I am looking for a way to UMD a wand of shield without using up a standard action if I can. So I am wondering if there are any good ways out there to go about this. Can I pay extra to apply a metamagic feat? Maybe there is another item of feat I can use in conjunction? The best I have found is a rather pricey rod that allows me to slot wands to use simultaniously...but it burns up charges pretty fast. For one standard I could fire up Shield, Mirror Image and Flame Blade, but it burns up 3 charges from each. I would rather find a way to fast cast the Shield on the cheap if I can.
Also...splat books are fine, but nothing non Wizards/Paizo.
From Complete Mage for 3.5 (same book which had a "rod of many wands" or some such) there is an item that allows you to apply metamagic feats to wands. I think it is called a Metamagic Wand Grip (or wandgrip, might have been one word). I don't recall whether or not you can use Quicken Spell with it, nor how much it costs, and I unfortunately don't have any books on me.
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I think there might be something in a Wizards 3.5 book... but it's been a long time for me and my knowledge of those sources is not what it once was.
Pathfinder. Nothing. A wand is a minimum standard action to be a wand. There is a feat that let's you do a type of wand spring attack, but that's it.
From Complete Mage for 3.5 (same book which had a "rod of many wands" or some such) there is an item that allows you to apply metamagic feats to wands. I think it is called a Metamagic Wand Grip (or wandgrip, might have been one word). I don't recall whether or not you can use Quicken Spell with it, nor how much it costs, and I unfortunately don't have any books on me.
I checked out the wand grip ( same books as the rod ) unfortunatley it requires you to have the feat. This is a problem since I am playing a UMD Warlock.
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From Complete Mage for 3.5 (same book which had a "rod of many wands" or some such) there is an item that allows you to apply metamagic feats to wands. I think it is called a Metamagic Wand Grip (or wandgrip, might have been one word). I don't recall whether or not you can use Quicken Spell with it, nor how much it costs, and I unfortunately don't have any books on me.I checked out the wand grip ( same books as the rod ) unfortunatley it requires you to have the feat. This is a problem since I am playing a UMD Warlock.
Quicken Spell has no prerequisites, so your warlock could take and use it just fine. Hell, a fighter could take it. Wouldn't do him any good, but he could take it.
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I am looking for a way to UMD a wand of shield without using up a standard action if I can. So I am wondering if there are any good ways out there to go about this. Can I pay extra to apply a metamagic feat? Maybe there is another item of feat I can use in conjunction? The best I have found is a rather pricey rod that allows me to slot wands to use simultaniously...but it burns up charges pretty fast. For one standard I could fire up Shield, Mirror Image and Flame Blade, but it burns up 3 charges from each. I would rather find a way to fast cast the Shield on the cheap if I can.
Also...splat books are fine, but nothing non Wizards/Paizo.
It depends on what you mean by your second post. Pathfinder uses the SRD rule that a wand takes a standard action or longer. The final D&D 3.5 rules, as printed in Rules Compendium, use the rule that wand activation requires the same action as casting the spell. (Rules Compendium, page 9, note 2). So, if Rules Compendium fits your needs, then a Wand of Quickened Shield would be a swift action. While metamagic feats like Quicken Spell can be incorporated into wands, I don't recall if this works within the max 4th level spell maximum for wands. I fully understand that Rules Compendium isn't necessarily a benchmark in 3.5 games, much less in Pathfinder games.
Fate you are correct..and that may be my only option. I am not sure if its worth taking a feat over, but thanks for the suggestion!
Howie, your idea is more what I had in mind, our campaign is mostly Pathfinder with a few throwback rules tossed in and we allow for splat books from the old core with some modification. To be honest this has never come up in our game so I think I will have to go to my DM and see if he will let me have this. Since its a first level spell it would be under 4th if quickend as I recall...so under the 3.5 rules I might be able to get this by.
It appears this all confirms there is no obvious item or trick out there that I missed...which is good to hear.
Any other creative ideas are still very welcome !
I know for sure that I specifically remember in the D&D FAQ, I believe, that a wand is Standard Action to activate even if the spell is normally casted as an Immediate or Swift Action...which is rather silly, I know. It seriously limits some spellcasting classes that have very useful spells (for example, the Ranger) that work best as their original casting times of Swift or Immediate Actions, but making them into Wands screws the character over.
I'm not sure about Quickened Spells in wands. Since the use is still a standard action, a Quickened spell in a wand is useless.
Also, Wands go up to 4th-level spells, but there's a 3.5 magic item from Lost Empires of Faerun that showcase Scepters, basically a stronger, and more expensive, wand that can hold up to two spells and up to 7th-level spells.
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I know for sure that I specifically remember in the D&D FAQ, I believe, that a wand is Standard Action to activate even if the spell is normally casted as an Immediate or Swift Action...which is rather silly, I know. It seriously limits some spellcasting classes that have very useful spells (for example, the Ranger) that work best as their original casting times of Swift or Immediate Actions, but making them into Wands screws the character over.
Thanks for pointing it out.
The passage you're referring to is on page 49 of the final FAQ (June 30, 2008). As you've indicated, it says that the casting time for a spell trigger item, such as a wand, is a standard action minimum, or longer if the spell's normal casting time is longer.
The passage that I referred to in Rules Compendium is at odds with that.
Complete Adventurer includes wands of golem strike and wands of grave strike, both personal spells with swift casting time and duration of 1 round, that grant sneak attack against those creature type. If the activation time for these items were a standard action were a standard action, they are usable only via an attack of opportunity or a resource that grants additional standard actions. These items, particularly when one of them appeared on a Living Greyhawk adventure record, resulted in rules discussions, debates, and questions that led eventually to the Rules Compendium rule.
In general, the final FAQ and RotG articles were cleaned up to be consistent with Rules Compendium. It's unfortunate that it's out of whack here.
All of this is only of Pathfinder interest within the degree to which someone brings rules from the non-OGC Rules Compendium into Pathfinder, so has probably about reached the limit of being on topic here.
Hmmm. Well it sounds like the rod, though expensive, might be my best option barring dm fiat. I appreciate the info...it's really surprising that there is no option for this...given the limitations of wands, it hardly seems game breaking.
I am assuming you are talking about Standard Wands being created by the Craft Wand Feat, 1-4th level spell able to be stored. 50 Charges.
(SL x CL x 750) = 50 Charges, Spell Trigger, have to have spell on your spell list
The Quicken Feat is useless, as it overshoots the 4th level max spell requrement.
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On the other hand, if you do not mind paying more, you could also create a Non-Standard Wand. Craft Wonderous Items would be what many would say use, althought the item could be a ring, staff, Armor or Arms.
Use-Actvated Wand, 50 Charges, Anyone can use, Can store 1-9th level spell in wand (if it is a wand).
(SL x CL x 1,8000) = Point and speak command = Cheaper
(SL x CL x 2,0000) = Point and just Use. = More expensive, but has some advantage when you need the effect to work, before you know, you need the effect to work.... like feather fall or Death ward.
Charged (50 charges) = Reduce cost by x2
PS = You can also make the spell = Quickend Feat = if you up the SL and CL needed to use the spell with the quicken Feat.
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For every magic item, there is usally 3-5 different ways of making said magic item, with different advantage and disadvantage, depending on how it is made, and what your willing to spend :)
I know for sure that I specifically remember in the D&D FAQ, I believe, that a wand is Standard Action to activate even if the spell is normally casted as an Immediate or Swift Action...which is rather silly, I know. It seriously limits some spellcasting classes that have very useful spells (for example, the Ranger) that work best as their original casting times of Swift or Immediate Actions, but making them into Wands screws the character over.The passage that I referred to in Rules Compendium is at odds with that.
Complete Adventurer includes wands of golem strike and wands of grave strike, both personal spells with swift casting time and duration of 1 round, that grant sneak attack against those creature type. If the activation time for these items were a standard action were a standard action, they are usable only via an attack of opportunity or a resource that grants additional standard actions. These items, particularly when one of them appeared on a Living Greyhawk adventure record, resulted in rules discussions, debates, and questions that led eventually to the Rules Compendium rule.
Oh really? I need to read Rules Compendium all the way through. I forget it trumps every other rule due to its release date.
I thought of that one too Oliver, but at tenth level it's way more cash than I have...much less to be able to cast a hastened first level spell.
Interesting, it was in "Rules of the Game", too, about Spell Trigger items using the same casting time as the spell. This is new to me.
But, yeah, Pathfinder doesn't state that, and it should.
There's an item that does pretty close to what you're looking for, Ring of Force Shield. I'm not the best at the magic item cost formulas, but it's approximately:
Bonus Squared x 2000
If you made it 3 charges per day it becomes:
Bonus Squared x 1200
If you increase it to +4 (like the Shield spell), you get a cost of about 19,200. Probably still a bit steep for your level, but you could lower the bonus and/or charges per day to make it more affordable. Call it a Greater Ring of Force Shield.
yeah Truth, You pretty much hit my intentions on the head. I was trying to find a way to get a better shield bonus than +2 for my Warlock. Been getting rocked lately, and I liked the fluff of having a " force field " type effect protecting me as opposed to bigger armor etc...Its looks to be pretty cost prohibitive for something that is essentially fluff though.
Ring of Protection + 5 = Normal 50,000 Retail / 25,000 Creation.
An expensive way, to make it cheaper. Give it charges, were every time someone takes a swing at you, it uses up a charge (wither it hits you or not). When last charge is used up, item is disenchanted or crumbles (DM option).
50 Charges = 25,000 gp retail / 12,500 gp creation
25 charges = 12,500 gp retail / 6,250 gp creation.
12 charges = 6,250 gp retail / 3,125 gp creation.
06 charges = 3,125 gp retail / 1,563 gp creation.
03 charges = 1,563 gp retail / 782 gp creation.
Anyway, an idea if you want to give the PC some better equipment, but with a duration built in, so that it goes away after a few adventures. Makes for a nice magic treasure drop.