What is the point of Use Magic Device?

[boedullus]

I have a +24 in this skill, which has literally not one single time in thirteen levels been useful. Not one single skill challenge has used it. Moreover, in the past level, I've acquired two items, the Ring of Enhanced Summoning (and I'm playing a sorcerer summoner) and the Charred Mantle (+6 to saves and more). Both would be amazing, but my character inexplicably cannot equip them - despite the +24 UMD. Kind of aggravating to have pissed away 1/3 of my skill points for absolutely nothing.

[EthanT]

Scrolls I believe. A character can only use items\scrolls that fit their class. So a bard can't use a wand of fireball for instance

[EthanT]

That being said this game is full of bugs.

[Fingers]

Yeah, you had a check against it every time you used a wand or scroll.

[Myst]

It's used for using scrolls/wands that you're not proficient with. Like a Wizard using a healing scroll.

[strkrjns]

I've played through the midgame eight times now. I'm pretty sure that I've never used the skill once.

[pinkfloyd9193]

UMD applies to items in your "belt" i believe. So casting from scrolls and wands will do a UMD skill check. This doesn't apply to what items you are wearing.
Now I have noticed that say, a Wizard does not need a UMD check when casting a fireball scroll. I don't know if this is how it's supposed to work or if that's a bug. But if a bard is trying to cast a fireball scroll I think it will do a UMD check to see if they can cast it.

Someone more knowledgable can correct me if i speak lies.

[strekalalex84]

The biggest usage is probably scrolls, but I think it lets you wear magic items you're not supposed to qualify for as well.

[Naked Granny]

Originally posted by EthanT:

Scrolls I believe. A character can only use items\scrolls that fit their class. So a bard can't use a wand of fireball for instance

And Wands.

With a good UMD score, you can eat scrolls of Cure Wounds even though you're playing a Fighter.

By the way, UMD functions on Charisma and Valerie has both a decent Charisma and more feats than she knows what to do with if you keep her pure Fighter. Spend a feat or two on Skill Focus: UMD and Deft Hands, and invest some skill points into it. 10 from ranks, 2 from her 15 Cha, 6 from Skill Focus and 4 from Deft Hands - that's a check of +22 which is enough to auto-succeed on any Wand and use even mid level Cleric Scrolls (like Raise Dead, Freedom Of Movement, Death Ward, Restoration and Heal)...

Just sayin'...

[solthusx]

Originally posted by pinkfloyd9193:

Now I have noticed that say, a Wizard does not need a UMD check when casting a fireball scroll. I don't know if this is how it's supposed to work or if that's a bug. But if a bard is trying to cast a fireball scroll I think it will do a UMD check to see if they can cast it.

Someone more knowledgable can correct me if i speak lies.

That's because fireball is in a Wizard's spell list but is not in a Bard's. If the scroll/wand has a spell that's in the class' spell list, UMD is not needed to use it.

[Babbles]

That clutch haste scroll :)

[Faptor]

Originally posted by Babbles:

That clutch haste scroll :)

Use Haste, make waste! (of your enemies)

You get some pretty intense magic items that require a high UMD score. The items Im talking about are saving me in the late game even though I found them super early. That and theres also some cool ones that are fun to use but Ill leave it up to you to find out :D

[saice]

You are correct in many ways OP. But not in how you think you are. The issue here is for reasons unknown they have limited UMD to just usable items that can go in your belt slots. The check is done when you use them. On the up shot a failed check does not use any charges from the item.

But yes they do not have it setup to let you use UMD for other gear.

But it is not completely useless if you know what it works on and how that might help you. My rouge keeps a high UMD skill and will use a few wands and scrolls. Often to self buff.

Is it worth as you noted 1/3rd of you skill points? Hell no. But for builds that have to points to spare yeah its fairly useful at times.

[Procrastinating Gamer]

UMD is used for activating magical items, not for equipping them. Which, in the context of this video game, is just scrolls and wands.

[AzureTheGamerKobold]

Originally posted by boedullus:

I have a +24 in this skill, which has literally not one single time in thirteen levels been useful. Not one single skill challenge has used it. Moreover, in the past level, I've acquired two items, the Ring of Enhanced Summoning (and I'm playing a sorcerer summoner) and the Charred Mantle (+6 to saves and more). Both would be amazing, but my character inexplicably cannot equip them - despite the +24 UMD. Kind of aggravating to have♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥away 1/3 of my skill points for absolutely nothing.

you can use magic items scrolls and wands even if you cant use magic, for example i put UMD on amari and have her use wand of lead blades which makes her massive sword even bigger... which stacks with enlarge.

[boedullus]

Sorry, should have clarified I'm a Pathfinder RPG veteran of many years. I know what UMD can do, but activating scrolls is pointless for my sorceress since she can already activate all arcane scrolls without UMD and the party is obviously going to have a divine caster to handle divine scrolls, also without UMD. (I can't imagine a fight so starved for action economy that I'd entrust a clutch scroll to my sorceress instead of just having Tristian use it.) Heck, I just endured the solo fight drunken melee at the Pitaxian games, so even in that incredibly rare instance where I didn't have a divine caster, I *still* wasn't allowed to use items, so it was still pointless.
So the only reason I took it was because in PF's own freaking game, it explicitly spells out that it can be used to emulate alignment, class features, or otherwise trick any item into working for you. This skill, for a sorceress, is worthless.