Can you use wands while in the Pinned Condition?


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Was running a session of RotRL and came across a situation where one of my PC's was pinned by a creature while he was holding a wand of Dimension Door. While he was pinned would he have been able to use the wand?


I would say no (though others may disagree). A pinned creature is extremely limited in its actions.

SRD wrote:


A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of grappled, and their effects do not stack.

Now it could be argued that trying to use a wand of DD is an attempt to free itself. However, if it could use a wand of DD to free itself, it could also use a wand of fireball to nuke the room - which seems to be outside the scope of its limited actions.

There is also this part of the rules on wand activation.

SRD wrote:


Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast has a longer casting time than 1 action, however, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for non-humanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.

The pinned condition, and its application to casting spells with somatic components, suggests that hand movements are not possible. But some GM's may feel the 'general direction' required of wand pointing would be allowed while the fine movements of spell casting are not. Such a GM then should also allow using wands of fireball, freedom of movement, magic missile, invisibility, etc are also allowed while pinned.

Note also the very last sentence related to wand activation. Is it meant as an exclusive list of grappling under the grappled condition, and swallowed whole, or should it also include pinned (which is a more severe form of grapple). That is, does pinned still count as 'grappling' for the person who is pinned (it certainly does for the person who is doing the hold).


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Pinned: A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of grappled, and their effects do not stack.

I don't see anything that would prevent a wand that was already out from being used, using a wand would be a verbal action.

"the command word on my wand of teleport is "Sayonarasucker" "


BigNorseWolf wrote:


I don't see anything that would prevent a wand that was already out from being used, using a wand would be a verbal action.

No, its not.

SRD wrote:


To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for non-humanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area.

Nothing about a command word. Only a 'point it in the general direction' to activate. I don't have a objection to having a command word associated with that, but it very distinctly requires pointing it in a direction.

So the question revolves around 'Can you point a wand at all while pinned?' The rules don't give a clear indication of yes or no on this.

EDIT: In addition to the pointing, wands are also spell trigger items. Spell trigger items do have a one word command activation, so a command word is also required.


The wand can be used. The part about pointing the wand is for when spells have a target area such as fireball , when aiming a ray at someone, or when you need to place in effect into an area such as summoning monsters. The effect of dimension door is on the caster, and then he need only have a direction and distance to where he wants to go or be able to visualize the location.


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Even if you need to point the wand in a direction to indicate where you want to go with the Dimension Door, some short distance in whatever direction it happens to be pointing in might be preferable to where you are.


The rules seems ambiguous on this one, so FAQing.

I'd personally rule against it being usable while pinned, since the various rules wordings imply to me that a pinned character is largely incapable of doing stuff with the exception of things specifically mentioned.


Bump this post cause id like an answer lol

Though the rulings look like they wouldn't allow wand use.

Maybe just like casting a spell but instead a UMD check would be a viable option? Until we get an official ruling I guess DM rules would dictate


wraithstrike wrote:
The wand can be used. The part about pointing the wand is for when spells have a target area such as fireball , when aiming a ray at someone, or when you need to place in effect into an area such as summoning monsters. The effect of dimension door is on the caster, and then he need only have a direction and distance to where he wants to go or be able to visualize the location.

Dimension Door would require the wand to be pointed at either the caster or the destination.

Either way, no, a pinned character cannot activate a wand.


Snowlilly wrote:
wraithstrike wrote:
The wand can be used. The part about pointing the wand is for when spells have a target area such as fireball , when aiming a ray at someone, or when you need to place in effect into an area such as summoning monsters. The effect of dimension door is on the caster, and then he need only have a direction and distance to where he wants to go or be able to visualize the location.

Dimension Door would require the wand to be pointed at either the caster or the destination.

Either way, no, a pinned character cannot activate a wand.

even pinned the wand is pointing somewhere you'd rather be.

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber
BigNorseWolf wrote:
Snowlilly wrote:
wraithstrike wrote:
The wand can be used. The part about pointing the wand is for when spells have a target area such as fireball , when aiming a ray at someone, or when you need to place in effect into an area such as summoning monsters. The effect of dimension door is on the caster, and then he need only have a direction and distance to where he wants to go or be able to visualize the location.

Dimension Door would require the wand to be pointed at either the caster or the destination.

Either way, no, a pinned character cannot activate a wand.

even pinned the wand is pointing somewhere you'd rather be.

680 ft. straight up?

I don't know for sure how I'd rule, but I lean toward not allowing wands to target while pinned. I think personal spells should work fine, though.


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Gott in Himmel!

*strokes beard ferociously*


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
KingOfAnything wrote:
BigNorseWolf wrote:
even pinned the wand is pointing somewhere you'd rather be.
680 ft. straight up?

There is a very good chance that a caster with such a wand already has a Fly or Overland Flight spell in effect or can cast Feather Fall before he goes splat, so why not?


If the wand was in hand, I'd make it a Concentration Check vs CMD. So it's possible but difficult.

Liberty's Edge

Snowlilly wrote:
Either way, no, a pinned character cannot activate a wand.

Dimension Door: ...You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range. You always arrive at exactly the spot desired—whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction...

So, no need to point the wand at the target destination...just at the target of the wand.

Dimension Door: You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent per three caster levels...All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you.
I feel that the wand can be used if it was in hand when the pin happened...

...but that brings up one other question for me:
Does the caster get to decide if a grappling enemy is affected by the Dimension Door (ie to teleport out from under him) or is the enemy automatically affected simply because he is touching the caster? I think it could go either way, but ultimately it is more fair if the caster does get to decide.


RedDogMT wrote:
Snowlilly wrote:
Either way, no, a pinned character cannot activate a wand.

Dimension Door: ...You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range. You always arrive at exactly the spot desired—whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction...

So, no need to point the wand at the target destination...just at the target of the wand.

Dimension Door: You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent per three caster levels...All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you.
I feel that the wand can be used if it was in hand when the pin happened...

...but that brings up one other question for me:
Does the caster get to decide if a grappling enemy is affected by the Dimension Door (ie to teleport out from under him) or is the enemy automatically affected simply because he is touching the caster? I think it could go either way, but ultimately it is more fair if the caster does get to decide.

You have to meet the requirements for triggering the wand before the spell text becomes relevant.

The requirement for triggering the wand includes aiming the wand at either the target location or the targeted character.

Scarab Sages

You quoted the relevant text from Dimension Door. "You may also bring one additional willing..." So may implies that you have a choice not to.

I'm of the opinion that the wand could be used if it was in hand when the user is pinned.

Also, someone questioned whether or not wands have a command word. Wands are spell trigger items, and spell trigger items have this to say.

Spell Trigger Items wrote:
Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it's even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Spell trigger items can be used by anyone whose class can cast the corresponding spell. This is the case even for a character who can't actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin. The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

So the spell trigger section clearly indicated there is a command word. It contradicts the wand section a little, in that spell trigger is explicit that there are no gestures necessary. My personal belief is that the section in wands talking about pointing is more flavor text than a game rule description of what is necessary to activate a wand. I'll go with what's under spell trigger items for that.

Shadow Lodge Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8

Rule of cool, I'd let the player use the wand, but determine the direction of the DD randomly.


You point the wand at the target which for dimension door is yourself. There's no reason to think the wand is pointing at the one holding while pinned.


KingOfAnything wrote:


680 ft. straight up?

perfect. You fall 500 feet a round. Plenty of time to solve the problem (possibly by dimension dooring straight up !)


Trimalchio wrote:
You point the wand at the target which for dimension door is yourself. There's no reason to think the wand is pointing at the one holding while pinned.

Depends on where you store the wand...

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber

Between the text of Spell Trigger items and dimension door, I think that wand would work as intended.

I'm curious if other wands would as well. fireball? acid arrow? magic missile?


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wands said wrote:
Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast has a longer casting time than 1 action, however, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for non-humanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.
spell trigger said wrote:
Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it's even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Spell trigger items can be used by anyone whose class can cast the corresponding spell. This is the case even for a character who can't actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin. The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
grapple said wrote:
Instead of attempting to break or reverse the grapple, you can take any action that doesn’t require two hands to perform, such as cast a spell or make an attack or full attack with a light or one-handed weapon against any creature within your reach, including the creature that is grappling you. See the grappled condition for additional details. If you are pinned, your actions are very limited. See the pinned condition in Conditions for additional details.
pinned said wrote:
A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of grappled, and their effects do not stack.

Its all there. IF your PC had it in hand when he was pinned, he's good to go. Speak and be free, take away a charge. Otherwise, he's NOT going to be able to pull the wand out and he's gonna have to try to escape some other way.


I can't imagine using a wand to per permissible when normal spell casting isn't.

At the very least there should be some sort of check against the pinning creature's CMB or CMD to do so successfully.

It'd be super lame if you could just dimension door out of a grapple by holding onto a wand.


Well you certainly can get out of a grapple with a wand, the wand text says that directly.

Basically though, I read that pinned says only verbal and mental actions. Wand activation says there is physical motion as part of it's activation. Therefore, you can't use a wand while pinned.

Scarab Sages

Spellcasting isn't prohibited while pinned. Casting spells with somatic or material components is prohibited. But a verbal only spell (which dimension door is) would be fine. You would have to make a very difficult concentration check, but you could do it.

Wand use is often permitted in situations spell casting isn't, or not as limited as spell casting. Using a wand does not require a concentration check. I'm pretty sure that's true under any circumstance. Spell trigger items don't require concentration to use. Also, wands don't provoke, but casting a spell does, so that's at least one example of when a wand can be used without penalty where spellcasting would have a penalty.

As another example, my gnome investigator got pinned in a recent scenario. Not wanting that to happen again, I bought Boots of Escape. Boots of Escape are command word activated. They cast dimension door. They are also specifically made so that you can get out of being grappled, pinned, entangled, or similar effects. Do I need to make a concentration check to activate them? I don't think so. So why would I need to make one with a wand, that never otherwise requires concentration?

My Monk has Abundant Step, which is a Supernatural power that works like dimension door. Supernatural powers don't normally require a concentration check. Should he have to make one while pinned, when he otherwise wouldn't?

I just don't see any support for requiring a concentration check to use a wand. I do see how it could be read to limit the direction you could dim door, or who your target would be on a different spell, but I don't see anything indicating that you can't use it at all if it's already in your hand. You could probably even take a wand out of a Glove of Storing, though that's less sure. A spring-loaded wrist sheath is probably a no, but some GMs might allow it.


activate blindly wrote:
Some magic items are activated by special words, thoughts, or actions. You can activate such an item as if you were using the activation word, thought, or action, even when you're not and even if you don't know it. You do have to perform some equivalent activity in order to make the check. That is, you must speak, wave the item around, or otherwise attempt to get it to activate.

If you already have the wand in hand, you could certainly activate it blindly with use magic device.


Dim door is target self or creatures:

Target you and touched objects or other touched willing creatures.

You don't point a direction, you think or state your destination.

Dim door is also verbal only so you could attempt to cast it while pinned, but if we take the wand activation text at it's word a wand won't work since you cannot move and cannot point the wand at yourself.

A generous GM could use the splash misdirection roll 1d8 rules saying on a 1 it points towards the grappler and on a 5 it points towards the wand holder, but that seems a stretch, the whole point of pinning someone to ensure they can't use their hands or anything in the hands and it seems perfectly reasonable to rule the Pinner is twisting the wand or whatever else away from both of them.


How about a wand of gaseous form? Have fun grappling that cloud :) Or one of elemental body (fire) because ow ow ow!


Trimalchio wrote:

Dim door is target self or creatures:

Target you and touched objects or other touched willing creatures.

You don't point a direction, you think or state your destination.

Dim door is also verbal only so you could attempt to cast it while pinned, but if we take the wand activation text at it's word a wand won't work since you cannot move and cannot point the wand at yourself.

A generous GM could use the splash misdirection roll 1d8 rules saying on a 1 it points towards the grappler and on a 5 it points towards the wand holder, but that seems a stretch, the whole point of pinning someone to ensure they can't use their hands or anything in the hands and it seems perfectly reasonable to rule the Pinner is twisting the wand or whatever else away from both of them.

It does not matter what Dimension Door says.

You first have to meet the requirements of activating the wand. Activating a wand requires a physical motion.

Sovereign Court

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Pathfinder Maps, Rulebook, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Dim Door: Target SELF.
So to activate a wand of Dim Door, I would have to touch the wand to myself.
Gee, it's IN MY HAND, touching me.


Koi Eokei wrote:
activate blindly wrote:
Some magic items are activated by special words, thoughts, or actions. You can activate such an item as if you were using the activation word, thought, or action, even when you're not and even if you don't know it. You do have to perform some equivalent activity in order to make the check. That is, you must speak, wave the item around, or otherwise attempt to get it to activate.
If you already have the wand in hand, you could certainly activate it blindly with use magic device.

Re-read your quote. "You do have to perform some equivalent activity in order to make the check. That is, you must speak, wave the item around, or otherwise attempt to get it to activate."

You can try to activate the wand blindly, but if the wand needs to be pointed to activate, you still need to point it. All you get out of it is that if you're not pointing it in the correct manner, you might still manage to activate it.


Snowlilly wrote:


You first have to meet the requirements of activating the wand. Activating a wand requires a physical motion.

you are pinned. Not helpless.

Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast has a longer casting time than 1 action, however, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.

Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it's even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Spell trigger items can be used by anyone whose class can cast the corresponding spell. This is the case even for a character who can't actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin. The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.


BigNorseWolf wrote:
Snowlilly wrote:


You first have to meet the requirements of activating the wand. Activating a wand requires a physical motion.

you are pinned. Not helpless.

Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast has a longer casting time than 1 action, however, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.

Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it's even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Spell trigger items can be used by anyone whose class can cast the corresponding spell. This is the case even for a character who can't actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin. The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Specific trumps general. "Spell trigger" items do not (in general) require gestures, but wands (specifically) must be pointed. If you can't point the wand, you can't activate it.


KingOfAnything wrote:

Between the text of Spell Trigger items and dimension door, I think that wand would work as intended.

I'm curious if other wands would as well. fireball? acid arrow? magic missile?

The very first place we should be looking to see if we can activate a wand is the wand use text, not the text of the spell being cast, and not spell trigger (even though wand use references it). Any rules in the text on how to use a wand supersede any other rules that would contradict it.

The only question that needs to be answered here to arrive at the correct ruling is to determine if "pinned" still counts as "grappling" for the "A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole." text. But the rules aren't specific enough to answer that question.


Orfamay Quest wrote:

Re-read your quote. "You do have to perform some equivalent activity in order to make the check. That is, you must speak, wave the item around, or otherwise attempt to get it to activate."

You can try to activate the wand blindly, but if the wand needs to be pointed to activate, you still need to point it. All you get out of it is that if you're not pointing it in the correct manner, you might still manage to activate it.

Some magic items are activated by special words, thoughts, or actions. You can activate such an item as if you were using the activation word, thought, or action, even when you're not (using the word, thought or action) and even if you don't know it (the word, thought or action). You do have to perform some equivalent activity in order to make the check. That is, you must speak, wave the item around, or otherwise attempt to get it to activate.

Wands are activated by words. An intelligent ooze could use a wand with umd. While pinned, why not. Use magic device doesn't specify the corresponding action needs to be exact. I could activate a wand in a zone of silence by waving it around with umd. I could certainly activate it with random words and thoughts if I'm pinned.
If I have a wand and the target is myself, how general of a direction do I need. I'm touching the thing.


Nvm.

use magic device wrote:
Action: None. The Use Magic Device check is made as part of the action (if any) required to activate the magic item.

So, it all comes down to the little bit where you have to point in some general direction of the target.

magic wrote:
Somatic (S): A somatic component is a measured and precise movement of the hand.

And since we can't cast spells with somatic components while pinned, this tells us we can't precisely move our hands while pinned. But pointing generally at myself when I'm already holding a wand...


Raezial the Thamendaemon wrote:
Was running a session of RotRL and came across a situation where one of my PC's was pinned by a creature while he was holding a wand of Dimension Door. While he was pinned would he have been able to use the wand?

If the character was already holding the wand, I'd rule yes.

Wand is spell trigger, as many people said. A Spell Trigger action is a standard action that doesn't generate AoO (so no concentration check required). When the character activates a wand, she has to target twice.

The first targeting is the wand targeting: To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area.. Since the target of the wand is the user, the user has to point herself, nothing exceptionally difficult (pointing others might be harder). The user might touch one of her legs with the wand and that would be more than enough.

The second targeting required is the spell's Line of Effect, taken from the Dimension Door targeting descriptor: Target you and touched objects or other touched willing creatures. Since a creature always has LoE to herself this succeeds automatically if the user is not planning to bring anyone else along.

The DIMENSION DOOR SPELL itself is NOT subject for LoE or targeting, it uses the rules writen on the spell description to chose destination: visualizing the area or by stating direction, so the user may visualize any suitable destination subject to the spell's limits and port there.

So, for the Dimension Door particular case, the creature would be perfectly able to use the wand.


Yorien wrote:
Since the target of the wand is the user, the user has to point herself, nothing exceptionally difficult (pointing others might be harder).

I'm glad we agree on this. Can we also agree that pointing (the wand) is a physical action? And neither a verbal or mental one?

Because the rules for "pinned" are very explicit: "A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions."

The idea that something might be "more difficult" is not actually supported by the rules text. Presumably if difficulty were an issue, there would be some sort of check that could be made against some DC. For example, an Escape Artist check (or grapple check) can be made to free yourself. But there's no rule text supporting the idea that, as you put it, "pointing [at] others might be harder," because they're both impossible.

So my reading of the rules is that you can't point a wand at all, and so a wand of dimension door is just a useless stick if you are pinned.


Orfamay Quest wrote:
Yorien wrote:
Since the target of the wand is the user, the user has to point herself, nothing exceptionally difficult (pointing others might be harder).

I'm glad we agree on this. Can we also agree that pointing (the wand) is a physical action? And neither a verbal or mental one?

Because the rules for "pinned" are very explicit: "A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions."

Pinned states that the creature cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component because those require either very specific and calculated movements, or reaching a component pouch. Yet, pinned does not state that the creature completely loses limb usage, those would be the Tied (helpless) and Paralyzed conditions.

If a pinned creature is still allowed to free herself, that involves the creature is allowed some degree of movement and I'd totally say slight wrist and finger adjustments are included in the set of available movements. Not enough to allow precision, but still enough to relocate an item held in one hand.

A wand does ot require precision targeting, it just requires to point it in the general direction of the target or area.. So, I'd still allow the the wand user to point on the "general direction of oneself".


Pinned condition says the pinned creature cannot move. They can _attempt_ to free themselves using what is essentially a mixture of strength dexterity and combat training.

Where in the pinned condition does it say you can rotate your wrists?


If this had come up in my group my starting position would have been no, a wand cannot be used whilst pinned. If the players objected as a group, using similar arguments to those already presented that the wand is already in hand and aimed at himself, then I would like to think I would relent and allow it. This follows my personal GMing rule to be pro-player when there is genuine doubt. After the encounter, I would seek group consensus on how we handle wands whilst pinned. I suspect the answer would be that you can use personal spells but not spells targeted at others.


Hugo Rune wrote:
If this had come up in my group my starting position would have been no, a wand cannot be used whilst pinned. If the players objected as a group, using similar arguments to those already presented that the wand is already in hand and aimed at himself, then I would like to think I would relent and allow it. This follows my personal GMing rule to be pro-player when there is genuine doubt. After the encounter, I would seek group consensus on how we handle wands whilst pinned. I suspect the answer would be that you can use personal spells but not spells targeted at others.

Agreed.

grapple wrote:
If you are pinned, your actions are very limited. See the pinned condition in Conditions for additional details.
pinned wrote:

A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of grappled, and their effects do not stack.

Casting Spells while Pinned: The only spells which can be cast while grappling or pinned are those without somatic components and whose material components (if any) you have in hand. Even so, you must make a concentration check (DC 10 + the grappler’s CMB + the level of the spell you’re casting) or lose the spell.

I looked at the description of escape artist and grapple for any wording whatsoever, even fluff, but it seems if you are pinned, you can't even get carpal tunnel. Point in general direction, for wand is the schtick. You holding the wand, that's the only thing that may allow some GM including myself to allow target: self spells.

OP wrote:
Was running a session of RotRL and came across a situation where one of my PC's was pinned by a creature while he was holding a wand of Dimension Door. While he was pinned would he have been able to use the wand?

Coin toss. But RAW, not really.

Feel free to cast weaponwand on your blade boot and blast yourself with a fireball wand. You're face down in the dirt, argue you have total cover. Lol.


BigNorseWolf wrote:
Snowlilly wrote:


You first have to meet the requirements of activating the wand. Activating a wand requires a physical motion.

you are pinned. Not helpless.

Lets put this in the correct order.

General

Quote:
Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it's even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Spell trigger items can be used by anyone whose class can cast the corresponding spell. This is the case even for a character who can't actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin. The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Specific

Quote:


Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast has a longer casting time than 1 action, however, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.

Emphasis mine

In general spell trigger items require a standard action and a verbal command. Wands specifically have an additional requirement of directed motion with the hand in which it is held.

Specific > general

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber

Do you need to tap the wand to your chest or something? Or is in the general direction of 'myself' good enough?


KingOfAnything wrote:
Do you need to tap the wand to your chest or something? Or is in the general direction of 'myself' good enough?

Does not matter.

You can do neither while pinned.


Snowlilly: " Wands specifically have an additional requirement of directed motion with the hand in which it is held."

if we're going to be correct, it does not require direction motion with the hand. it needs to be pointed, not jabbed. Even if you go beyond the limits of what pinned says it is and what it does, the wand points somewhere. You say the command word, you're gone.

So what direction is a wand pointed in when you're grappled? It has to point SOMEWHERE. it doesn't stop being a stick.


Snowlilly wrote:
KingOfAnything wrote:
Do you need to tap the wand to your chest or something? Or is in the general direction of 'myself' good enough?

Does not matter.

You can do neither while pinned.

You wouldn't have to. If thats how the laws of physics worked, every wizard would simply draw the wand so that it was pointed at them the whole time. Imagine a dagger in a downward grip pointing into the wizards forarm. Hugging them is just going to drive it in deeper.


Trimalchio wrote:

Pinned condition says the pinned creature cannot move. They can _attempt_ to free themselves using what is essentially a mixture of strength dexterity and combat training.

Where in the pinned condition does it say you can rotate your wrists?

When it says you're not paralyzed, that you can try escape artists checks, that you can try grapple checks, all of which involve far more movement of your body than pointing a wand, which would probably be drawn pointing at you already.

Sovereign Court

This is a rare case because you are usually grappled for a round before. Ring pinned.
If you're already holding that wand when grappled, it should never get to pin.

What creature in RotRL goes straight to pin?

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