Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (
More info?)
Jasin Zujovic wrote:
> In article <DmnXe.15191$mH.3081@fed1read07>, someguy@thedoor.gov says...
>
>
>>>>>If balanced, the psionicist will run out of PSPs fairly soon if he uses
>>>>>this ability every round. I'm assuming it allows full iterative attacks
>>>>>at the end of a charge?
>>>>
>>>>Yes, it does. As for the PP question, power stones are cheap: it's a
>>>>second level ability, which means he can buy them for 150 GP each (or
>>>>make them for 75 if he's got the Imprint Stone feat). This is
>>>>especially good since you're activating it before the charge anyway,
>>>>when its AOO probably won't be a problem.
>>>
>>>Strictly by the rules, activating a power stone is a standard action, so
>>>you only get to charge once in two rounds.
>>
>>Actually, spell completion & spell trigger items take as long to
>>activate as the spell they store, so it would be a swift action to use a
>>power stone with Psionic Lion's Charge in it.
>
>
> Could you give me a cite or a page number for that?
>
> The only relevant rules I can find are:
>
> Power stones: "Activating a power completion item is a standard action
> and provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as manifesting a power
> does."
>
> Dorjes: "Activating a power trigger item is a standard action that does
> not provoke attacks of opportunity."
>
> Wands: "[...] 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.)"
>
> Interestingly enough, I cannot find anything in the SRD about how long
> it takes to activate a scroll.
There are two seemingly contradictory passages in the book, the ones
listed above and the following one:
"The manifesting time of a power is the time required to activate the
same power in an item, whether it's a power stone, a dorje, or a psionic
tattoo, unless the item description specifically states otherwise."
In terms of spells, which are functionally the same as psionics for
purposes of this discussion, we find the following in the FAQ:
"How long does it take to activate a scroll with an identify
spell on it? How about a scroll with any of the summon
monster spells or a wand of summon monster? This has been
a serious debate for some of us. Page 213 of the DUNGEON
MASTER’s Guide, under Using Magic Items, says
“Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the
item description indicates otherwise. However, the casting
time of a spell is the time required to activate the same
power in an item, whether it’s a scroll, a wand, or a pair of
boots, unless the item description specifically states
otherwise.” Yet, the very next section (spell completion
items) states: “This is the activation method for scrolls . . .
Activating a spell completion item is a standard action and
provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell
does.” The Player’s Handbook section on scrolls also says
it’s a standard action, yet the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide
spell storing weapon ability on page 225 says “This special
ability is an exception to the general rule that casting a spell
from an item takes at least as long as casting that spell
normally.” Which set of rules is correct?"
"Activating any magic item is a standard action, unless the
item duplicates a spell effect that has a longer casting time or
unless the item description specifies a different casting time.
The sections on spell completion and spell trigger items should
include the caveat that activating the item takes as long as
casting the stored spell would take. Thus, it takes 1 hour to
activate a scroll with an identify spell on it. A scroll or a wand
with any of the summon monster spells in it takes a full round
to activate, just as casting a summon monster spell does.
A command word item takes a standard action to activate,
no matter what the casting time of the spell it duplicates. In
general, command word items don’t duplicate spells with long
casting times.
Use-activated items typically don’t have any activation
times (because they function continually or because you
activate them automatically as part of the action you take to use
the item). Like command word items, use-activated items
usually don’t duplicate spells with long casting times.
Activating a scroll (or any other spell completion item) is “like
casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure (such as from
armor)” (see “Activation” on page 238 of the DUNGEON
MASTER’s Guide). An armored rogue who activates a scroll with
Use Magic Device suffers the normal arcane spell failure
chance."
Note in particular the sentence "The sections on spell completion and
spell trigger items should include the caveat that activating the item
takes as long as casting the stored spell would take." Thus, you can
have a scroll of Quickened Shield (or a power stone of Quickened Force
Screen) and it is a free action/swift action to activate.
In case you think this is an aberration, the old Sage agrees with the
new Sage on this point. Check out part two of the Rules of the Game
article on Using Magic Items:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041116a
Note the following excerpts:
"Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the item
description indicates otherwise. However, the casting time of a spell is
the time required to activate the same power in an item, regardless of
the kind of magic item or its activation method, unless the item
description specifically states otherwise (see page 213 in the Dungeon
Masters Guide). Potions (and oils) are an exception. Drinking a potion
or applying an oil to yourself is always a standard action, no matter
what the stored spell's casting time is. Administering a potion or oil
to an unconscious ally is always a full-round action (see page 229 in
the Dungeon Master's Guide)."
"If the spell contained in a spell completion item has a casting time
other than 1 standard action, that is its activation time. For example,
a scroll containing a summon monster I spell has an activation time of 1
round because that's the casting time for the spell."
"Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action that does not
provoke attacks of opportunity. If the spell stored in a spell trigger
item has a casting time other than 1 standard action, that is its
activation time."
Though the DMG says "longer," the FAQ & RotG agree that in those two
cases, it's the spell's casting time which determines the activation
time and not the item type. In other cases (potions, etc.) they point
out that it's always a standard or full-round action regardless of
casting time.
When that FAQ entry was written, swift & immediate actions had not been
made official parts of the game, so later entries which do include those
concepts post-date this one. Still, since manifesting powers works
almost identically to casting spells, it's pretty clear the intent is
that power stones (which work like scrolls do) and dorjes (which work
like wands do) follow the same rules.
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