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Bel_Bel
2007-04-22, 10:09 PM
Is the casting time for Identify reduced if you do it from a scroll or wand?

Dhavaer
2007-04-22, 10:26 PM
Wands use the spell trigger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#spellTrigger) activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#standardActions) that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/attacksOfOpportunity.htm). (If the spell being cast, however, has a longer casting time than 1 standard action (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#standardActions), it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.)

There's no specification given for scrolls, so presumably it would take as long as casting the spell.

kamikasei
2007-04-22, 10:29 PM
Oddly, it doesn't seem to address casting time in detail for scrolls in the SRD; all it says (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#spellCompletion) is "Activating a spell completion item is a standard action (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#standardActions) and provokes attacks of opportunity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/attacksOfOpportunity.htm) exactly as casting a spell does." This is just about identical with the wording for spell trigger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#spellTrigger) items, eg, wands.

In the section for wands (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wands.htm), then, it says: "(If the spell being cast, however, has a longer casting time than 1 standard action (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#standardActions), it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.)"

Therefore, since spell trigger items are simpler to cast from than spell completion, I would expect that this holds true for scrolls as well.

So, no. XP and material component costs, and focuses, are all provided by the scriber or crafter and factored into the scroll or wand's price; but the casting time will not be less than for the spell as normal.