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To my understanding, you must be able to detect the magic of an item using a spell like detect magic in order to use Spellcraft to identify it. If your roll on Spellcraft succeeds, you know all the properties of the items, including charges and means of activation.
I'd much prefer a system like making a knowledge skill to identify the properties of a creature. You have a base roll, and that identifies one property, and you learn one additional property for every 5 points you exceed the DC. I'm currently considering a house rule along these lines for a home game.
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Can you use Spellcraft to identify the properties of magic items?
Yes.
Or is it saying you have to use Spellcraft to be able to cast Detect Magic and Identify?
No, you can cast those spells without any ranks in Spellcraft.
If a party member finds an item he has identified as magical, via Detect Magic, will Spellcraft tell them it is +1 item, or whether it does certain functions, number charges, etc.?
On the third round of Detect Magic, you can make a Knowledge (arcana) check to determine the school of magic.
Using Spellcraft and Detect Magic, you can spend three rounds examining the item, then make a check to identify it. If successful, you know what the item is, what it does, what the command word is (if any), charges, etc.
Using Spellcraft without Detect Magic is similar, but the DC is way higher (DC 30 just for the command word). The rules for this are buried under Command Word magic items.
Can someone like a lvl 1 ranger that has ranks in spellcraft be able to identify a magical item if another party member has already cast detect magic on it but failed the spellcraft check?
I am currently playing an alchemist with plenty of spellcraft skill but no ability to detect magic. I have refrained from attempting to identify magic items that the cleric and druid in the party have failed their spellcraft rolls on. Not sure of the official ruling but I definitely got the sense that I must be able to detect magic to identify an item not just have outside knowledge that the item is magical in nature. Perhaps I am needlessly restricting myself...anyone??
Can you use Spellcraft to identify the properties of magic items?Yes.
Or is it saying you have to use Spellcraft to be able to cast Detect Magic and Identify?No, you can cast those spells without any ranks in Spellcraft.
If a party member finds an item he has identified as magical, via Detect Magic, will Spellcraft tell them it is +1 item, or whether it does certain functions, number charges, etc.?On the third round of Detect Magic, you can make a Knowledge (arcana) check to determine the school of magic.
Using Spellcraft and Detect Magic, you can spend three rounds examining the item, then make a check to identify it. If successful, you know what the item is, what it does, what the command word is (if any), charges, etc.
Using Spellcraft without Detect Magic is similar, but the DC is way higher (DC 30 just for the command word). The rules for this are buried under Command Word magic items.
The DC 30 check is for Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (history), and all that gives you is the command word. To use Spellcraft to identify a magic item's properties, you must use detect magic, identify, or a similar ability.
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I've always thought of it like this. Detect Magic gives you an image of the magic, like an X-Ray or MRI or a satellite photo. Spellcraft lets you interpret that image like a doctor/radiologist or photo interpreter does. So without detect magic, you're like a doctor relying on someone else's verbal description of what's on the X-ray. Without Spellcraft, you're looking at a somewhat blurry photo of a bunch of random stuff and not recognizing it as a Cuban Missile Site.