It's recently been brought to my attention that I may have been using the rules for wands and scrolls wrong the whole time I've been playing pathfinder (about 3 years.)
We had always ruled that as long as you could cast or prepare the spell, you could use the scroll or wand of that spell freely. (Ie: a Cleric that can cast 3rd level spells can use all wands and scrolls up to 3rd level provided they're on the cleric spell list, and the appropriate caster level rule for scrolls.)
Though recently I reread the section in the PHB on them and it makes me think differently. The PHB says that you can use a wand of any level provided that it is on your class spell list. So a 1st level wizard could get his hands on a Wand of Fireball and blast away because it's on his class' spell list? Or a 1st level sorcerer could active a scroll of Wish (provided he makes the caster level check) even though it isn't in his spells known?
It makes sense to me that I've been doing it wrong. Just looking for some clarification.
The example sorcerer can't, because miracle isn't on their spell list. Change it to Wish, though, and yes. Yes to the Wizard example, too. It's why a paladin or bloodrager can use wands from level 1.
Oops! Wish was the intention there. I'll edit that now.
And that really improves the versatility of spontaneous casters! I can't believe I haven't realized this until just now.
Just a side note, the one example (that I am aware of) where this is explicitly NOT the case is the occultist - but that's a strange class on several levels.
I don't have a ton of experience with the Occult classes, but I'll keep that in mind if I ever run into it.
What makes the Occultist different?
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Another note... While a 1st level wizard or sorcerer could theoretically cast Wish off of a scroll, they still need to make a caster level check to do so. The DC is 1+CL of the scroll.
So Wish=CL 17
DC=18
1st level Wizard=CL 1
They need to roll a 17 on the die in order to successfully activate the scroll.
Wands, on the other hand, do not have the CL check requirement. In fact, a class like Ranger or Paladin can use wands at 1st level even before they have a CL, as long as they have not selected an archetype which trades away spell casting.
The occultist is not considered to have spells on his spell list unless he has selected the implement for that school. At first level an occultist gets two schools; for example, they could pick transmutation and divination. Every spell on their list from the other schools (evocation, conjuration, etc) is NOT considered on their list and they have to make UMD checks like a fighter would to use scrolls/wands/staffs/etc. They get more schools as they level.
Another note... While a 1st level wizard or sorcerer could theoretically cast Wish off of a scroll, they still need to make a caster level check to do so. The DC is 1+CL of the scroll.
They also have to have a sufficient ability score. So in the case of wish the sorcerer would need a Charisma of 19.
In general, this oft-overlooked rule about using scrolls is a fantastic tactic. If you have access to a good marketplace, you can spend money on scrolls several levels above what you can cast, and have a very good shot at a great combat advantage for a given CR.
As we like to say at our gaming table:
"If you can throw money at the problem, what you have isn't a problem; it's an expense."
The example sorcerer can't, because miracle isn't on their spell list. Change it to Wish, though, and yes. Yes to the Wizard example, too. It's why a paladin or bloodrager can use wands from level 1.
It should be noted that while wands (and other spell-trigger items) are explicitly called out as useable from level 1, that does not apply to scrolls (I think, unless someone can show where it says so). You still need a caster level to use a scroll, even if it's eventually on your list, and "through 3rd level, a paladin has no caster level."
To my knowledge, using the 1st-level paladin as an example, there's no requirement that the paladin have a caster level, only the following:
To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.
- The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, and bards) can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his class.)
- The user must have the spell on her class list.
- The user must have the requisite ability score.
If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell's caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell's caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll's caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully.
I would expect a fourth bullet point stating that the user must have a caster level of 1 or higher in said class list. One could argue that the user's caster level isn't lower than the scroll spell's caster level because the comparison is nonsensical, but that seems overly pedantic even for me. Anyway, they've yet to FAQ it, and it's an old, old question.