote is to get scrolls of exploding runes. In that case a success or failure has the same effect.

[TuggyNE]

Why's that?


I don't understand the reason why a partially charged wand would be better, unless that counts as an "unknown item".

It's a joke, I think, referring to the old suggestions of maximizing cross-class UMD and buying partially-charged wands in order to shore up T5 weaknesses.

[Slipperychicken]

My vote is to get scrolls of exploding runes. In that case a success or failure has the same effect.

He'd be better off using the Spellcasting and Services price (which is lower) to pay Wizards to put Explosive Runes on post-it notes, and instruct him how to read it without blowing himself up (as per the spell description). Then place the Explosive Post-Its as desired.

[nedz]

It's a joke, I think, referring to the old suggestions of maximizing cross-class UMD and buying partially-charged wands in order to shore up T5 weaknesses.

But he's not a Monk :smalltongue:

[Jack_Simth]

In general what are good uses of UMD? I have a 5th level druid with 1 rank and was looking for interesting or practical ideas.
If you were a Cleric, I'd suggest adding Divine Insight (Spell Compendium) to give it a useful chance of using things. Just one rank, though? You're not going to do much successfully without rather significant additional investment - the lowest DC is 20. It might be worthwhile for the humour value of things blowing up in your face, but otherwise, not so much.

[Techwarrior]

Get yourself a custom crafted + to skill item of UMD. You can now use your UMD skill.

[nedz]

Get yourself a custom crafted + to skill item of UMD. You can now use your UMD skill.

A masterworked tinfoil hat (tool) could give you +2 circumstance.

[TuggyNE]

A masterworked tinfoil hat (tool) could give you +2 circumstance.

I feel like I'm missing some joke. Why and how would a tinfoil hat give you a bonus on UMD? Surely it would only give you a bonus on Will saves against [mind-affecting] spells?

[Slipperychicken]

I feel like I'm missing some joke. Why and how would a tinfoil hat give you a bonus on UMD? Surely it would only give you a bonus on Will saves against [mind-affecting] spells?

Tinfoil Helm of Mental Protection.

This dented, fragile cone of tinfoil smells of old pasta and occupies the head slot. When worn, the wearer must make a Will save (DC 14) or believe this helm confers the benefit of a Mind Blank spell on the user. Each hour the helm is worn, the wearer must succeed on another Will save (DC 20) or be rendered insane, as the Insanity spell. When affected in this way, the wearer believes the helm is the only thing standing between himself and impending mental domination, keeps the helm on at all costs, shrieks and attempts to replace it if removed.

[nedz]

I feel like I'm missing some joke. Why and how would a tinfoil hat give you a bonus on UMD?

I was trying to imply the madness of trying to use UMD 1

Please feel free to suggest an alternative tool for UMD ?

[Slipperychicken]

Please feel free to suggest an alternative tool for UMD ?

The key here is to take a fashion accessory (or other mundane object) and handwave some magic techno-babble. I would suggest Artificer's Monocle, but that name is taken. I nominate Wizard Forks (set of tuning forks attuned to the primary magical frequencies. When struck, they organize local magic into a more coherent and usable form).

[Curmudgeon]

You don't even need 1 rank. :smallsmile: Just 1/2 a rank (1 skill point) will be enough to make the skill Trained for you, since UMD is cross-class for Druids and most other classes.
I think your memory is playing tricks on you. From SKILL DESCRIPTIONS on page 66 of Player;'s Handbook:
Trained Only: If this notation is included in the skill name line, you must have at least 1 rank in the skill to use it. If it is omitted, the skill can be used untrained (with a rank of 0). If any special note apply to trained or untrained use, they are covered in the Untrained section (see below). You need 1 rank, not 1 skill point, for any "trained only" skill.

[pariahpaladin]

Hmm. I do have craft wondrous item. Would i get a bigger bang for my buck by making an item that boosts CHA or an item that somehow buffs UMD? Main reason i took UMD was tgat in the world we are in DM did not allow any arcane spell casters as the are the "bad guys".

[Fouredged Sword]

Skill boosts are cheaper for custom magic items.

[Draz74]

I think your memory is playing tricks on you. From SKILL DESCRIPTIONS on page 66 of Player;'s Handbook: You need 1 rank, not 1 skill point, for any "trained only" skill.

... which means that the Jack of All Trades feat is, as-written, completely and totally useless. Woot.

[Slipperychicken]

... which means that the Jack of All Trades feat is, as-written, completely and totally useless. Woot.

It lets you use trained only skills, as advertised. I don't know where people get this idea that it gives a 1/2 rank in all skills.

[ericgrau]

I was trying to imply the madness of trying to use UMD 1

Please feel free to suggest an alternative tool for UMD ?
The part I wrote about on retrying a dozen times on a scroll was serious. You have plenty of time to use utility scrolls on non-combat challenges. If you roll a 1 before you roll a 20 then oh well, there's always next time. And you still keep the scroll you just can't try again on it for 24 hours.

The blindly activated wand of fireball part OTOH... not so serious.

[nedz]

Hmm. I do have craft wondrous item. Would i get a bigger bang for my buck by making an item that boosts CHA or an item that somehow buffs UMD? Main reason i took UMD was tgat in the world we are in DM did not allow any arcane spell casters as the are the "bad guys".
From 1 rank you probably need several buffs.
A masterworked tool can add +2 to any skill check, these are quite cheap.
A custom item can add up to +10, though +5 is the standard. The cost here is quadratic: +5 ~= 2,500 gp; +10 ~= 10,000 gp
Since you add your Cha to UMD a char booster would also help, these are more expensive but would help more than just UMD. Do you have any other uses for a Cha boost ? Probably not.

The part I wrote about on retrying a dozen times on a scroll was serious. You have plenty of time to use utility scrolls on non-combat challenges. If you roll a 1 before you roll a 20 then oh well, there's always next time. And you still keep the scroll you just can't try again on it for 24 hours.

The blindly activated wand of fireball part OTOH... not so serious.

Yes I know, sorry if my reply of #6 was less than clear.