Use Magic Device

Use Magic Device (Cha)
The Use Magic Device skill is a class skill for Bards and Rogues, and a cross-class skill for all others. It is a trained only skill, meaning its use can not be attempted without training at least one rank.

In DDO the Use Magic Device skill is used to allow a character to bypass race restriction and some alignement restriction and to use a wand or scroll without the usual requirement of having the stored spell on said character's spell list.

Wand
A player can use a wand under one the two following conditions. Either he has it on one of his classes spell list or he has a few rank in Use Magic Device.

Character has the spell on his spell list
If a player has a single level of any class that can cast spells, the player can use all wands of that class' spell list as long as the player meets the minimum level for that wand. For example, a level one paladin can use a Cure Light Wounds wand even if he will only learn to cast that spell for his spell points at level 4 as the minimum level on a Wand of Cure Light Wound is 1.

Character has UMD
If the spell doesn't figure on the class' spell list or if the class cannot cast any spells, then the character must roll a Use Magical Device check (d20 + UMD modifier) equal or higher to the Difficulty Class on the wands. Each try, successful or not, a charge of the wand is lost. A newly made or bought wand has fifty charges and disappear from your inventory upon using its last charge.

The DC for using a wand is equal to 18 plus twice the wands's caster level.

Character has the spell on his spell list
If a character has at least one level of a class that can cast the spell on the scroll, the character may perform a caster level check equal to twice the level required to cast the said spell. The caster level check is being made by rolling a d20 and adding the result to the double of the character's caster level. This is only valid if the character also meets the minimum level on the scroll.

If the character also have UMD, the best chances of success are picked.

Note that Arcane Spell Failure is always applied to scrolls, no matter what class you are. Bards still get Arcane Spell Failure while in light armor, clerics get Arcane Spell Failure for spells that can be casted by arcane casters. There is no Arcane Spell Failure on divine spells like Heal or Raise Dead.

Character has UMD
Attempting to read a scroll not on a character's spell list triggers a Use Magic Device skill check against the DC of the scroll. The DC of a scroll/wand is 18 plus two times the caster level of the scroll. A succesful skill check uses up the scroll and unleashes the stored spell effect. A failed check also uses up the scroll, but there is no spell effect released.

Rectrictions
Additional uses: Some items are restricted to a specific race, class, or alignment. Some of these items can used by a charater even if he does not meet the required criteria if the character has a Use Magic Device skill greater or equal to the difficulty class of the item. Note that items that are restricted by an "absolute" clause (i.e. "Race absolutely required:" or "Race absolutely excluded:") will never be usable by characters excluded by such a criterion. These items will not have any listed difficulties.

Note that bypassing race or alignment requirement does not get a roll to add to your UMD modifier. It is a simple comparison between the item's Difficulty rating and your UMD modifier. You can, however, increase the value temporarily (Eagle's Splendor, Rogue's Action Boost, etc) to get high enough. You only must maintain the score long enough to equip the item an then it will remain equiped as long as you do not remove it by yourself or do not log out.

Additionally, an item that has an alignment and a race restriction will generally only use higher difficulty rating. This means that a +1 Icy Burst light hammer of Pure Good (Dwarf Only, Minimum Level of 4) should have a 20 difficulty from the Pure Good modifier and a 14 from the race restriction but, if the two requirements are not met (Dwarf and good-aligned), a UMD skill modifier of at least 20 is needed to equip the item.

Race restriction
A race restricted item is an item that can only be used by a character of that race unless the retriction is bypassed by UMD. Generally a race restriction will reduce the item's minimum level requirement by 2 levels (without reducing the base price modifier). Therefore, a race restricted item is potentially more powerful than any other item.


 * For jewelery and clothing, Use Magical Device DCs to overcome race restriction are equal to the item's minimum level plus seven.
 * For weapons and armors, Use Magical Device DCs to overcome race restriction are equal to the item's minimum level plus ten.

Alignement restriction
Some items requires the wearer to be of a certain alignment, otherwise he cannot wear the said item. Most of these require a UMD score of 20 (for examples, see the Iron Manacles from Delera's tomb or Retribution from the Ruins of Threnal). The only exception, so far, is Enduring Conviction who requires a score of thirty.