Activating any magic item is a standard action, unless the item duplicates a spell effect that has a longer casting time or unless the item description specifies a different casting time.
The sections on spell completion and spell trigger items should include the caveat that activating the item takes as long as casting the stored spell would take. Thus, it takes 1 hour to activate a scroll with an identify spell on it. A scroll or a wand with any of the summon monster spells in it takes a full round to activate, just as casting a summon monster spell does.
A command word item takes a standard action to activate, no matter what the casting time of the spell it duplicates. In general, command word items don’t duplicate spells with longcasting times.
Use-activated items typically don’t have any activation times (because they function continually or because you activate them automatically as part of the action you take to use the item). Like command word items, use-activated items usually don’t duplicate spells with long casting times.
Activating a scroll (or any other spell completion item) is “like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure (such as from armor)” (see “Activation” on page 238 of the DMG). An armored rogue who activates a scroll with Use Magic Device suffers the normal arcane spell failure chance.
If I create a wand (a spell trigger item) with a spell with casting time of a swift action or immediate action. Would I cast it from the wand as a standard action or the same action as the spell. If you can use a spell always with the same action as the spellcasting, wands of Assay Resistance (CA) as swift action or even wands of Halt (PHB2) or Wings of Cover (RotD) as immediate action. Does someone know an official positioning about this? What do you think I should do about this? Standard+ or always the casting time?
According to the Rules Compendium, wands and other spell triggers take as long to activate as their spell takes to cast. This was a slight but significant late 3.5 tweak to adjust the core for new ideas (such as swift or immediate actions). I seem to remember them skiing the same with spell completion too; command word remained standard by default.
These are NOT all my creations! The lead authors are identified as follows: [TS] Tempest Stormwind, [AR] Andarious Rosethorn, [RT] Radical Taoist, [SN] Sionnis, [DH] DisposableHero_, [SH] Seishi.
[TS] The Pinball Brothers: Large And In Charge (Melee, Lockdown, Charge, Juggling) [TS] Ashardalon Reborn: I Will Swallow Your Soul (Melee, Fear, Negative Levels, AoE, Theme) [AR] "A"-Game Paladin: Play That Funky Music, Knight Boy! (Team Support, Melee, Theme, Single-Class) [RT] Uncanny Trapsmith: Get in, make it look like an accident, get out. (Skillmonkey, Stealth/Scout/Infiltration, Unorthodox Methods, Theme) [AR] Wizsassin: *Everything* is permitted. (Spellcaster, Support, Sneak Attack, Utility) [TS] Phantom Rush: General Gish Gouda. (Gish, Theme, Setting-Specific(Eberron), Early-Entry PrC) [TS] Storm Knight: Another kind of gish. (Melee/"Gish", Theme, Setting-Specific(Eberron), Unorthodox Methods) [TS] Inevitable Nightmare: The weapon you only have to fire once. (Melee, "Unorthodox" Methods (no charging), Reliability) [AR] Captain Constitution: The number one threat to America. (Melee, TOUGHTOUGHTOUGH, Defense, Theme) [AR] Nuker: I casts the spells that makes the peoples fall down! (Spellcaster, damage, blasting, damage) [TS] Dread Lord of the Dead: Let the Reaping Begin! (NPC-only, Variable (combat/casting/leadership), Iconic Villain, Theme) [AR] Heavy Crusader: No Rest. No Mercy. No Matter What. (Melee, Damage (No charging), Variable, Theme). [TS] Gun Fu: It's bullet time (Ranged, THEORETICAL, Twin weapons, Theme) [RT] Face First: We should talk. (Psionic, social, mind-control, info-management) [SN] Chaingun Porcupine: Never Enuff Dakka. (Ranged, Skirmishing, Spike Damage, Incarnum) [RT] Always On Edge: The Mortal Draw deals death. (Melee, Generalist, Dungeoneering, Stunt) [AR] Feral Druid: Real feral taste. Zero druid calories. (Melee, offense, damage, murder) [RT] Rusty!: Man's Best Friend (Sentry, Support, Backup, Rearguard) [RT] The T3 (Tashalatora Triple Threat): My Kung Fu is More Powerful (Hybrid, Flex-Function, Melee, Caster) [RT] The #1 Snoipah: Boom. 'Eadshot. (Caster, Theme, Spike, Trapscout) [AR] Dreamblade: Rest in Pieces. (Melee, Damage, Single-Class, Combo/Momentum) [AR] Evasion Tank: “When fighting angry blind men, is best to stay out of the way.” (Melee, Tank, Unorthodox Methods (attack negation), Theme) [DH] Psycarnum Warrior: ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA Start (Melee, Tank, Psionics, Incarnum, 1337 h4x) [AR] Heavy Weapons Elf: WHO TOUCHED MY BOW? (Ranged, Cohort, Damage, Unorthodox Methods (ranged ToB)) [RT] Gnowhere Gnome: A little man who wasn't there (Caster, Stealth, Single-Class, Elusive) [AR] Uberflank: I got your back. (Melee, support, stunt, teamwork) [TS] Flip the Bird: Everyday I'm shuffling (Ranged, harrier, unorthodox methods (ranged ToB / off-turn movement), support) [DH] Eat Sleep Gank: Real Ultimate Power (Stealth, Assassination, Spike, Magic Versatility) [AR] Slash and Burn: Mind, Body, Blade, Flame / Aspects of a greater whole / which delivers death. (Melee, Theme (flex-style), Damage, Stunt) [RT] Edge of the Light: Cut, Fade to Black (Melee, Defense/Offense, Momentum, Tactical) [RT] Quiet Murder: Cut throats, not corners. (Melee, Stealth, Harrier, Tactical) [TS] Wand Overdrive: Say Hello to my little friends. (Caster, support/artillery/variable, wand specialist) [RT] God Hand: What did the five fingers say to the face? (Melee/Gish, Unarmed, SAD, Theme) [AR] Zero Buff Time Gish: Try to keep up! (Gish, Speed, Movement, Opportunity) [TS] Robo Tackle: I Am Iron Man. (Melee, setting-specific (Eberron), positioning, theme, stunt)
Activating any magic item is a standard action, unless the item duplicates a spell effect that has a longer casting time or unless the item description specifies a different casting time.
The sections on spell completion and spell trigger items should include the caveat that activating the item takes as long as casting the stored spell would take. Thus, it takes 1 hour to activate a scroll with an identify spell on it. A scroll or a wand with any of the summon monster spells in it takes a full round to activate, just as casting a summon monster spell does.
A command word item takes a standard action to activate, no matter what the casting time of the spell it duplicates. In general, command word items don’t duplicate spells with longcasting times.
Use-activated items typically don’t have any activation times (because they function continually or because you activate them automatically as part of the action you take to use the item). Like command word items, use-activated items usually don’t duplicate spells with long casting times.
Activating a scroll (or any other spell completion item) is “like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure (such as from armor)” (see “Activation” on page 238 of the DMG). An armored rogue who activates a scroll with Use Magic Device suffers the normal arcane spell failure chance.
If I create a wand (a spell trigger item) with a spell with casting time of a swift action or immediate action. Would I cast it from the wand as a standard action or the same action as the spell. If you can use a spell always with the same action as the spellcasting, wands of Assay Resistance (CA) as swift action or even wands of Halt (PHB2) or Wings of Cover (RotD) as immediate action. Does someone know an official positioning about this? What do you think I should do about this? Standard+ or always the casting time?
It's answered inthe first part of the fact:
The sections on spell completion and spell trigger items should include the caveat that activating the item takes as long as casting the stored spell would take
Most spells take a standard action, so the rule of thumb is that using a wand or scroll is a standard action, unless the original spell states otherwise (ie the spell is swift or takes 10 minutes etc)
So a Swift spell would be cast on a scroll or wand would be a swift action. (ie feather fall)
The distinction was always there, however as most spells, especially for wands, were standard actions it was always moot point. Swift spells were added later on and a number of core spells (such as feather fall) were changed to be Swift, thus a further clarrification was added to make it clearer since more spells could be cast as non-standard actions.
Aside from the changes to core spells that can now be cast as swift actions a large number of spells were also added that can be cast as swift actions, so there is a need to distinguish that scrolls and wands of these spells would also be swift.
I'll just point out that even if it only takes a swift action to use the spell stored in a scroll or wand you should still need that item in hand when you use it. You could use a Wand of Featherfall to prevent falling damage but NOT if you don't have that item ready to go when the fall happens.
I'll just point out that even if it only takes a swift action to use the spell stored in a scroll or wand you should still need that item in hand when you use it. You could use a Wand of Featherfall to prevent falling damage but NOT if you don't have that item ready to go when the fall happens.
That is very true, but there are examples where a person does have a wand in hand for a use that would only be usable as a swift action.
Such as a Rogue with a wand of Distract Assailant, that holds the wand in one hand and wishes to use it to distract his assailant so he can get a sneak attack in. Or a Wand stored in say a Glove of Storing, or spells stored on a Ring of Spell Storing.
I would erata the Ring of Spell Storing, which the book states has a minimum casting time of 1 standard action, because the core rules didn't have swift spells.
