Spell Use:
"At 7th level, a stygian slayer is able to use spell completion and spell trigger items as if he were an arcane caster with these spells on his spell list: darkness, forced quiet, modify memory, nondetection, obscuring mist, phantom steed, shadow walk, and wizard spells of the illusion school of spell level 0 through 4th. The slayer's uses his class level as his caster level for this ability.
This ability replaces stalker."
Ok, so I can use those spells on consumables without needing a UMD check. I'm fine with that. But what does the last part about using my level as a caster level mean? Are my consumables set at my level, not the creators (perhaps too much to hope) or does it do something else entirely?
If the spell on an item has a higher caster level than yours, you have to make a caster level check. The effective caster level from the ability is so that at some point you can just do it instead of rolling 1d20 and hoping it works
Thank you for clarifying. Disappointing, but hey, at least I get to use my DM mandated consumables budget on wand charges of Greater Invisibility.
Late to the party here, but just want to point out that staves use the character's caster level to determine effects. It's the one thing that makes staves interesting versus nearly any other magic item.
Sorry for the necropost but I need to ask this.
The problem I see with this (and unless I'm missing something) is that you need to spend one spell slot (and know the spell(s) contained) in order to recharge it. Let's say you get the staff from some random loot in a dungeon and you, as a slayer, find out that it contains spells that you can actually use.
You spend all the charges and how exactly can you re-charge them? Even if you ask someone to craft it, which will end up being more expensive (and assuming there's not a spellcaster in your party to help you with that) chances are that you won't find that person again if you're adventuring.
Some months ago I started a new campaing with a slayer. My DM decided to let me "re-roll" the archetype because some story twist and a long downtime in between. He suggested the Stygian slayer. As I read it, I checked this "Spell Use" trait (this is why I've found this thread) and I noticed how some wands and scrolls are... kinda the way to go. Any advice on this, though? I'm not used to spellcaster classes or classes that can use spells at all.
'Nother Necro ...
As I see it, there will be some excellent options for scrolls and wands, and other crappy ones due to minimum DC's and caster levels.
E.g. a Scroll of Forced Quiet will be near useless with the single round duration. Compare that to a Scroll of Blur which will be a lovely 20 % miss chance for 3 mins. More than enough for your standard encounter.
However, I have the same question as TheCyrus RE: staves. How does a Stygian Slayer recharge then? Can they even recharge them at all? Could they recharge them from scrolls? Do you pay a spellcasted normal rates to recharge instead?
Or is a grey area up to DM approval?
A Staff of Stealth almost seems tailor-made for the Stygian Slayer, but if it is a use an remove item, it wouldn't be worth it to purchase.
You get one of your pals to recharge it. Or a cohort. Or hire it done. Or intimidate it done.
But IMHO wands are the way to go. That's why you charge so much for assassinations, right?