Is there any reason why a character with the Use Magic Device skill couldn't make a DC 20 skill check to emulate a cleric's channeling class feature and so activate a phylactery of positive channeling?
Aura moderate necromancy [good]; CL 10th
Slot headband; Price 11,000 gp; Weight —
Description
This item allows channelers of positive energy to increase the amount of damage dealt to undead creatures by +2d6. This also increases the amount of damage healed by living creatures.
Construction Requirements
Craft Wondrous Item, creator must be a 10th-level cleric; Cost 5,500 gp
No; the item is only enhancing an ability the character might already have, not giving him that ability.
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Sure, but it does not give you a the ability to channel. By doing this, all times where you channel positive energy (0 times a day as a non-cleric/paladin), will gain 2d6 damage vs undead.
Now, if you had that phylactery plus an item that gave you the ability to channel positive energy, you would be good.
Perhaps I'm mistaken, but it seems to me that emulating a class feature (in this case a cleric's channeling) would be all that's needed to activate the phylactery. Otherwise, what does it mean to emulate a class feature?
Perhaps I'm mistaken, but it seems to me that emulating a class feature (in this case a cleric's channeling) would be all that's needed to activate the phylactery. Otherwise, what does it mean to emulate a class feature?
Sure, you emulate the channel energy class feature and the phylactery now works for you. Congratulations: Your channel now gets 2 extra dice.
The problem is that you don't actually have that class feature, so you cannot use those two extra dice.
Emulate means that you can make the item think you have the ability. You don't actually get the ability.
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Perhaps I'm mistaken, but it seems to me that emulating a class feature (in this case a cleric's channeling) would be all that's needed to activate the phylactery. Otherwise, what does it mean to emulate a class feature?
Well, it is great if your rogue finds a +2 Furious shortsword. Since Furious states:
When the wielder is raging or under the effect of a rage spell, the weapon's enhancement bonus is +2 better than normal.
If the rogue used "Use Magic Device" to fake having rage, the weapon would be a +4 weapon in their hands.
The rogue in this case does not actually gain rage (with the bonus to str, minus to AC, etc..) , but they do trick the weapon into thinking that they have rage.
Alright, I think I understand. It seems a fine distinction between activating an item and making use of its power though. Tricky stuff.
Thanks for the help. =)
Alright, I think I understand. It seems a fine distinction between activating an item and making use of its power though. Tricky stuff.
To use a metaphor:
The tricky rogue with many ranks in UMD can hack and forge like nobody's business. He just hacked around, and got himself the Pathfinder Advantage. This Pathfinder Advantage is usually only for subscribers of Pathfinder Adventure Paths, and grants you 15% to most things bought in the paizo store.
The rogue can now buy with his 15% discount because he pretends to be a subscriber and thus gets the advantage.
That's the metaphor for something like the furious weapon ability.
Then, he hacks himself into the computers of Pomegranate, the popular, well-known (and totally fictitious) company doing those great smartphones and other electronic gadgets (the uPhone, the uPlayer, the uBook, and, of course, the popular vacuum cleaner uSuck) and managed to register himself as new owner of an uPhone, even though he doesn't have an uPhone.
Due to a promotion, every new customer who buys an uPhone and registers himself this month gets a welcome gift: A great protective cover in one of many, many stylish colours.
So now the rogue gets a nice package containing one FlashyRed uCover! He totally has that uCover.
But he doesn't have an uPhone, so he can't really do anything with it. (To further stretch this metaphor, let's assume uPhones are pear-shaped so no other phone will fit into the uCover!)
That's the phylactery.
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Alright, I think I understand. It seems a fine distinction between activating an item and making use of its power though. Tricky stuff.To use a metaphor:
The tricky rogue with many ranks in UMD can hack and forge like nobody's business. He just hacked around, and got himself the Pathfinder Advantage. This Pathfinder Advantage is usually only for subscribers of Pathfinder Adventure Paths, and grants you 15% to most things bought in the paizo store.
The rogue can now buy with his 15% discount because he pretends to be a subscriber and thus gets the advantage.
That's the metaphor for something like the furious weapon ability.
Then, he hacks himself into the computers of Pomegranate, the popular, well-known (and totally fictitious) company doing those great smartphones and other electronic gadgets (the uPhone, the uPlayer, the uBook, and, of course, the popular vacuum cleaner uSuck) and managed to register himself as new owner of an uPhone, even though he doesn't have an uPhone.
Due to a promotion, every new customer who buys an uPhone and registers himself this month gets a welcome gift: A great protective cover in one of many, many stylish colours.
So now the rogue gets a nice package containing one FlashyRed uCover! He totally has that uCover.
But he doesn't have an uPhone, so he can't really do anything with it. (To further stretch this metaphor, let's assume uPhones are pear-shaped so no other phone will fit into the uCover!)
That's the phylactery.
ROFL!! Awesome!
Some of the more verbatim oriented users on these forums might point out that it doesn't say "This item allows channelers of positive energy to increase the amount of damage dealt to undead creatures when channeling by +2d6". Therefore UMD is enough and you ought to get the +2d6 on every kind of damage you deal.
Trip thread anyone?
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Some of the more verbatim oriented users on these forums might point out that it doesn't say "This item allows channelers of positive energy to increase the amount of damage dealt to undead creatures when channeling by +2d6". Therefore UMD is enough and you ought to get the +2d6 on every kind of damage you deal.
Trip thread anyone?
By that same logic, a monk with UMD could "flurry of heals" someone due to the "This also increases the amount of damage healed by living creatures." line.
I think that I will stick with my, "does nothing" stance.. :P
Actually "This also increases the amount of damage healed by living creatures" has to mean that in every round I do my increased damage as a wearer any healing done by a living creature anywhere on the same plane (well, possibly anywhere) is increased by an, unfortunately not explicitly defined, amount.
We'll need a dev to clear THAT up ...