RAW question. I have spend a bit looking and can’t find the answer.
I know the reason you can’t interfere with enemy magic items is, at least in part, because this is the first time you have ever come across that particular item and so you don’t know the details of it’s use, but I don’t know if there is another detail that prevents interaction with allies.
Example: If my ally is down and unconscious wearing a magic item that casts a cure spell on the wearer, can I spend my action to touch the item and activate it if I was familiar with how it functions? Would I need to touch it if it was command word activated and I they had shared the word with me? Would my ally being conscious alter either of these?
Any help would be much appreciated.
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When using magic items, the one activating them is the one using them. So activating an item that heals "you" generally heals the guy activating it, not the guy wearing it.
Some items can target another creature with the healing effect and so heal a companion.
There is the matter of wearing an item, too. If the item uses a body slot, it can be activated only by the person whose body slot is used up by the item.
Most items that aren't worn need to be in your possession, so you need to spend a move action grabbing it and then a standard action using it.
When using magic items, the one activating them is the one using them. So activating an item that heals "you" generally heals the guy activating it, not the guy wearing it.
Some items can target another creature with the healing effect and so heal a companion.There is the matter of wearing an item, too. If the item uses a body slot, it can be activated only by the person whose body slot is used up by the item.
Most items that aren't worn need to be in your possession, so you need to spend a move action grabbing it and then a standard action using it.
Is this stated or implied somewhere? Or is it in a faq I missed?
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Relevant citations:
To use a magic item, it must be activated, although sometimes activation simply means putting a ring on your finger.
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Command Word: ... A command word can be a real word, but when this is the case, the holder of the item runs the risk of activating the item accidentally by speaking the word in normal conversation.
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Use Activated: This type of item simply has to be used in order to activate it. A character has to drink a potion, swing a sword, interpose a shield to def lect a blow in combat, look through a lens, sprinkle dust, wear a ring, or don a hat.
Slot: Most magic items can only be utilized if worn or wielded in their proper slots. If the item is stowed or placed elsewhere, it does not function. If the slot lists “none,” the item must be held or otherwise carried to function.
Activation: To activate a scroll, a spellcaster must read the spell written on it.
To activate a staff, a character must hold it forth in at least one hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures).
To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area.
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Diego Rossi is right.
In the case of some held items there is no reason you cannot pick up your fallen comrade's item and use it on them. Picking up an item is a move action so you will need to do that before using it. This will provoke an AoO. If the item allows you to target others there is no reason you cannot use it to target its original owner.
Relevant citations:
To use a magic item, it must be activated, although sometimes activation simply means putting a ring on your finger.
...
Command Word: ... A command word can be a real word, but when this is the case, the holder of the item runs the risk of activating the item accidentally by speaking the word in normal conversation.
...
Use Activated: This type of item simply has to be used in order to activate it. A character has to drink a potion, swing a sword, interpose a shield to def lect a blow in combat, look through a lens, sprinkle dust, wear a ring, or don a hat.
Slot: Most magic items can only be utilized if worn or wielded in their proper slots. If the item is stowed or placed elsewhere, it does not function. If the slot lists “none,” the item must be held or otherwise carried to function.Activation: To activate a scroll, a spellcaster must read the spell written on it.
To activate a staff, a character must hold it forth in at least one hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures).To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area.
Thanks for these references. Looks like it primarily comes implicitly through a series of other specific examples instead of a direct statement. Still, it is consistent across those examples, so that's that.
Looks like it primarily comes implicitly through a series of other specific examples instead of a direct statement.
Maybe you should read the whole rules first. Here are the Magic Item rules, or check CRB pgs. 458f.
Then, look at the what the item in quesiton says. This is one of those cases that don't make much sense to address in a vacuum, as not everything is written in general rules, and a lot of information is in the individual item's descriptions. For example the Gossamer Amberstone says " Once per day, the wearer can use cure light wounds." It says wearer, which means you need to wear it.
Oh, and one more thing, just in case: Pathfinder rules are written by people for people, not by lawyers for lawyers. They aren't written like legal documents that have to be 100% loophole proof because otherwise the company can get sued for billions or a murderer gets free or something like that. They're written with the assumption that a human being interprets them using common sense.
That means if the rules say "Many magic items need to be donned by a character who wants to employ them or benefit from their abilities.", and an item says "Slot neck", that means it's one of the "many" mentioned.
The rules also assume a basic undertanding of the English language, so don't go out and expect to be given a definition of "wearer", that's what dictionaries are for.
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As Derklord pointed out, the wondrous items are the more diverse bunch when speaking of activation and the need to wear/own them. You need to check each one to know how they work.
A Flying Carpet can be activated and directed (as long as it is in voice range) without touching it (and that poses the interesting question if I can deactivate it while an opponent is using it if I know the command word),
Wings of Flying can be activated only by the wearer.
An Instant Fortress is activated by a command word, but the door faces the owner.
It can be activated only by the owner?
Do you need a receipt to prove that you are the owner? ;-)
Or it is "attuned" to an owner after a few days of possession?
As Derklord pointed out, the wondrous items are the more diverse bunch when speaking of activation and the need to wear/own them. You need to check each one to know how they work.
A Flying Carpet can be activated and directed (as long as it is in voice range) without touching it (and that poses the interesting question if I can deactivate it while an opponent is using it if I know the command word),
Wings of Flying can be activated only by the wearer.
An Instant Fortress is activated by a command word, but the door faces the owner.
It can be activated only by the owner?
Do you need a receipt to prove that you are the owner? ;-)
Or it is "attuned" to an owner after a few days of possession?
Yeah, the diversity of activation descriptions was why I was wondering about this, particularly since in order to make these items the feat is called Create Wondrous Item. Under the magic item creation rules it references "use activated" and "command word", but most of the context we have for when and how those terms can be used come from either the use rules, like how wands are always wielded, or in reference to how all the different wondrous items function.
It made me wonder, for example, if you could make a slotless suit of armor that casts Dominate Person on the wearer because it, like the Mirror of Mental Prowess, uses the language "The controller" to refer to the person who is actually attuned to it. And then, if that is viable, if you could instead use the targeting language that many items use, aka "on the wearer", to create a magic item that casts a spell "on the wearer" in exchange for another person's standard action. And then, most forbidden of all, if THAT was true, could you make an item that casts a personal spell on "the wearer". After all, abilities like the Wizard's Share Spells doesn't work with wands or items because the magic item, not the wearer, is casting the spell.
That was part of why I was looking for a specific rule, although when I asked it wasn't clear to me that only 1 person at a time can access a magic item's abilities, instead of anyone who knew it's activation conditions. Just looking at the items descriptions for activation input and targeting output, it seemed like you could use both of those lines of text, or any of their many variations, on the same magic item to enable this kind of interaction.
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One of the principles, when making custom magic items, is to look if something similar exists, and base it on the original item.
Another principle, not written in the rules, is that an item that gives action advantages, for example, items that allow you to benefit from other people's actions are generally very rare and costly (wand, staves, and scrolls are exceptions, but those cast spells that hopefully are already balanced for what they do).
Ultimate campaign has some notes about crafting custom magic items.
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That was part of why I was looking for a specific rule, although when I asked it wasn't clear to me that only 1 person at a time can access a magic item's abilities, instead of anyone who knew it's activation conditions. Just looking at the items descriptions for activation input and targeting output, it seemed like you could use both of those lines of text, or any of their many variations, on the same magic item to enable this kind of interaction.
the closest i can find is the FAQ that talk about how to use a weapon or shield ability one must use it for it's intended purpose while activating it. as in - to use a defending weapon ability one must use it while attacking. this would make it seem that items only work when used properly and that would make other people trying to use them while they are in the possession of another more then hard (unless were talking about cursed items). and to qoute:
'Unless otherwise specified, you have to use a magic item in the manner it is designed (use a weapon to make attacks, wear a shield on your arm so you can defend with it, and so on) to gain its benefits."