I did a search and could not find this being asked already.
The Core Rulebook and SRD make reference to 'casting from wand'...
Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action
However, does this truly fall under the same rules of when being able to cast a spell? Do you need your primary ability to the level of the spell (on the wand) to cast it? Can a Sorcerer with a 13 Charisma cast Stoneskin off the wand?
At first I would have said no. It is the way my GM has always treated it. In that you needed your primary ability to be the spell level that is on the wand, just like when casting a spell that you know.
But when using a wand, you can do so without provoking an AoO and you can use it while being grappled, both of which you cannot do if you are truly casting a spell.
Also, under the skill Use Magic Device, to use the Emulate ability score, it only refers to scrolls. If you needed to have your primary ability high enough to cast the appropriate spell on a wand, wouldn't 'emulate abilty score' cover wands as well?
What is the actual RAW in regards to this? And how do most of you handle this in your campaigns?
Wands are spell trigger items, scrolls are spell completion items.
The thing is with scrolls you actually need to cast the last part (the last sentence or word) yourself, thats why you need the appropriate score.
Wands have the finished spell stored already and just release it.
Thats how I understand it at least.
The description here seems to confirm that:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items#TOC-Using-Items