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I have been doing some research into threads on Ring of Revelations out of ultimate equipment and whether or not UMD can be used with it in order to acquire the use of a revelation. Two quotes from James Jacobs are often cited by either side of the argument.
Both quoted are from James Jacobs (who by the way I am very thankful for as he has answered many of my questions quickly)
Use Magic Device will let you trick an item into thinking you're a different class... but it does not grant the POWERS of that class. The way the ring of revelation is worded pretty much means you HAVE to be an oracle (aka you have to meet minimum level requirements in class abilities granted by the oracle class, since the powers granted directly affect that ability rather than grant you NEW abilities). Furthermore, the ring specifically says that it has no effect if worn by a non-oracle.
SO. Best case scenario, you could Use Magic Device to trick the ring into activating, but if you don't actually have class levels in oracle, the ring will do nothing more than take up a ring slot for you.
The second quote
from: PolydactylPolymath
Can an Oracle of a given mystery use UMD to emulate a different mystery in order to access the revelation coded into the ring?
For example: Suppose a Nature oracle who finds a ring of revelation containing "Sacred Council" from the Ancestor mystery. Can s/he use UMD to emulate the Ancestor mystery class feature and thereby access the "Sacred Council" revelation from the ring (assuming s/he continues to make the requisite UMD checks every hour to continue emulating the Ancestor mystery)?
from: James Jacobs
Yes. That's using the "emulate a class feature," in this case, the class feature of having the Ancestor mystery. I guess, in theory, you could do that if you were ANY class, though. Which may not be the way I've interpreted the ability before.As always, though, your GM has the last say.
In a home game this would be simple and good advice, simply ask the DM. For PFS it is more complicated. Priced as they are, they make for quite a gold investment if their use in this manner is left up to the DM. Is there a standardized ruling on this for PFS or is it truly up to the individual DM?
The relevant text from UMD:
Emulate a Class Feature: Sometimes you need to use a class feature to activate a magic item. In this case, your effective level in the emulated class equals your Use Magic Device check result minus 20. This skill does not let you actually use the class feature of another class. It just lets you activate items as if you had that class feature. If the class whose feature you are emulating has an alignment requirement, you must meet it, either honestly or by emulating an appropriate alignment with a separate Use Magic Device check (see above).
Reading as written it seems that this is what UMD is meant to do. But to muddy the waters further the d20PFSRD.com has the original James Jacobs quote in the sidebar and states that UMD would not work in this situation, and while far from official, many DMs use the SRD for clarifications.
Is anyone aware of any official rulings/clarifications or does someone have advice on how to handle this at the table?
The real crux is umd doesn't let you use a class feature you oretend to have. If I have an item with +2d6 channel as a prereq to give me +2 on all positive energy effects it works. If it needs me to spend channel energy effects md doesn't work as I have no chsnnel energy.
In the case of an oracle using umd to fake a different mystery they have the mystery class feature.
I agree, but in this case you are not using the mystery, it is simply the prereq. What would prevent you from Emulating Class Feature: XXX Mystery in order to use the ring to grant its revelation?
I agree, but in this case you are not using the mystery, it is simply the prereq. What would prevent you from Emulating Class Feature: XXX Mystery in order to use the ring to grant its revelation?
This is really a rules forum question.
On my table, you would only be allowed to use the ring and emulate a mystery if you are already an oracle of a different mystery. The ring description actually states that it only works for an oracle.
YMMV until official clarification.
A ring of revelation is a divine item attuned to a particular oracular mystery and containing a revelation associated with that mystery (see the oracle class description). While wearing the ring, an oracle has access to that revelation and may use it as if she had it as a normal class feature. The oracle must have the appropriate mystery to use the ring, and must meet the level requirements (if any) of the revelation itself; for example, a ring of revelation (combat healer) is only usable by an oracle of at least 7th level with the battle mystery. If the oracle already has that revelation and the revelation gives an ability with a limited number of uses per day, the oracle can use that ability one additional time per day. The ring has no effect if worn by a non-oracle.
This seems pretty straightforward. UMD only gets you so far.
To be abunda tly clear umd does not let tou ever pretend to be a class or actually use the class feature being emulated. To use the ring you /have/ to be an oracle.
Patrick, except that the whole point of UMD is to bypass class and level restrictions and let you use magic devices you don't qualify for.You make your UMD roll and the ring activates. It searches for the mystery within you to change into another mystery. Not finding such a mystery, (because you're not an oracle) the ring sputters for a moment and then falls back to quiescence.
The ring can't act on something you don't have.
Not only that, but you can't use UMD to emulate a Class, only a class feature.
Not only that, but you can't use UMD to emulate a Class, only a class feature.Patrick, except that the whole point of UMD is to bypass class and level restrictions and let you use magic devices you don't qualify for.You make your UMD roll and the ring activates. It searches for the mystery within you to change into another mystery. Not finding such a mystery, (because you're not an oracle) the ring sputters for a moment and then falls back to quiescence.
The ring can't act on something you don't have.
Isn't using this ring a feature of being an oracle?
Put simply, isn't being a class a feature of the class??
It is hard to argue that being an Oracle isn't a feature of being an Oracle.