3.5 Can you use a wand inside Silence? [Archive] - Wizards Community

3.5 Can you use a wand inside Silence? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Harmor
09-21-04, 04:36 PM A situtation came up in-game where the BBEG was inside my Silence spell. They pulled out a wand and used it.

Do you need to speak to activate a wand?
Aracor
09-21-04, 04:40 PM Short answer. Yes.

~Aracor
Heron_Marked_Blade
09-21-04, 04:40 PM From the 3.5 SRD
Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it’s even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell. (This is the case even for a character who can’t actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin.) The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
The BBEG could not have used the wand in the area of the Silence spell.
SlaineFargallows
09-21-04, 04:44 PM From the SRD...

Command Word
If no activation method is suggested either in the magic item description or by the nature of the item, assume that a command word is needed to activate it. Command word activation means that a character speaks the word and the item activates. No other special knowledge is needed.

A command word can be a real word, but when this is the case, the holder of the item runs the risk of activating the item accidentally by speaking the word in normal conversation. More often, the command word is some seemingly nonsensical word, or a word or phrase from an ancient language no longer in common use. Activating a command word magic item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

(emphasis mine)

Edit: Heron, has the faster trigger finger! :D
Mage_Hand
09-21-04, 04:47 PM unless it was a psionic thought activated arcane wand....um...heh he he hahahahahahahahaaaaahahahahahhahaahah!!! !um sorry. tell your gm to get more creative. when i gm i only cheat in vampire.
tarkin
09-21-04, 05:11 PM You guys are making a lot of assumptions.

From the SRD:

Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast, however, has a longer casting time than 1 action, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.

There is nothing in there about words, so there is no reason a wand must have a command word. It can easily be a command activated (push button).

But the default would be to have a command word. The DM should have decided that BEFORE the battle.

If he had not decided it before the battle, it should be assumed to be command word activated.
smrtgmp
09-21-04, 05:23 PM Ahh, but you forgot to do one key thing. Thanks to the wonders of cross refrensing (thanks a lot, WotC), if you look up spell trigger item on page 313 of your PHB, it clearly states, "To activate the item, the user must speak a word, but no gesture or spell finishing is required."

However, if the spell in the wand had the silent spell metamagic feat applied to it during creation, then you could use the wand without a command word. Another possibile way to use a wand without a command word would be if you are an incantatrix. If you have Silent Spell, you could apply it to the wand using your Metamagagic spell trigger class ability. My guess is that the DM just blew it on this one, though.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Harmor 09-21-04, 04:36 PM	A situtation came up in-game where the BBEG was inside my Silence spell. They pulled out a wand and used it. Do you need to speak to activate a wand?
Aracor 09-21-04, 04:40 PM	Short answer. Yes. ~Aracor
Heron_Marked_Blade 09-21-04, 04:40 PM	From the 3.5 SRD Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it’s even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell. (This is the case even for a character who can’t actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin.) The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The BBEG could not have used the wand in the area of the Silence spell.
SlaineFargallows 09-21-04, 04:44 PM	From the SRD... Command Word If no activation method is suggested either in the magic item description or by the nature of the item, assume that a command word is needed to activate it. Command word activation means that a character speaks the word and the item activates. No other special knowledge is needed. A command word can be a real word, but when this is the case, the holder of the item runs the risk of activating the item accidentally by speaking the word in normal conversation. More often, the command word is some seemingly nonsensical word, or a word or phrase from an ancient language no longer in common use. Activating a command word magic item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. (emphasis mine) Edit: Heron, has the faster trigger finger! :D
Mage_Hand 09-21-04, 04:47 PM	unless it was a psionic thought activated arcane wand....um...heh he he hahahahahahahahaaaaahahahahahhahaahah!!! !um sorry. tell your gm to get more creative. when i gm i only cheat in vampire.
tarkin 09-21-04, 05:11 PM	You guys are making a lot of assumptions. From the SRD: Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast, however, has a longer casting time than 1 action, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole. There is nothing in there about words, so there is no reason a wand must have a command word. It can easily be a command activated (push button). But the default would be to have a command word. The DM should have decided that BEFORE the battle. If he had not decided it before the battle, it should be assumed to be command word activated.
smrtgmp 09-21-04, 05:23 PM	Ahh, but you forgot to do one key thing. Thanks to the wonders of cross refrensing (thanks a lot, WotC), if you look up spell trigger item on page 313 of your PHB, it clearly states, "To activate the item, the user must speak a word, but no gesture or spell finishing is required." However, if the spell in the wand had the silent spell metamagic feat applied to it during creation, then you could use the wand without a command word. Another possibile way to use a wand without a command word would be if you are an incantatrix. If you have Silent Spell, you could apply it to the wand using your Metamagagic spell trigger class ability. My guess is that the DM just blew it on this one, though.