When using a staff you use your caster level and Save DC. For the DC, UMD allows you to emulate an ability score, so I'd assume that would allow you to increase the save DC, but what about caster level? Can you use the "emulate a class feature" ability of UMD to fake a caster level? There is the note in the core book that you use your caster level if higher than that of the staff. Does a rogue have a caster level of zero, or can he fake it? If he can, is there a limit?
I'm tempted to allow the UMD to emulate a caster level, but limit it to a max of the number of ranks in the skill. In theory a bard with a good charisma, max ranks, skill focus, and magical aptitude could emulate a caster level of 20 (DC 40 UMD) long before level 20.
opinions?
When using a staff you use your caster level and Save DC. For the DC, UMD allows you to emulate an ability score, so I'd assume that would allow you to increase the save DC, but what about caster level? Can you use the "emulate a class feature" ability of UMD to fake a caster level? There is the note in the core book that you use your caster level if higher than that of the staff. Does a rogue have a caster level of zero, or can he fake it? If he can, is there a limit?
I'm tempted to allow the UMD to emulate a caster level, but limit it to a max of the number of ranks in the skill. In theory a bard with a good charisma, max ranks, skill focus, and magical aptitude could emulate a caster level of 20 (DC 40 UMD) long before level 20.opinions?
I wouldn't worry about it. With a max of 10 charges, the bard, or any other caster for that matter, isn't likely to be able to recharge many staffs until he's high level anyway. Lots of staves use 3 or 4 charges per use, so he will only get off a couple nasty spells and then it's gone until he can find someone to recharge it for him or do it himself. Remember you have to be able to cast the highest level spell the staff contains in order to recharge it.
Unless the bard commissions a staff that has a token first level spell in order to allow him to recharge (you just have to be able to cast any one spell on the staff, regardless of level then give up a slot of the highest level spell represented on the staff). I, myself, am very curious on an official ruling.
I can think of some nasty possibilities using this (full attack bonus Transformation, enhancing durations, etc).
Unless the bard commissions a staff that has a token first level spell in order to allow him to recharge (you just have to be able to cast any one spell on the staff, regardless of level then give up a slot of the highest level spell represented on the staff). I, myself, am very curious on an official ruling.
I can think of some nasty possibilities using this (full attack bonus Transformation, enhancing durations, etc).
But you do have to be able to cast that higher level spell slot. So, you are talking about a 16th level Bard to be able to recharge that staff with Transformation.
But a rogue, with a wizard buddy to recharge their staff, could at 11th party level.
Also a sorcerer could use it to increase their caster level when using UMD and staves. If you can mimic a caster level then spell resistance is potentially less of an issue, and more dice at lower levels is always a good thing. Worst case scenario you fail at UMD, so you use your caster level.
Also a sorcerer could use it to increase their caster level when using UMD and staves. If you can mimic a caster level then spell resistance is potentially less of an issue, and more dice at lower levels is always a good thing. Worst case scenario you fail at UMD, so you use your caster level.This is perhaps the biggest problem, as a Sorcerer with the Arcane Bloodline can can have a staff as an Arcane Bond, thus enchant it at low levels...
Build that staff at 3rd level or so, and use Magic Missiles as CL9. Potentially 3(Ranks) + 4(CHA) + 3(SkillFocus) + 2(MagicalAptitude) + 3(ClassSkill) = +15 check. DC for 9th level is 29, so that is 14 or better. 12 if you only want 4 Magic Missiles.
Bigger problem at 6th with Fireball or LightningBolt. You want CL10 (DC30). You have 6 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 3 = +18. 12 or better gets you 10d6 fireball at 6th level. At 10th, it gets much, much better. 10 + 5 + 6 + 4 + 3 = 28. CL15, for things like Cone of Cold, is only 7 away. CL 20 is only 12 away. You have to save the spells for the right time, and use them sparingly, but the eventual benefit is potentially quite good. Especially with boosting your casting stat (and thus your DC's) with another UMD check, though, in this example, it would not be worth trying to do this. That's more of a rogue thing. But what about Divine caster level or spells? Boosting to have en effective 20 or 22 Wis would be good if you were Flamestrike-ing.
You can't enchant it until you qualify for the feat.
A sorcerer with the Arcane bloodline cannot craft a staff as a magic staff until level 11. Change from Beta to Final - you can enchant your arcane bond when you meet the caster level prerequisite (so no early access to ring or staff or arms).
I might allow the UMD for the ability score with a staff, but I don't see a reason to allow caster level UMD. There's just a limit to what a non-caster can do with a staff, in my opinion.
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RAI I believe intends for the use magic device skill to be used to meet the pre-requisites for using magical devices. Since staves do not have caster level or stat pre-reqs I would rule they could not be increased as there are no rules for increasing the caster level.
RAW, I think it is slightly ambiguous. Not so much the caster level, as I think that still isn't allowed, but the stat emulation as that is specifically detailed.
If you were going to allow it, I would house rule it to caster level = ( use magic device check - 25 ). That way the Rogue could get a result equal to the party wizards casting level, but it isn't very likely unless they had a high charisma and took a couple feats/traits. A first lvl char with charisma 16 could possibly have a +13 or so. 4( ranks/class skill ) + 3( ability bonus) + 3( skill focus ) + 2( feat ) + 1 or 2( trait: not sure what the actual bonus is ) so 13 or 14.
has there been any official ruling on whether UMD can emulate caster level?
It has come up in one of my games. In that case, determining caster level is an issue because, although the user has an arcane caster level, the spell in the staff is divine. Do they use their arcane caster level, the minimum caster level, and/or can they emulate a caster level with UMD? similarly, does the user use their casting stat (Int in this case), the stat for UMD (Cha) or the stat for divine casting (Wis)?