Casting from wands, and things that modify spells...


Rules Questions


1) When you cast a spell from a wand, does anything modify that spell? For example, let's say a 4th level character has a trait that adds 1 to the Caster Level of Cure Spells. When that character uses a wand of CLW, is it just 1d8+1 or 1d8+5?

2) Can you apply such a trait to a spell via Craft Wand?

Sczarni

You don't cast spells from a wand. They are spell trigger items that require activation.


Wizards have the arcane discovery Staff-like Wand.

Staff-Like Wand:
Your research has unlocked a new power in conjunction with using a wand.

Prerequisite: You must be at least an 11th-level Wizard and must have the Craft Staff feat to select this discovery.

Benefit: Similar to using a magic staff, you use your own Intelligence score and relevant feats to set the DC for saves against spells you cast from a wand, and you can use your caster level when activating the power of a wand if it’s higher than the caster level of the wand.

As for baking in a trait, it is the same as baking in a feat. The cost changes to that of the result. In this case, it costs the added caster level to get the added caster level. Only important if you are trying to create a wand greater than your own caster level.

/cevah


Nefreet wrote:
You don't cast spells from a wand. They are spell trigger items that require activation.

This is my question too, and I'd like confirmation on it. At first glance, it doesn't seem like those are two mutually exclusive things:

"Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity."

I see the "from a wand" part, but it's still the user, not the wand, that's casting the spell.


From the FAQ

Quote:

Items as Spells: Does using a potion, scroll, staff, or wand count as "casting a spell" for purposes of feats and special abilities like Augment Summoning, Spell Focus, an evoker's ability to do extra damage with evocation spells, bloodline abilities, and so on?

No. Unless they specifically state otherwise, feats and abilities that modify spells you cast only affect actual spellcasting, not using magic items that emulate spellcasting or work like spellcasting.

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