# How to get Use Magic Device as a class skill



## Joshua Randall (Jun 24, 2005)

Aside from being a bard or rogue, how can a character gain Use Magic Device (UMD) as a class skill?

I have an idea for an NPC villain who needs a lot of ranks in UMD to be effective(*), but I don't want him to be a bard or rogue -- ideally I'd like him to be a wizard or sorcerer, with cleric a second option. I thought there might be a core cleric domain that grants UMD as a class skill, but I was apparently wrong. Do any of the non-core domains do this?

Or is there another base class or spellcasting PrC that grants UMD?

(*) Why he _needs_ UMD is not really relevant to this discussion.


----------



## Pinotage (Jun 24, 2005)

Joshua Randall said:
			
		

> Aside from being a bard or rogue, how can a character gain Use Magic Device (UMD) as a class skill?
> 
> I have an idea for an NPC villain who needs a lot of ranks in UMD to be effective(*), but I don't want him to be a bard or rogue -- ideally I'd like him to be a wizard or sorcerer, with cleric a second option. I thought there might be a core cleric domain that grants UMD as a class skill, but I was apparently wrong. Do any of the non-core domains do this?
> 
> ...




If he's a Cleric of Magic, he can use any spell trigger or spell completion item as a wizard of half his level. Might not need UMD for that, but I'm not sure that's what you're after. Warlock get UMD as well, in case you want to try that.

Pinotage


----------



## JoeBlank (Jun 24, 2005)

You could give him a level of the Expert NPC class. Don't they get to pick their class skills? Then pay cross-class with this other levels, but you would still be able to max out UMD.

Otherwise, there are a few feats floating around that make a skill become a class skill. Maybe in Players Guide to Faerun and/or Complete Adventurer. I'm sure someone who knows those better will chime in.


----------



## IamTheTest (Jun 24, 2005)

One level in Human Paragon from Unearthed Arcana will net your villian Adaptive Learning which could allow him to always have UMD as a class skill.


----------



## A Man In Black (Jun 24, 2005)

Have him take a level of rogue, and then just levels in whatever else you want. It's not like the players are going to see his character sheet.

Alternately, you could make him a Warlock, from Complete Arcane. They get UMD.


----------



## Joker (Jun 24, 2005)

The Cosmopolitan feat from the FRCS makes one skill a class skill and gives you +2 on said skill.

This feat does not not work on exclusive skills but those don't exist anymore.


----------



## brehobit (Jun 24, 2005)

Warlocks have UMD as a class skill.  They can also take 10 with it after 2nd level (or something near there)


----------



## blargney the second (Jun 25, 2005)

The Artificers from Eberron get UMD.  (Most of their class abilities are based on it, in fact!)


----------



## Steve Jung (Jun 25, 2005)

Joker said:
			
		

> The Cosmopolitan feat from the FRCS makes one skill a class skill and gives you +2 on said skill.
> 
> This feat does not not work on exclusive skills but those don't exist anymore.



Unfortunately, the skill doesn't work like that in_ Player's Guide to Faerûn._


----------



## Joshua Randall (Jun 27, 2005)

Thanks for all the replies so far. I had forgotten about the Warlock -- that's a good suggestion. Now, let me pose a new question:

Which PrC's grant UMD as a class skill?

I know there must be someone out there with a list of PrC's sorted by skill.


----------



## Pinotage (Jun 27, 2005)

From the Core, only the Assassin. Others include, Temple Raider of Olidammara (CD), Exalted Arcanist (BoED), Extreme Explorer (Eb), Magic Filcher (DR310), Memory Smith (DR311), Sentinal of Bharai (BoED), Slayer of Domiel (BoED), Trabadour of Stars (BoED), and Zhentarim Spy (PgtF).

This does not include Complete Adventurer or Complete Arcane.

Pinotage


----------



## Ovinomancer (Jun 27, 2005)

Pinotage said:
			
		

> From the Core, only the Assassin *and the Loremaster.* /snip/
> Pinotage




Fixed it for you.


----------



## Li Shenron (Jun 27, 2005)

Joshua Randall said:
			
		

> Aside from being a bard or rogue, how can a character gain Use Magic Device (UMD) as a class skill?
> 
> I have an idea for an NPC villain who needs a lot of ranks in UMD to be effective(*), but I don't want him to be a bard or rogue -- ideally I'd like him to be a wizard or sorcerer, with cleric a second option. I thought there might be a core cleric domain that grants UMD as a class skill, but I was apparently wrong. Do any of the non-core domains do this?
> 
> ...




C'mon Joshua!!! It's an *NPC*, give him whatever you want   

If you are worried about it "not being legal", or that your players may argue about that (which however would require them to be allowed to read your DM's stuff), make up a feat that grants UMD as a class skill, or make up a racial ability. Or otherwise just go cross-class, take Skill Focus and raise his Charisma.

For such a simple change, you shouldn't really worry that much about "being legal".


----------



## cmanos (Jun 27, 2005)

I'm wondering what magic item a Sorcerer or Wizard would need UMD to use?

EDIT: Never mind....


----------



## cmanos (Jun 27, 2005)

Cannith Wand Adept  - Sharn
Dungeon Delver from CV
Effigy Master from CA
Loremaster - Core
Mage of the Arcane Order - CA
Fochluran Lyrist - CV
Nightsong Infiltrator - CV
Shadowbane Stalker - CV
Spymaster - CV
Wild Mage - CA


----------



## Joshua Randall (Jun 28, 2005)

I want my NPC to be legal so that should I wish to submit him (and the adventure) for publication, I don't get any flak.

As for which items a Sor/Wiz would need UMD for -- there are many that require specific requirements he might not meet. Such as, for example, alignment restrictions.

Thanks for all the help. I knew I could count on EN World to ferret out the answers.


----------



## Li Shenron (Jun 28, 2005)

Joshua Randall said:
			
		

> I want my NPC to be legal so that should I wish to submit him (and the adventure) for publication, I don't get any flak.




Really?  

Well, if you are going to do that, you could still toss in the adventure a couple of little "extras", including something which helps the NPC to use UMD. Or otherwise a MD with in-built bonuses for others to use UMD with it?   Anyway, almost every published adventure has this sort of extras.


----------



## mzsylver (Jun 29, 2005)

*Hmmm*

You could always give him a magic item that gives him UMD as a class skill. Or maybe it lets any cross-class ranks in that skill be counted as full ranks. Or an item that just plain boosts his UMD score.


----------



## Mustrum_Ridcully (Jun 29, 2005)

mzsylver said:
			
		

> You could always give him a magic item that gives him UMD as a class skill. Or maybe it lets any cross-class ranks in that skill be counted as full ranks. Or an item that just plain boosts his UMD score.



Is there anything against multiclassing one or two levels? Just add 1 or 2 levels of Rogue, and try to max the skill ranks. 
If multiclassing doesn´t work, How about cross class ranks to maximum (if he is a wizard, he should have some skillpoints), and then add a Circlet of Persuasion (+3 to charismabased checks) and/or a Cloak of Charisma.


----------



## green slime (Jun 29, 2005)

After a single level in a class that has a skill as a class skill, the max ranks for that skill increase to lvl +3. So you only need a single level in a class which provides the skill (UMD) and a reasonable Inteliigence.


----------



## photon1966 (Jun 29, 2005)

*How are you using UMD?*

Hello, if I may be so bold to ask how your using UMD skill.  I myself in my home brew campaign have placed magic itms that are race specific, as there has been a long history of singular races in dominance.  Right now it is the humans time and I have made there magic items universal.  But I have old elven, Dwarven, and Yuan Ti items planned for them to find but to get the full effect you need to be a certain race to get .

I don't know how it works mechanicaly but it works storywise for my campaign.  I think I recall it actually cheaper to make an item restricted in some way but it really isn't a huge factor I am thinking about.  

Two examples was a bridge that was a wall of force and allowed to cross a steep river filled ravine.  Elves long ago placed the bridge and only elves could activate it.  Another was a dwarven axe which was sharp and dig nice damage but nothing special until the dwarf took hold of it and learned it was great for killing gnolls.  These are just the tip of the iceberg.  Common items that humans craft work for everyone the same, like potions and scrolls, and common armour but dwarven armour for example I try to tie it to one of the clans and give it a common clan ability like fortifcation or the like.

Just wondering if anyone else has used the same idea or somehting similar for your adventure.


----------

