Use Magic Device and Wondrous Items

[DungeonmasterCal]

I can't find a DC for the UMD skill to activate a Wondrous Item. One of my players found a Cloak of the Manta Ray last night and used it to save a valuable NPC from drowning. I had him make a check vs DC 25 to use it, not really knowing what else to do. Does anyone have any better insight or ideas about Wondrous Items and UMD?

[kinevon]

Activate blindly 25
Activate Blindly: Some magic items are activated by special words, thoughts, or actions. You can activate such an item as if you were using the activation word, thought, or action, even when you're not and even if you don't know it. You do have to perform some equivalent activity in order to make the check. That is, you must speak, wave the item around, or otherwise attempt to get it to activate. You get a +2 bonus on your Use Magic Device check if you've activated the item in question at least once before. If you fail by 9 or less, you can't activate the device. If you fail by 10 or more, you suffer a mishap. A mishap means that magical energy gets released but doesn't do what you wanted it to do. The default mishaps are that the item affects the wrong target or that uncontrolled magical energy is released, dealing 2d6 points of damage to you. This mishap is in addition to the chance for a mishap that you normally risk when you cast a spell from a scroll that you could not otherwise cast yourself.

So, DC 25, activate blindly is pretty much what you need for that, if they don't know the activation stuff.

[Jeff Merola]

Ignoring the "emulate" abilities of UMD, which should be pretty self evident of when they're relevant, the only part of UMD that's used with most wondrous items is the "Activate Blindly: DC 25" check if you have no idea what the item in question is.

By default UMD wouldn't help in the situation you describe as there's nothing in it that allows for activating an item on someone else that isn't designed to be activated in that manner (Cloak of the Manta Ray is used by the wearer, for instance, not by someone else on the wearer).

[_Ozy_]

The cloak activates automatically in salt water, it doesn't need to be activated by the wearer.

[Deighton Thrane]

The cloak just works when you enter the water. It's not an activated item. They would likely need a spellcraft check to know what it is though.

Edit- Ninja'd by 1 second.

[DungeonmasterCal]

The PC had seen it used by the villainess as she tried to escape, but he mind controlled (he's a Psion Telepath) into returning to the ship before she swam out of range. Just a few rounds later he used it himself. I figured the Use Blindly was the one to go to, but I hadn't considered Jeff Merola's advice.

Thanks, guys.