Spellcasting Items

Systems and Tools

Spellcasting Items are, as the name suggests, items from which spells may be cast. On Avlis, how a spellcasting item is used depends on whether or not it was created by a player character using the artificing system. Artificed wands and scrolls are activated using a character's own spellcasting ability, or their Spellcraft skill, or their Use Magic Device skill. Other spellcasting items found in-game may be used without any of the above, but may receive bonuses from the player character's Use Magic Device skill.

Spellcraft and Use Magic Device

If you try to use a scroll or wand with a spell that you cannot cast, you may attempt a Use Magic Device skill check. If one or more of your classes can eventually cast the spell (including cleric domain spells), you may make a Spellcraft check instead. Untrained skills are not used (both Use Magic Device and Spellcraft require training).

Spellcraft checks are only available when you attempt using a scroll or wand with a spell that you will eventually be able to cast (i.e., higher level spells than you can currently cast, including cleric domain spells). If you are a divine caster attempting to use an item with an arcane spell or an arcane caster trying to an item with a divine spell, you may only make a Use Magic Device check - not a Spellcraft check. If you do not have Use Magic Device as a trained skill, the attempt will fail.

The system will compare modified skill levels vs. DCs (see below) and use the skill with the highest chance of success between the two for your character. Since Spellcraft has a lower DC for scroll use, it may be used even if it is slightly lower than the modified Use Magic Device skill, if the chance of success is greater.

If you have at least 5 trained skill ranks in the lower skill, you will get a +2 synergy bonus for the check.

DCs

25 + spell level for UMD scroll checks.
20 + spell level for staff and wand UMD checks.
20 + spell level for all Spellcraft checks.

Use Magic Device Item Spellcasting Bonus

Those with Use Magic Device skill will receive +1 to caster level and spell DC for every 5 base skill ranks in Use Magic Device when using any spell-casting items, except for potions or artificed wands and scrolls.