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Can a caster activate a wand containing a spell from his spell list even if his associated ability score is too low to allow him to learn or cast said spell himself?
For example: Could a Sorcerer with a Charisma score of 13 activate a wand of stoneskin, a 4th Level spell requiring a Charisma score of 14 to learn and cast?
Emulate an Ability Score: To cast a spell from a scroll, you need a high score in the appropriate ability (Intelligence for wizard spells, Wisdom for divine spells, or Charisma for sorcerer or bard spells). Your effective ability score (appropriate to the class you’re emulating when you try to cast the spell from the scroll) is your Use Magic Device check result minus 15. If you already have a high enough score in the appropriate ability, you don’t need to make this check.
Edit never mind that only applies to scrolls.
What matters is if a low ability score prevents you from having the spell on you class spell list. Which I don't believe it does, so you should be able to use the wand without the use of UMD.
Can a caster activate a wand containing a spell from his spell list even if his associated ability score is too low to allow him to learn or cast said spell himself?
Wands use the spell trigger activation method.
Spell trigger items can be used by anyone whose class can cast the corresponding spell.
There is no needed ability score to activate a wand. The spell must either be on your class spell list, or you must use UMD.
Yes, wands don't care about what your ability score is, or what your caster level is. If it's on your spell list you're fine. This is also what allows a ranger to use a wand of cure light wounds right from level 1.
Assuming he didn't swap out his ability to cast spells (a safe assumption since only 1 archetype does).
"Bending" the rules now and hoping they don't break: Is there anything that would prevent a character with a sub-10 Charisma score from taking a level of Sorcerer in order to activate arcane wands?
"Bending" the rules now and hoping they don't break: Is there anything that would prevent a character with a sub-10 Charisma score from taking a level of Sorcerer in order to activate arcane wands?
No there isn't anything in the rules against it.
I don't think I'd tolerate it in my home game though.
"Bending" the rules now and hoping they don't break: Is there anything that would prevent a character with a sub-10 Charisma score from taking a level of Sorcerer in order to activate arcane wands?
[from GM point of view] Be my guest - butcher your class progression for ability to use sorcerer wands. You won't get wands I don't want you to have anyway. It would be nice if you could explain how you become Sorcerer incapable of actually casting spells... (ok, that is easy one: "my latent bloodline awakened? please? *hands GM the piece of cake or slice of pizza or chocolate*).