Using Wands and Scrolls in place of Memorized Spells
Using Wands
Wands can be utilized as alternate sources for the spells required in the crafting process. Instead of using a memorized spell, you simply cast the appropriate spell from the wand at the magicians workbench to create the item. It's NOT quite that simple however. If the wand is usable normally by the caster without the need for the UMD skill (no skill points in UMD at all), the caster level is determined by the caster's intrinsic caster level and ignores the wand's own caster level.
If the wand is not normally usable by the caster's class, enough skill points must be added to the caster's UMD skill to allow the wand to be used. Once the wand is usable (by the use of the UMD skill), the caster level is determined by the level of the wand but is capped at level 10.
Here's how this works for wands with a couple of examples: Elanee can cast barkskin normally. If she tries to use a wand of barkskin to craft an amulet of armor +4 (requires: Caster Level 12), the attempt will succeed IF Elanee's CL is greater than or equal to 12. If however, Grobnar tries to craft the same item using the wand, the attempt will fail as the effective caster level of the spell will be capped at 10 because of the UMD cap.
The effective spell level varies considerably depending on the spell being cast from the wand. Low level spells cast from wands can in fact have very high effective spell levels. A full list of the available wands and their effective spell levels can be found here.
Note: The UMD cap ONLY applies for purposes of crafting. For normal spell casting uses, such as casting a Fireball from a wand of fireballs at a group of enemies, the full effective caster level of the spell from the wand applies.
Using Scrolls
Scrolls can also be utilized as alternate sources for the spells required in the crafting process. Instead of using a memorized spell, you simply cast the appropriate spell from scroll at the magicians workbench to create the item. Crafting with scrolls should be as straightforward as crafting with wand, but that is not the case. A number of flaws in the implementation of the Use Magic Device (UMD) skill for scrolls make the process extremely complicated. In fact, despite repeated efforts to understand *exactly* what is going on, we still see examples which defy logic. With that in mind, here is the best we can do for understanding crafting via scrolls.
If the spell on the scroll can normally be cast by a character, and the character has no UMD skills, the spell is cast with a caster level equal to the character's caster level. This is always true if the spell is memorized and available for casting. This also seems to be true if the spell is not memorized but is simply *known* by the caster, i.e. it's in the caster's spellbook. If the spell is one which can normally be cast by the caster's class, and is not known to the caster, the spell should be cast at the scroll's caster level.
If a Wizard, Sorcerer, or Bard can NOT cast the spell normally and has even a single point in UMD skill, they can use ANY scroll in the game without making a UMD skill check, even on hardcore difficulty and above. Since the UMD check is bypassed, the scroll is cast using the character's normal caster level and NOT the caster level of the scroll. (This is a flawed implementation of UMD).
A Cleric, Druid, Ranger, or Paladin with UMD skill must pass a UMD check for ALL out-of-class spells cast from scrolls. If the check is passed, the spell is cast using the caster level of the scroll. If the scroll spell matches an in-class spell and the spell is currently memorized and spell, the UMD check is bypassed and spell is cast successfully at the character's caster level as in the first case above. If the scroll is in an in-class spell that is NOT memorized, the in-game scripts seem to indicate that a UMD check is required, but we have seen examples quoted which seem to indicate that simply *knowing* the spell is sufficient for bypassing the UMD check.
In any other case, the caster must pass a "UMD Cast from Scroll skill check" in order to succeed in casting from a scroll. On hardcore difficulty or higher, this applies even to a Cleric, Ranger, Druid or Paladin attempting to cast an in-class spell which is NOT memorized and available for casting. Any spell cast from a scroll which requires this skill check is capped at level 10 for purposes of crafting.
Note: Adding a single point to UMD skill with a Cleric, Druid, Ranger, or Paladin will likely result in casting failure for ALL spells cast from scrolls, even in-class spells, UNLESS the spell is currently memorized.
Warning: The section on using scrolls is NOT guaranteed to be 100% accurate. There are a number of bugs in the UMD implementation that make crafting using scrolls problematic at best and difficult to understand. Use the notes relative to scrolls only as guideline. After MUCH effort and testing, there are still things about the crafting process using scrolls that do NOT make sense to us. Many thanks to Noran the Axe for helping out with the testing.
UMD Cast from Scroll check
Any casting attempt from a scroll that requires a UMD Cast from Scroll skill check must pass a Random d20 + UMD skill > 25 + Innate Spell level check. The caster level is ALWAYS capped at 10 for purposes of crafting attempts when this check is required.
UMD Use Test
All items which are otherwise restricted to a certain character class (shaded red) must pass a UMD Use test in order to be "usable" (become white). The Difficulty Check (DC) of this skill is determined by the value of the item, and is increased by 5 if the item is restricted to use by a specific race and by 10 if the item is alignment restricted. Class restrictions do NOT modify the DC.
