Use Magic Device

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Pathfinder Unchained

Ultimate Psionics

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Cha
Trained Only

If you’re trained in this skill, you can use it to read spells and activate a magic or psionic items as if you had the spell ability, psionic ability, or class features of another class, as if you were a different race, or as if you were of a different alignment. You make a Use Magic Device check each time you activate a magic item as part of the action required to activate that item. If you’re using the check to emulate an alignment or some other quality in an ongoing manner, you need to make the relevant Use Magic Device check once per hour.

You can’t take 10 with this skill. Nobody can use aid another on Use Magic Device checks. If you ever roll a natural 1 while attempting to activate an item and you fail, then you can’t try to activate that item again for 24 hours.

If you’re emulating a requirement, you must consciously choose which one to emulate. That is, you must know what you are trying to emulate when you make a Use Magic Device check for that purpose.

Use Magic Device task	Requires	Time	Retry	DC
Emulate ability score	—	—	Yes	15 + ability score
Emulate class feature	—	—	Yes	20
Emulate race	—	—	Yes	25
Emulate alignment	—	—	Yes	30
Activate blindly	—	Item’s action	Yes	25
Use spell trigger or power trigger item	—	Item’s action	Yes	20
Use spell completion or power completion Item	—	Item’s action	Yes	20 + caster or manifester level
Decipher written spell	—	1 round	Yes	25 + spell level
Address power stone	—	1 round	Yes	25 + power level

Emulate Ability Score: To cast a spell from a scroll or manifest a power from a power stone, you need a high ability score in the appropriate ability. Your effective ability score (appropriate to the class you’re emulating) is your check result –15. If you already have a high enough score in the appropriate ability, you don’t need to make this check.

Emulate Class Feature: Sometimes you need to use a class feature to activate a magic or psionic item. Your effective level in the emulated class equals your check result –20. This skill does not let you use the class feature of another class. It just lets you activate items as if you had the class feature.

If the class whose feature you are emulating has an alignment requirement, you must meet it, either honestly or by emulating an appropriate alignment as a separate check.

Emulate Race: Some magic or psionic items work only for certain races, or work better for those of certain races. You can use such an item as if you were a race of your choice. You can emulate only one race at a time.

Emulate Alignment: Some magic or psionic items have positive or negative effects based on your alignment. Use Magic Device lets you use these items as if you were of an alignment of your choice. You can emulate only one alignment at a time.

Activate Blindly: Some magic or psionic 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 10 or more with a magic item, 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.

If you fail the check by 10 or more with a psionic item, you suffer brainburn. This brainburn affects you in the same way as brainburn that can occur when you attempt to manifest a power from a power stone, except that the damage is 1d4 points per power level instead of 1d6. Brainburn damage from activating blindly is in addition to brainburn damage from manifesting a power from a power stone.

Use Spell Trigger or Power Trigger Item: Normally, to use a spell completion item or a power completion item (like a wand, staff, dorje, or psicrown), you must have the item’s spell or power on your class spell or power list. This use of the skill allows you to use such an item as if you had a particular spell or power on your class spell or power list. Failing the roll does not expend a charge.

Use Spell Completion or Power Completion Item: Normally, to use a spell completion or power completion item (like a scroll or a power stone), you must have the item’s spell or power on your class spell or power list. Use Magic Device allows you to use such and item as if you had a particular spell or power on your class spell or power list.

Casting a spell or manifesting a power from a spell completion or power completion item requires a minimum score (10 + spell level) in the appropriate ability. If you don’t have a sufficient score in that ability, you must emulate the ability score with a separate Use Magic Device check.

Before you use a power stone, you must first have addressed it to determine what powers it contains.

Decipher Written Spell: This works like deciphering a written spell with the Spellcraft skill, except with a higher DC.

Address Power Stone: This works like addressing a power stone using Spellcraft, except with a higher DC.

Skill Unlocks

If you have the Signature Skill feat, the rogue’s edge ability, or another ability that grants you the skill unlocks for this skill, you gain access to the following abilities when you have sufficient ranks.

5 Ranks: You can use the aid another action to assist another creature’s Use Magic Device check by attempting a check against the item’s Use Magic Device DC.

10 Ranks: If you roll a natural 1 when activating an item, you take a –10 penalty on Use Magic Device checks with that item for 24 hours instead of being unable to activate it. This penalty stacks with itself.

15 Ranks: You can use this skill to emulate two races or two alignments simultaneously.

20 Ranks: If you roll a natural 1 when activating an item, you can reroll the check at a –10 penalty to activate the item. You must take the result of the second check, even if it is worse, and you can’t reroll it again.

The text on this page is Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a.

Sources:

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Pathfinder Unchained
Ultimate Psionics

SECTION 15

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