Jason Holt's page

I believe the phrase "as if she had cast X on herself" has been clarified previously to mean the actual effect of the spell (i.e. the spell description) and not the actual spell mechanics (school, components, casting time, range, duration, save, etc) unless otherwise specified in the item description. Otherwise, you run into various piecemeal approaches that contradict the actual rules in certain places.

For example, Wondrous Item activations state: "If the activation is on command or if no activation method is suggested either in the magic item description or by the nature of the item, assume that a command word is needed to activate it." Command words require a standard action (which the spell itself also requires). However, if the same spell required a full round action that would contradict the item creation rules and in turn be a piecemeal approach.

Boots of levitation therefore requires a conscious, standard action by the wearer to activate; but once activate, the duration is set to "continuous" (as there is no duration set in the description).

However, the item creation rules are actually guidelines. And like others have said, it's not unreasonable for the GM to put limitations on items that begin to hamper the game. I prefer to come up with other creative ways (rather than new rules) in order threaten intelligent or strategic players; but YMMV.

And old topic, but I'd like to chime in:

For a "wand slinger", I'd go with a Wizard (to maximize spells available for wand creation), taking the Wand Creation feat at 5th.

Creating a 50-charge wand at 5th level with 50% cost reduction on the base cost of your wands will be much cheaper than any other item-specific creation/purchase (such as pearls, Ioun stones, metamagic rods, etc).

Adamantindragon mentioned using "pearls of power"; however, these carry the cost of 1k, 4k, 9k, and 16k for one spell recall/day of the appropriate level. You'd need to create a large pool of pearls and they've never be as cost effective as a wand. The advantage of pearls is that you can go above 4th level spells and create pearls that can also do two spells per day. But again, this gets very expensive (35k for two spells).

A 5th level wizard (pre-req for wand creation) should have earned about 10k GP by that level. If they've been judicious on saving a large amount, they could theoretically create several (750gp) 1st level 50-chg wands, and even a 2nd level (1500gp) 50-chg wand.

The Quick Draw feat is helpful for getting the wands into your hands as a free action; or a hidden wand as a move action. Having someone create (or your GM allow for purchase) a bandolier/holster for your wands can help you also maintain many in close proximity as well as up your sleeve.

Then again, and Handy Haversack functions well for providing the exact wand you need in every circumstance.

Other than that, purchasing scrolls and complete spellbooks, and having a lot of downtime in between adventures (if your GM is a stickler for time limitations), is necessary for producing a large library of spells and wands.

Personally, I like Wands of Summon Monster I-IV. They allow you to field an army of creatures to help keep you protected from harm. It's a bit cheesy when you have a bunch of med. stone elementals protecting you in combat; but at higher levels they're mostly just one- or two-hit damage shields (they have a max of 30hp).

When you start looking at all of the supplementary, non-combat spells that most wizards learn but rarely memorize (tiny hut, floating disk, darkvision, detect poison, resistance, etc); wands REALLY come in handy. Wand of Identify is probably one of the handiest wands to have outside a combat scene.

I would say the biggest bump you get from a Monkadin (primary monk with a few paladin levels), is the use of Smite Evil to bump up your AC (CHA bonus), Detect Evil at will, and Lay of Hands (1d6/CHA bonus per day). This can really help the monk at the early levels.

Since Paly's rely heavily on Charisma and Monks rely on Wisdom and Strength (and some Dex), you'll spread yourself thin ability point-wise with this combo; however, in an undead campaign, the addition of positive energy channeling at later levels (paly 4th) can really turn the tide in epic battles as well as some channeling feats (channel smite, turn undead, etc).

The biggest hit will be to your Ki Pool (Ki throw is awesome), some cool monk feats later on, and additional flurry of blows attacks (chucking a half-dozen magic/silver/cold iron shurikens each round for 14dmg each is sick). Additionally, the paly will give you a lot of useless abilities such as heavy armor, shield, and martial weapon proficiencies (useless for monks), immune to disease (monks get a higher levels), mercies (which duplicate a lot of monk abilities), bonded weapon or mount (by the time you get a bonded weapon, your fists will already be as good).

Overall, it's a fun, powerful build if you focus on the monk side...adding in a few levels of monk to a primary paladin is mostly for the role-play as you lose a lot more than you gain, IME.

I've played a gnome alchemist/trapsmith (rogue) in one of my prior games, with the right tweaks, this can be a fun, if albeit quirky combo:

Some feats to help you use traps as weapons in combat:

1) Throw anything - allows you to throw a trap in combat without the normal -4 (basically allowing allow you to use a fixed trap as a ranged weapon). Also allows you to toss alchemical components with splash damage with a +1 to hit.

2) Trapper's Setup - grants +2 circumstance bonus when you manually set off one of your own traps (when you make one with a trigger).

3) Learn Ranger Trap - allows you to pick a ranger trap and use it a number of times per day equal to your wisdom score (great for allowing you to always have a trap on hand).

4) Antagonize - Drop a trap at your feat using slight of hand as a move action, take a 5' step back, and then taunt (antagonize) your opponent as a standard action to lure him into your trap.

Rogue Talent - Cunning Trigger: allows you to set off a trap within 30' as a switch action, combined with Trapper's Setup, allows you to get a +2 to hit on a ranged trap.