Well, UMD has a few different applications:
1) Activate an Item Blindly (DC 25): Some magic items require a command word or some other action (a dance, holding it at a specific angle, a series of buttons, etc.) to activate their magical powers. If you make this check, you manage to figure it out... sort of. Successful use activates the item, but doesn't tell you which of the things you just did made the item go. It gives you a clue, however. Future attempts to activate the item are made with a +2 bonus. If your result is a 16-25, however, you fail to activate the item (and gain no clue to aid further attempts). If you get a 15 or less, a mishap occurs. Typically a mishap deals 2d6 damage to you, or causes the item to activate on the wrong target, or something similar. You have to make this check first if you do not have spellcasting ability (but you can be affected by a mishap from a scroll as well as the mishap for not activating the item correctly.
2) Decipher a Written Spell (DC 25 + spell level): This minute-long action works otherwise exactly like it does for the Spellcraft skill, except the DC is 5 points higher. A spell must be deciphered (from a spellbook or scroll) before a character can add it to their own spellbook/learn it/cast it from a scroll. This function can only be used once per day.
3) Emulating an ability score: If you lack a high enough ability score to cast a spell from a scroll, you can make this check as you attempt to cast the spell. Your effective ability score for your attempt to cast the spell is whatever you roll - 15. (Which means you need to get a 26 to emulate an ability score of 11, up to a 34 to emulate a 19) If you don't get a high enough result, the item fails to function (and may mishap, if it's a scroll).
4) Emulate an alignment (DC 30): Normally, if you pick up an unholy sword, if you are a good aligned character you take a negative level while wielding it. If you make this check while picking the item up/trying to use it, you may select your effective alignment for determining how the item reacts to you. You may only emulate one alignment at a time (which means that if you try to also wield a holy weapon, either one or the other is going to give you a negative level.
5) Emulate a class feature: A holy avenger has extra abilities that only function for members of the Paladin class. When you attempt to use the item, you can make a UMD check. Your result, minus 20, is your effective level in the needed class for the purposes of activating the item (any level of Paladin can use a holy avenger). However, if the class you are attempting to emulate has an alignment requirement (such as the Paladin), you must meet that requirement as well, either honestly or by emulation.
6) Emulate a race (DC 25): fairly straightforward here.
-DEVIATION FROM RULES AS WRITTEN: As a house rule, I would say that if a race had the "always" descriptor in the monster's entry, you would also need to meet that requirement as well (e.g. a Balor's vorpal longsword would require a Chaotic Evil alignment). END DEVIATION-
7) Use a Scroll or other Spell Completion Item (DC 20 + caster level): Once you've got a scroll deciphered (see above), if the spell on it is not on your class list, you can attempt to use it regardless. You must meet the ability score requirement to cast the spell (10 + the level of the spell) even if you pass this check. If you lack the ability to cast spells at all, you would follow this check up with a "use blindly" check.
8) Use a Wand or other Spell Trigger Item (DC 20): This allows you to use a wand even if the spell in it is not on your class spell list. If you lack the ability to cast spells, you would follow this up with a "use blindly" check.
If you ever roll a natural 1 while attempting to activate an item, you cannot attempt to activate that item for 24 hours.
You cannot take 10 with this skill (even if you have the Skill Mastery Rogue class feature) unless you have a class feature that specifically allows you to take 10 with UMD (for example, the Warlock from the Complete Arcane).
You can't aid another on a UMD check.
Spellcraft and Decipher Script both have skill synergies with UMD (described in the skill synergy section).
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So, an example. Let's say Forbun the Rogue (Wis 9, Cha 15, Use Magic Device +14) is attempting to use a scroll of bless weapon. First, Forbun must decipher the magical script. This takes one minute (so hopefully Forbun thinks to do this before he gets into a combat) and requires a DC 26 UMD check. Assuming Forbun rolls a 12 or higher, he begins to understand some of the mystical runes glowing on the scroll.
Now, he's ready to cast this sucker in combat. This takes a standard action, but requires more checks on Forbun's part. First, he must make a basic check to cast a spell from a scroll - DC 21 in this case. Once again, assuming Forbun passes (rolling a 7 or higher), he now needs to emulate the proper Wisdom needed to cast the spell, an 11 (DC 26). Hopefully his dice still like him, and he moves on to the last step: activating the item blindly. This requires a DC 25 UMD check, and if sucessful, Forbun casts the spell, the scroll disappears, and Forbun's weapon begins to glow with holy energies.
If he fails in this last check, however, he likely takes 2d6 backlash damage, and has to make a DC 5 Wisdom check (using his actual Wisdom modifier). If this additional Wisdom check fails, the scroll itself mishaps, causing perhaps another 1d6 damage. No matter the result of Forbun's last UMD check, the spell disappears from the scroll.
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Disclaimer: I may be wrong about needing to activate a scroll blindly (since you already roll to "use the scroll." If I am mistaken, feel free to correct me (but please back up your arguments with references I can look at).
TK
Um, before we get too far, Use Magic Device (UMD) is a CHA skill.
You've got the right idea-- UMD will allow you to use scrolls and such. Unfortunately, for the first several levels, the DCs are high enough that you'll fail far more often than you succeed.
If you're reading a scroll, the DC of your UMD check is 20+Spell Level-- so, it'd be 21 if you're reading a scroll of Magic Missile. You could also use a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds at the same DC. You can only cast the spell if your Stat is at least 10+Spell level... so 11 Wisdom to cast CLW, or 11 Intelligence to use Magic Missile. (Sounds like you're safe there.)
If you're instead trying to use a Wand of Magic Missile, you'd have to beat a DC 20. It'd still be DC 20 if it was a Wand of Cure Light Wounds, or any other wand.
The rest of the entries (Emulate X) don't come up very often... they're used to get around Magic Item requirements. Since few Magic Items require specific alignments or races, you don't need to worry about that part too much now. Is there anything else you're wondering about, or was this pretty on topic?
The thing that's always got me about this skill is figuring out how in the holy heck it makes sense? I'm willing to accept the typically-lame "It's fantasy" excuse, but that still gives me no idea how to explain the attempt in game.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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The thing that's always got me about this skill is figuring out how in the holy heck it makes sense? I'm willing to accept the typically-lame "It's fantasy" excuse, but that still gives me no idea how to explain the attempt in game.
I doubt this helps much, but back in 1e/2e, UMD was an ability that thieves (rogues) had in a more limited form. Back then, thieves could use scrolls upon attaining 10th level (I think). I believe the idea was that thieves picked up enough bits and pieces of magic while adventuring that they could get a magic scroll to work.
In 3e, I would approach it the same way. Remember that preparing a spell involves going through almost the entire casting ritual. All you do is save the last few bits to be cast later during the day (which is why spellcasting is so fast in combat). UMD represents the fact that you've picked up those last few bits but cannot reliably use them. You know that lightning bolt requires you to shout "Zappity" and point with your finger upright, but you don't understand that the reason you point your finger upright is to align yourself with the elemental Plane of Air (which a caster can accomplish intuitively), so you screw it up from time to time.
Obviously, this reasoning won't get you through everything, but it does the job for the spell trigger devices.
I doubt this helps much, but back in 1e/2e, UMD was an ability that thieves (rogues) had in a more limited form. Back then, thieves could use scrolls upon attaining 10th level (I think). I believe the idea was that thieves picked up enough bits and pieces of magic while adventuring that they could get a magic scroll to work.
That's about the same time in 3.5 that a Rogue can begin reliably using the skill, so that must have factored into their calculations for setting the DCs. Interesting...
That doesn't help so much, but not because it's a bad explanation; rather, I've heard it before. I guess what really gets me and what I failed to articulate earlier is wondering how on earth one emulates a class feature, an ability score, a race, or so on? Alignment is perhaps the easiest to invision; simply being able to "roleplay" someone with radically different views. The others seem extremely odd, however. I'm not rejecting them, just wondering how on earth to describe what it is the character is doing?
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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That doesn't help so much, but not because it's a bad explanation; rather, I've heard it before. I guess what really gets me and what I failed to articulate earlier is wondering how on earth one emulates a class feature, an ability score, a race, or so on? Alignment is perhaps the easiest to invision; simply being able to "roleplay" someone with radically different views. The others seem extremely odd, however. I'm not rejecting them, just wondering how on earth to describe what it is the character is doing?
Yeah, the explanation doesn't work for class feature/ability score, race, etc. It really only works for spell triggers. The only thing I can think of for the others is that the rogue is hacking the magic in the item itself, screwing with the enchantment on it such that the user is seen as passing the enchantment's test.
Compare to a key card and lock. There are two ways of getting into a lock when you don't have a key card - get a phony key card (the spell trigger use) or reprogram the lock (everything else) to make it think you have the right key.
It's a pretty crappy explanation, but it's the best I've got.
It's the best I've heard, too. I'll work on developing my thinking along those lines and using that in my games. Thanks.
Just posing a question here:
Would any of you allow someone to use this skill with a holy symbol in an attempt to emulate a cleric's ability to turn undead?
Kind of. The rogue wouldn't actually be able to turn undead. But devices that react to a turning attempt (such as a certain door in a certain sunless citadel) can be activated through a successful UMD check.
My thought is that I wouldn't even get into this sort of thing until I was at a much higher level (assuming that's when we would find items that would have these requirements), at which point my UMD will be pretty high (planning on maxing it out at each level, so 14 + Int + Synergy at 10th level).
As Delveg has already noted, UMD is based off of Charisma, not Intelligence.