Failed UMD uses a charge?

[Ki_Ryn]

If you try to activate a wand and fail, does it use a charge?

One the one hand, the SRD says

Quote:

You make a Use Magic Device check each time you activate a device such as a wand.

which makes me think it does use a charge (as activating a device uses a charge).

On the other hand, it says

Quote:

Use Magic Device lets you use a magic item as if you had the spell ability or class features of another class

So if you fail, its as if you DON'T have the spell ability needed and so would not use a charge (like a Fighter without UMD trying to use a wand - he can't waste charges even if he wants too).

[Dane Pitchford]

Most groups I've played with run it as not using a charge when you fail the UMD check. Mainly because failing the check means the device doesn't activate at all.

[karkon]

If you fail by 10 or more on while trying to activate blindly you have a mishap which

Quote:

A mishap means that magical energy gets released but doesn't do what you wanted it to do

so an argument could be made that under that condition a charge or daily use might be expended on an item.

[Happler]

karkon wrote:

If you fail by 10 or more on while trying to activate blindly you have a mishap which

Quote:

A mishap means that magical energy gets released but doesn't do what you wanted it to do

so an argument could be made that under that condition a charge or daily use might be expended on an item.

but only for activating blindly, since using a wand is listed separately, there should be no way to us a charge on a fail. ( at least on how I read RAW, I could be wrong.)

[karkon]

There should be no way but some in game circumstances might call for it. An example might be where a wand has a special command word and you have to use activate blindly until you figure out that word. After that you only have to use the wand rule.