3.5e - RuleQ: How to use "Use magic device" ?

[Bobur]

Hello everyone,
I am currently playing my first rogue and my goal is to get USE MAGIC DEVICE high up. Maybe even picking up Skill focus.
But the skill is rather confusing considering all the options and what you have to do to activate a single scroll.
14INT/8WIS/14CHA Rogue/Ranger/Assassin

Arc. spell failure chance applies, no take 10, no aid another

How many rolls do I even have to make?
Let me sum things up and see if it is correct or not:

You can emulate only 1 race/ alignment ... at a time. So you can't fool an evil item and a good item if you are neutral.
Perm effects need a check every hour.

Rods/potions/ most wonderous items: NO UMD, just use them.

Wand: I think ONLY the DC20 check?
Staff: ... It's not on the UMD list, so I am already getting confused there. A staff just gives you a spell but you cast it yourself in a way?

Both use "spell trigger activation", which means it's rather quickly done and doesn't provoke an AOO.

Scrolls: The big one. - Spell completion - risks AOO
1) Decipher the scroll (read magic spell or UMD check) 1st roll
2) Is it of the app. type? (Arc/divine) - Does that count as emulating a class feature? 2nd roll ?
My rogue has ranger and assassin levels, so I can cast them anyway?
3) Is it on your spell list? ---emulating a class feature? 3rd roll? (Except for the Ra/ass spells)
4) Ability score - Very clear- +4th roll
5) CL high enough? ...another one? 5th roll?

So 1 scroll needs somewhere between 3 to 5 rather high rolls ?...Quite the challenge.
Or am I completely misinterpreting the use of the skill here? And "use scroll" option for UMD covers everything of the above (except deciphering)and we are done?

So what about mishaps?
I think they are usually not very common:
1) From using a scroll with a low CL and you fail your CL check - WIS DC5 check avoids even that. - So Very unlikely
2) When activating blindly and failing by 10 or more you get a mishap. Activating blindly means what exactly? That I don't know the item yet/ haven't identified it and simply don't know the proper way to use it? Usually a command word or something? A wondr. Item, a wand... does this also count for scrolls that I haven't deciphered? This one confuses me a bit. What does count as activated blindly?

Thanks for the help.

[BaronDoctor]

Wands. Point, UMD DC 20, click. Caster level is baked-in. Easy.

Scroll:
Step 1: find someone who'll identify it via casting read magic or making a spellcraft check and persuade them to help you out. Possibly with the help of a knife. That DC 25+Spell Level UMD is not pretty.

Step 2 comes in three different parts.

a: If it's on the Assassin list, congratulations. You have Int 14 and levels in Assassin, so you're a caster level check away (DC of 8 or less, and you're adding at least 1 Assassin level to this roll). Fail this and you're looking at a DC 5 Wis check (which might actually be harder).

b: If it's on the Ranger list? Well, here's where it gets a little tricky. They cast off Wis, so you'll need to Emulate an ability score via UMD with a check result (effectively a DC) 25+spell level (i.e. no more than 29). From there you're at the Caster Level check (DC 7 or less, although unless you've got at least four ranger levels you're not adding anything to this one).

Otherwise for scrolls?
c: The DC is equal to 20 + the caster level of the spell you are trying to cast from the scroll. In addition, casting a spell from a scroll requires a minimum score (10 + spell level) in the appropriate ability. (See the UMD for Ranger if you're trying to scroll-cast something higher than 4th level in an Int or Cha class)

Staves:
See wands. You _may_ sub in your own ability score or caster level but by my reading they aren't required and technically they work like overgrown wands.

Activate Blindly is for command word / action things like Boots of Speed requiring you to click your heels together or the Bracelet of Friends setting up people to be connected to charms.

Hope that helps.

[Bobur]

Ok so Usually 2 checks, but up to 3. Even with 5 points in Decipher script and maybe skill focus thats not pretty.
Might try to get a CHA item and a periapt of persuasion. (My DM is very core strict)

1) Deciper/read magic
2) Just the UMD check for scrolls OR a CL check if its already on my spell list
3) ability score - UMD if necessary

That should cover it.

[Crake]

Activate Blindly is for command word / action things like Boots of Speed requiring you to click your heels together or the Bracelet of Friends setting up people to be connected to charms.

" This mishap is in addition to the chance for a mishap that you normally run when you cast a spell from a scroll that you could not otherwise cast yourself. "

This last line of activate blindly leads me to believe that you can activate a scroll blindly, and likely, by extension, a wand blindly.

[Bobur]

" This mishap is in addition to the chance for a mishap that you normally run when you cast a spell from a scroll that you could not otherwise cast yourself. "

This last line of activate blindly leads me to believe that you can activate a scroll blindly, and likely, by extension, a wand blindly.

Huh, interesting thought. I guess I will have to leave that to my DM
I can see activating scrolls blindly as an option. The DC is lower, but it has a risk.

While I am at it:
Aracne spell failure - applies to UMD scrolls I believe.
Spells from the Ranger - not. since he is a divine caster.
Assassin - casts like a bard and those can cast in light armor in general.

So does the ability to cast in light armor expend to UMD ? I would think so.

[illyahr]

Huh, interesting thought. I guess I will have to leave that to my DM
I can see activating scrolls blindly as an option. The DC is lower, but it has a risk.

While I am at it:
Aracne spell failure - applies to UMD scrolls I believe.
Spells from the Ranger - not. since he is a divine caster.
Assassin - casts like a bard and those can cast in light armor in general.

So does the ability to cast in light armor expend to UMD ? I would think so.

I don't think Spell Failure applies to scrolls. The verbal and somatic components are already programmed into it. It basically is just missing the last word of the incantation. You say the last word (after figuring out what it is) and provide the energy and the scroll activates the spell.

[Bobur]

I don't think Spell Failure applies to scrolls. The verbal and somatic components are already programmed into it. It basically is just missing the last word of the incantation. You say the last word (after figuring out what it is) and provide the energy and the scroll activates the spell.

just found it:
"Using a scroll is like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure chance."

So it applies.
But the assassin can cast like the bard in light armor. A buckler would apply 5% though.

[illyahr]

just found it:
"Using a scroll is like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure chance."

So it applies.
But the assassin can cast like the bard in light armor. A buckler would apply 5% though.

Fair enough :smallbiggrin: