Im a little sketchy on the entire magic item usage process. Can anyone clarify...
My party finds a wand of some sort.
One of the characters casts detect magic and uses spellcraft to identify it as a Wizard I, Magic Missile Wand.
If nobody had detect magic, could they identify it with just spellcraft or a Knowledge:Arcana roll?
The CRB says there is a 30% chance there is some clue on the wand as to its nature. Does this mean a 30% of it being obvious what it does or merely making the identify roll easier?
Now that they know what it is, they want to use it but have no wizards in the group, which is required to use this Spell Trigger item.
Someone has to Use Magic Device in order to use the wand, a DC20 attempt each time they try and trigger it.
If they had not been able to identify it, could they try and trigger it blindly with a DC25, facing a possible mishap?
Is that pretty much correct?
Really? Nobody? Am I on the right track here?
Spellcraft requires detect magic (or an functionally equivalent spell such as identify) to identify the properties of the item. Knowledge (arcana) is of no help, as it only identifies spell effects (say, an arcane mark on the wand), not item properties. Appraise can determine that the wand is magic with a sufficient roll, but it won't identify the actual properties.
The CRB states that a 30% chance of a wand providing a clue as to the item's nature. For example, a wand of fireballs might have a head carved in the shape of a dragon or phoenix, or it might have Ignan poetry carved along its length, or it might feel warm to the touch. It's up to the GM how obvious that clue is. As far as I know, it has no specified effect on the Spellcraft check made to identify its properties.
If anyone in the party has magic missile on her class's spell list, she can use the wand, even if she cannot actually cast that spell (or any spells at all) at her current level. If not, she will have to use Use Magic Device--probably twice.
If you don't know the command word for the wand, then you'd have to make a Use Magic Device: Activate Blindly (DC 25) check to activate the wand. If you've succeeded at this before with that wand, you'd get a +2 to the check. Failure by 10 or more causes a mishap. Failing with a natural 1 means that she try again for 24 hours.
If you succeed at that check, you still have to make another Use Magic Device check (DC 20) to use the wand. Failing with a natural 1 on this check also disables the wand for 24 hours for that person, just like before, though there is no chance of mishap.
Two checks are required because you must overcome all limitations separately. The first check only bypasses the lack of knowledge of the wand's command word; the second check bypasses the need to have that wand's spell on your spell list (Edit: The order of these checks is unspecified, so it might be better to try the "use wand" check first.).
Both of these rolls are part of the standard action required to activate the wand, so if she can make both rolls (unlikely at low levels), she can use the wand normally.
Use Magic Device is extremely difficult to use reliably at low levels, as no roll has a DC of less than 16 (emulating an ability score of 1), and nothing the party is likely to actually try has a DC of less than 20. At higher levels, with appropriate skills and/or feats, it can be a guaranteed success for most items.
For your party's situation: the party would do well to acquire a reliable source of detect magic. Even an allied NPC would do. Barring that, there are some ways to get a cantrip as a spell-like ability, or the party might acquire a spellsight bracer, a wand of detect magic (almost any caster can use this), or a similar item.
Ok, so typically for low levels they would have to carry the item back to some magic-using professional and have them cast Detect Magic and identify the item for them.
Otherwise they are forced to just put the ring on, use the sword of what have you and take thier chances if its an automatic type item. Those requiring an action of some sort to trigger are pretty much useless until identified.
Pretty much. Since detect magic is on almost every caster's spell list, it's expected that at least one party member will have it. But sometimes everybody plays a martial type, or the "party" is only one or two PCs. In that case, best to simply do your best to figure out that it's magical, then either have an NPC friend identify it, Diplomacy any two-bit hedge witch or adept into casting it (since it doesn't even cost them a spell per day), or as a last resort pay the aforementioned two-bit caster 10 gp to cast it. (Less, if you treat cantrips as half-level for all pricing purposes.)
... or as a last resort pay the aforementioned two-bit caster 10 gp to cast it. (Less, if you treat cantrips as half-level for all pricing purposes.)
Table on CRB p159:
Spellcasting .. Caster level × spell level × 10 gp[3][3] See spell description for additional costs. If the additional costs put the spell’s total cost above 3,000 gp, that spell is not generally available. Use a spell level of 1/2 for 0-level spells to calculate the cost.
Only costs 5 gp.
/cevah
Not sure Im clear on why two rolls are needed to use an item blindly.
Thanks, I couldn't find the reference for that "3" when I posted.
So I typed up a post explaining the two checks thing when I noticed that PF wands don't use command words. Huh. Apparently anybody can activate a wand so long as the contained spell is on the class's spell list. So the character could use either "Use a wand" or "Activate blindly" to activate the wand. I'd recommend the latter.
Sorry for the mixup. I must have carried that memory over from 2nd edition or something.
But sometimes everybody plays a martial type, or the "party" is only one or two PCs. In that case, best to simply do your best to figure out that it's magical, then either have an NPC friend identify it,
Don't forget that the Appraise skill can tell you whether items have magical properties, so even if you have no casters with Detect Magic, ANYONE can put ranks into appraise easily enough - at least this way you'll usually know that an item is magical (or not) so you know what to bring to the NPC and what not to bring.
Ok, so in the case of the want, anybody can pick up a few ranks in spellcraft and although not being able to identify the item (Detect Magic), could essentially trigger it blindly and see the effect.
Activating a magical item blindly requires the Use Magic Device skill.
Ok, so those are the mechanics. What does a spellcaster experience when they cast Detect Magic? It says they detect an aura; Is this aura just different colored lights, or could it be certain smells, sounds or other imagery related to the spell?
Wand of Magic Missiles: upon casting Detect Magic you note a particular colored aura of whitish light radiating from the device; this light is tinged with red. (After caster succeeds at all appropriate skill checks) The crimson veins in the aura denotes this spell as an Evocation. As you watch, the discoloration forms into runic symbols within the pool of white light. These eldritch glyphs, when pronounced correctly form many of the key intonations of the spell Magic Missile.
Result: you found a wand of magic missile.
Does this sound about right? Anyone else do it differently?
Yes, your right of course Mapleswitch, I mistyped.
As for the percieved detail in the Detect Magic spell I suppose every class's version could be different in description, though identical in effect. Up to the DM I suppose on how he wants to relate it. Id be willing to bet the vast majority simply say..."You cast the spell and see that its a Wand of Magic Missles." without any further effort.
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Yes, your right of course Mapleswitch, I mistyped.
As for the percieved detail in the Detect Magic spell I suppose every class's version could be different in description, though identical in effect. Up to the DM I suppose on how he wants to relate it. Id be willing to bet the vast majority simply say..."You cast the spell and see that its a Wand of Magic Missles." without any further effort.
Really, the description, as mentioned, would be up to the GM and players to come to a mutual agreement on.
For the most part, when I GM or play, it comes to:
1st round: You detect the presence of magic in the direction you are scanning.
2nd round: You detect that there are X sources of magic in the area you are detecting. (How many of these are new, how many are leftover spoell stuff, and how many are from your teammates/allies who are oin your area of effect varies.)
3rd round: You can now concentrate on one of the auras and try to determine additional information about it. --- That aura is a faint/weak/strong/etc. aura of Illusion/Abjuration/etc. (basic) If you make the skill check, you think that it is such-and-so spell/spell effect.
And so on.
You can add the sensory input, if you want to, but if you do, expect the players/PCs to start metagaming, if your auras are consistent in description. "Okay, last week, we know that reddish veins in the aura denoted Evocation magic. This one shows a lot of reddish veins, so it should be a more powerful Evocation spell than Magic Missile. Maybe Fireball or Lightning Bolt?"
So I typed up a post explaining the two checks thing when I noticed that PF wands don't use command words. Huh. Apparently anybody can activate a wand so long as the contained spell is on the class's spell list. So the character could use either "Use a wand" or "Activate blindly" to activate the wand. I'd recommend the latter.
Huuuuu, I always played this the hard way! @_@
So I typed up a post explaining the two checks thing when I noticed that PF wands don't use command words. Huh. Apparently anybody can activate a wand so long as the contained spell is on the class's spell list. So the character could use either "Use a wand" or "Activate blindly" to activate the wand. I'd recommend the latter.Huuuuu, I always played this the hard way! @_@
And I goofed again in recommending the latter instead of the former.
Or did I? Maybe I'm just love mishaps. X D