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View Full Version : Runestaff for a Warlock, or how to get rid of annoying charges



FinalJustice
2008-12-09, 05:24 PM
Here's the gist. For a 20th level one-shot I will be playing soon, I'll play a warlock/chameleon with high UMD, you know the gist.

I know it's a one shot and yadayada but I don't like the bookkeeping of staves for my UMD goodness. So I was looking for something with spell-trigger (for cheapness), without limited charges, but usable x/day to balance it out.

Runestaves seems the answer. The problem is, UMD'ing Runestaves as a Warlock is really a grey area, since they don't actually have spell slots or preparation time, and I'm not intending to go there.

So, playgrounders, what I ask you is if there's any way to weasel out a Runestaff/Ethernal Wand similar, but without the restrictions of level for Ethernal Wands, and without the whole 'only for casters' of Runestaves. The rules are: Any published WoTC official stuff, except setting specific material. Item creation rules/guidelines are allowed (and my best hope).

AslanCross
2008-12-09, 05:31 PM
I can't say much about Ethereal Wands, but I'm pretty sure UMD can be used to emulate having spellcasting, as you can use UMD to emulate class features (DC 20). Spellcasting is a class feature.

So it's kind of like having a wand with infinite charges. Pretty darn broken since you'd have Deceive Item already. On the other hand, it's not like you run out of invocations or eldritch blasts to begin with. I don't think it's such a big problem.

Draz74
2008-12-09, 07:17 PM
I sure wouldn't allow a Warlock to use Runestaves. "Having spell slots available" isn't a class feature UMD can emulate. That's not the idea of Runestaves at all. (If available spell slots were, themselves, a class feature, then the Sorc would never run out of them and would be able to use a Runestaff endlessly too.)

Chameleon spell slots would work, though.

FinalJustice
2008-12-09, 07:29 PM
Only got those up to second level. =/

The problem is here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20070216a).



When an arcane spellcaster is attuned to a runestaff, she can substitute any of the spells stored in the runestaff for a prepared spell or spell slot of equal or greater level. She must have the spell on her spell list and be of sufficient level to cast it, though she need not know it or have it in her spellbook. If she has some of the spells on her spell list, but not others, she can only substitute spells that are on her spell list. Most spells stored in runestaffs can be used up to three times per day, unless otherwise noted in the item's description. Spells cast from a runestaff act in all ways as if the wielder had cast them normally, including casting time, attacks of opportunity, saving throw DCs, caster level, and other effects.


Note how the site says that the caster substitutes a spell of his own for the one in the Runecast. Even if the book is different, DM and I will not just ignore this obvious RAI at work. Was it only for the slot, I could possibly argue using 'emulate class feature' tu emulate 'Spells', which would give virtual slots and yada yada, arguable, but a point. But the text on the site kills me dead. I can emulate spellcasting, but I have none of my own to substitute the spells for the ones in the staff.

So, let's try to focus on magic item creation abuse, shall we. I don't have that floating feat for nothing, ya know. :smallbiggrin: