How to gain Use magic device

[AceDragonKing]

Hey guys, i’m playing a human binder 5. And i’m curious if there is a way to gain Use Magic device as a class skill without multiclassing? I’m wanting to put a wand chamber on my scythe and start blasting people with my scythe. But somehow some way binders can’t use magic devices? that’s odd i can bind my soul to a vestige and use spell like abilities and other awesome things but wands would stump me? odd. and i don’t want to multiclass

[MaxiDuRaritry]

The Cosmopolitan feat, from the FR Campaign Setting?

"Choose a nonexclusive skill you do not have as a class skill. You gain a +2 bonus on all checks with that skill, and that skill is always considered a class skill for you."

Note that exclusive skills no longer exist in 3.5, but the feat works perfectly well otherwise.

[Kuulvheysoon]

The Cosmopolitan feat, from the FR Campaign Setting?

"Choose a nonexclusive skill you do not have as a class skill. You gain a +2 bonus on all checks with that skill, and that skill is always considered a class skill for you."

Note that exclusive skills no longer exist in 3.5, but the feat works perfectly well otherwise.

Alas, Cosmopolitan got changed and nerfed in the Player's Guide to Faerun (FRCS is 3.0, while PGtF is 3.5); now it only provides +2 to Bluff/Gather Information/Sense Motive checks.

UMD is one of the hardest skills to sneak onto your list, unfortunately. The usual way is to take the Apprentice (spellcaster) feat, but that's a 1st level-only feat, so it would require retraining and DM buy-in.

[Thurbane]

Cosmopolitan was updated and changed in Player's Guide to Faerun, and doesn't do this any more.

I'd check here: Alternative ways to get new Class skills (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?491181)

Another option would be to dip Bard, or Beguiler, and go into Anima Mage. Missed the "without multiclassing" in the OP.

Isn't there a vestige that specifically allows use of Sor/Wiz wands, or am I misrembering? Yes, Karsus.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Same name, completely different feat. It doesn't even do anything even remotely similar, so it's not a feat replacement at all.

It's like the curse of lycanthropy spell, which has two different versions that kept oscillating between the two of them from book printing to book printing. Clearly, the authors never did any research on previous effects with the same name.

Replacing a useful but not-at-all overly powerful feat with a completely useless one is hardly an improvement to anyone's game.

[Psyren]

Hey guys, i’m playing a human binder 5. And i’m curious if there is a way to gain Use Magic device as a class skill without multiclassing? I’m wanting to put a wand chamber on my scythe and start blasting people with my scythe. But somehow some way binders can’t use magic devices? that’s odd i can bind my soul to a vestige and use spell like abilities and other awesome things but wands would stump me? odd. and i don’t want to multiclass

You don't actually need UMD - as a Binder 5, you have access to Karsus, who will let you activate wands and staves as though you were a wizard of your level.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Same name, completely different feat. It doesn't even do anything even remotely similar, so it's not a feat replacement at all.

It's like the curse of lycanthropy spell, which has two different versions that kept oscillating between the two of them from book printing to book printing. Clearly, the authors never did any research on previous effects with the same name.

Replacing a useful but not-at-all overly powerful feat with a completely useless one is hardly an improvement to anyone's game.

Unfortunately, there's a sidebar on page 33 of PGtF that actually explicitly addresses this.
If you examine the region tables that follow in this chapter, you'll find that all feats identified as regional feats in previous material appear on the tables in the appropriate regions. The region and feat assignments given in this book supersede those in all previous publications.It then offers a few exceptions that weren't replaced (of which Cosmopolitan doesn't fall under).

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Unfortunately, there's a sidebar on page 33 of PGtF that actually explicitly addresses this. It then offers a few exceptions that weren't replaced (of which Cosmopolitan doesn't fall under).Yeah, that's dumb. Just take the feat you want and ask your DM about it.

[AceDragonKing]

You don't actually need UMD - as a Binder 5, you have access to Karsus, who will let you activate wands and staves as though you were a wizard of your level.

Well my build is calling for Focalor and later Savnok when i can bind two vestiges. Unless one of the binder teeth can do that for me ???

[Harrow]

Hmm. Do you really need it as a class skill? You could take a feat from Magic of Incarnum called Shape Soulmeld for the Mage's Spectacles. That would give you +4 to Decipher Script, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device checks AND lets you use all of them untrained. Then, I suggest talking to your DM about a custom item that gives a competence bonus to UMD. Going by the guidelines, that should be 2,500 for a +5 item, which is likely a little pricey for your level, but not outside the realm of possibility. If you've got a decent Cha mod and are willing to sink some cross-class ranks into it, you can get a pretty nice bonus going.

[Thurbane]

Just bear in mind, even if you get UMD as a class skill, it's going to take a bit of investment to get it to levels where you can use a wand reliably, especially considering a Binder only gets 2 skill points/level, and Int often isn't a high priority stat for them.

Also, how did you get scythe proficiency, out of interest?

[AceDragonKing]

Just bear in mind, even if you get UMD as a class skill, it's going to take a bit of investment to get it to levels where you can use a wand reliably, especially considering a Binder only gets 2 skill points/level, and Int often isn't a high priority stat for them.

Also, how did you get scythe proficiency, out of interest?

I wanted to put a wand chamber in my scythe so that wielding it would allow you to wield the wand at the same time. That way i can point my scythe at them and use it like a wand.

As for the scythe at lvl 4 and every 4 lvls there after Binders get a bonus feat (taken from a very very small list of not so great feats) and one of them was martial weapon proficiency so i grabbed that

[Thurbane]

Huh, never noticed that MWP was one of their bonus feats before. Good to know. :smallsmile:

[Maat Mons]

If you were starting at 1st level, you could take the Arcane Schooling feat. It lets you activate wands and staffs of Sorcerer/Wizard spells with no UMD check. Since you're past that point, your best option may be the Planar Touchstone feat. It gives you the same benefit, plus a chance activating scrolls.

[Psyren]

Well my build is calling for Focalor and later Savnok when i can bind two vestiges. Unless one of the binder teeth can do that for me ???

Unfortunately no, Karsus' tooth doesn't give you his Karsus' Will power.

[Thurbane]

Since you're past that point, your best option may be the Planar Touchstone feat. It gives you the same benefit, plus a chance activating scrolls.

Good call - Planar Touchstone feat, and select Catalogues of Enlightenment as your touchstone (Planar Handbook p.166). If you select the Magic domain (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spellLists/clericDomains.htm#), you can use Sor/Wiz wands, and also Sor/Wiz scroll as a Wizard of 1/2 your level.

So you avoid having to make UMD rolls and spend skill points, and you can safely use Sor/Wiz wands (and potentially other spell trigger items (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?633941-All-Spell-Trigger-items)).