Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Metafictional 07-29-07, 01:15 AM	Ok, the SRD says something interesting about command word-activation items. "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." I'm a little confused as to how you could "accidentally" make a standard action to activate an item. Since talking is generally a free action, what would happen if you utter a command word when you don't have a standard action available?
zorgling25 07-29-07, 01:18 AM	Ok, the SRD says something interesting about command word-activation items. "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." I'm a little confused as to how you could "accidentally" make a standard action to activate an item. Since talking is generally a free action, what would happen if you utter a command word when you don't have a standard action available? I would assume that it means that while its a free action to speak the word, it takes a full standard action for the item to "power up" and take effect.
Metafictional 07-29-07, 01:49 AM	Yeah, but you see the problem. If you're saying it takes the span of a standard action to activate, no problem. But if you're saying "because you accidentally said the command word, you are dumbfounded, losing your standard action as the item activates", that could lead to some odd situations... Not to mention, again, what happens if you speak the command word when you don't have the action available...
zorgling25 07-29-07, 02:04 AM	Yeah, but you see the problem. If you're saying it takes the span of a standard action to activate, no problem. But if you're saying "because you accidentally said the command word, you are dumbfounded, losing your standard action as the item activates", that could lead to some odd situations... Not to mention, again, what happens if you speak the command word when you don't have the action available... I didn't say that you lose your standard action. You would act as normal. However, there is the distinct possibility that your wand might not activate in an optimal manner (generally wasting charges on illegal targets, but sometimes more deadly, like a fireball in your pocket). If you speak the command word when you don't have the action available, i would rule that it works the way jumps work when you can't complete a jump in a single movement: that you must take the action at the beginning of your next turn.
bigbythewise 07-29-07, 03:59 AM	But if you're saying "because you accidentally said the command word, you are dumbfounded, losing your standard action as the item activates", that could lead to some odd situations... I think this is the way it should work. Not to mention, again, what happens if you speak the command word when you don't have the action available... You would loose your standard action at the beginning of your next turn, item would be activated. I just assume, but it's pretty logical. It's the *risk* as stated in the desc.
Dheran 07-29-07, 04:21 PM	I'm a little confused as to how you could "accidentally" make a standard action to activate an item. Since talking is generally a free action, what would happen if you utter a command word when you don't have a standard action available? You couldn't. I take the rule text to mean there are two different types of command word items: real words, which are an anytime free action to say -- but risky because of that nonsense words like "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" which take a full 3 seconds (1 standard action) to say I assume most command word magic items use the standard action nonsense words, but let crafters making their own items choose real words instead. I won't disregard part of the rules text just because it requires two different types of command words for both rules stipulations to work.