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 allows a character to bypass race restrictions and some alignment restrictions and to use wands and scrolls of spells outside the character's own spell list.


 * Class Skill for a Bard, Rogue

UMD and Wands and Scrolls
If a character cannot naturally use a certain wand or scroll, UMD lets him try anyway. This requires a Use Magical Device skill check (1d20 + UMD modifier) greater than or equal to the Difficulty Class on the item, which is 18 plus twice the item's caster level. So, for a Heal scroll (caster level 11, spell level 6), the DC is 40, but you only need a UMD skill level of 39 to never fail because the lowest you can roll is a 1.

Each try, successful or not, uses up the scroll or one charge of the wand.

Scrolls can have less than a 100% chance of working even in normal use. If the character also has UMD trained, the better chance of success is used.

UMD and Equipment Restrictions
Some items are restricted to a specific race, class, or alignment. These items can be used by a character even if he does not meet the required criteria if the character has a Use Magic Device skill greater than or equal to the UMD Difficulty Class of the item. There is no random roll involved — this is a straight numeric comparison.

An item that has both an alignment and a race restriction will generally use the 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 UMD difficulty from the Pure Good modifier and a 14 from the race restriction, so any character who isn't a Dwarf or isn't Good needs a UMD skill modifier of at least 20 to equip the item.

Since this UMD check is only made when you attempt to equip an item, you can increase UMD temporarily (Eagle's Splendor, Rogue's Action Boost, etc.) to raise it just long enough to put the item on. The item will remain equipped until you remove it deliberately or log out.

Restrictions with an "absolute" clause (i.e. "Race absolutely required:" or "Race absolutely excluded:") cannot be bypassed by UMD. These items will not list a UMD difficulty.

Race restriction
A race restricted item is an item that can only be used by a character of that race unless the restriction 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 other items with the same minimum level.


 * For jewelry 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.

Alignment restriction
Some items require the wearer to be of a certain alignment. 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, or any item with a True Alignment prefix); Enduring Conviction requires a score of 30. Some rare items, such as the Ring of the Ancestors have a UMD of 0 - this means that UMD cannot be used to bypass the alignment requirement.

Sources of UMD

 * Ranks in the UMD skill


 * up to +6 from Exceptional Charisma Skills items (+1 plus +2 plus +3 Exceptional CHA Skills from Greensteel accessory tier 1, 2, and 3 or Dragontouched Armor)


 * Charisma modifier adds to UMD if you have at least 1 trained level of UMD:
 * up to +6 CHA item (+7 CHA on a few epic items), or Eagle's Splendor spell/clickie for +4 CHA if you don't have a static item
 * up to +3 Exceptional CHA from items (+1 Exceptional CHA and +2 Exceptional CHA from Greensteel weapons, Tower of Despair Incredible Potential rings, Dragontouched Armor, some Epic items, or Epic Crafting)
 * CHA enhancements (these stack):
 * Bard Musical Prodigy/Favored Soul Ascendancy +2 CHA
 * Human Adaptability Charisma I +1 CHA
 * Cleric/Bard/Paladin/Sorcerer Charisma I/II/III (+1/+2/+3 CHA)
 * up to +4 CHA tome
 * up to +2 CHA Guild Airship shrine bonus
 * Essence of Seduction Yugoloth potion +2 CHA
 * Litany of the Dead - Ascension Chamber, Warded Chest - trinket, +1 profane bonus to CHA
 * House Deneith skill potions up to +3 alchemical bonus to CHA
 * Lasting Eagle's Majesty DDO Store potion +2 stacking bonus to CHA


 * Competence bonus from one of (does not stack):
 * Runic Gloves - Necromancer's Doom, Chest behind locked door; or when starting a new level 4 Bard Veteran character - gloves, +1 competence bonus
 * Treasure Hunter's Spyglass (Level 8)(Tier 1), (Tier 2), (Tier 3) - crafted at Treasure of Crystal Cove - trinket, +1 competence bonus
 * Command (item enhancement) - random armors, Full Plate of the Ringleader, Ring of the Silver Concord, also craftable via Cannith Crafting - +2 competence bonus
 * Golden Cartouche - Delera's Tomb, End reward - necklace, +3 competence bonus
 * Vile Blasphemy - Ascension Chamber, Warded Chest - gloves, +3 competence bonus
 * Circlet of Persuasion - Random Drop - helm, +3 competence bonus
 * Persuasion item - craftable via Cannith Crafting, +3 competence bonus
 * Cloak of the Silver Concord - Plane of Night, Warded Chest - cloak, +3 competence bonus
 * Coronation - Tome of Untold Legends turn-in - morningstar, +3 competence bonus
 * Bunny Hat - DDO Store purchase - cosmetic hat (doesn't use the hat slot), +3 competence bonus when wielding a scroll/wand
 * Treasure Hunter's Spyglass (Level 12)(Tier 1) to Epic Treasure Hunter's Spyglass (Tier 2) - crafted at Treasure of Crystal Cove - trinket, +3 competence bonus
 * Seven Fingered Gloves - The Titan Awakes, Warded Chest - gloves, +5 competence bonus
 * Stave of the Seer - Bring Me the Head of Ghola-Fan!, Ur-Keshik the Seer Chest - quarterstaff, +5 competence bonus, but not very useful since you cannot use scrolls or wands while wielding it


 * Enhancement bonus
 * The Big Top - Under the Big Top, End Chest - hat, +1 enhancement bonus
 * Epic Big Top - Epic Crafting - hat, +3 enhancement bonus
 * Epic Treasure Hunter's Spyglass (Tier 3) - crafted at Treasure of Crystal Cove - trinket, +3 enhancement bonus


 * Luck bonus from one of (does not stack):
 * Prayer - Cleric/Favored Soul spell - +1 luck bonus
 * Phiarlan Inspiration - Guild Airship buff - +1 luck bonus
 * Good Luck item attribute:
 * Voice of the Master - Delera's Tomb, End reward - trinket, +1 luck bonus
 * Rabbit Gloves - The Abandoned Excavation, End reward - gloves, +1 luck bonus
 * Stone of Good Luck - Random Drop - trinket, +1 luck bonus
 * Good Luck item - craftable via Cannith Crafting, +1/+2 luck bonus
 * Head of Good Fortune - The Reaver's Fate, Warded Chest - trinket, +2 luck bonus
 * Staff of Arcane Power - Zawabi's Revenge, Warded Chest - quarterstaff, +2 luck bonus
 * Dream Edge - The Mindsunder, Disk locked optional end chest - Kama, +2 luck bonus (possible enhancement)


 * Feat bonus (these stack):
 * Skill Focus UMD feat +3
 * Rogue Skill Mastery feat +1, can be taken multiple times
 * Rogue Sneak of Shadows active past-life feat +1
 * Bard Bardic Dilettante active past-life feat +1
 * Bard Spellsinger I/II enhancements +2 or +4 UMD


 * Morale bonus from one of (does not stack):
 * Good Hope - Bard spell - +2 morale bonus
 * Heroism - Bard/Sorcerer/Wizard spell, sold on scrolls, clickie on random and some named items - +2 morale bonus
 * Greater Heroism - Bard/Sorcerer/Wizard spell, sold on scrolls, clickie on some named items - +4 morale bonus
 * Shavarath Environmental Effects +4 morale bonus for being on the Shavarath plane (can't cast GH? Just visit Amrath for the +4 UMD you need to equip your weapon, etc.)


 * Human Versatility or Rogue Skill Boost or Ranger Skill Boost up to +5 action boost bonus
 * House Deneith skill potions up to +3 alchemical bonus to skill
 * Focusing Chant - Bard self-only spell - +1 circumstance bonus
 * Inspire Competence - Bard friend-only song - +2 'competence' bonus (but still stacks with all other bonuses)
 * Walk of the Sun - Monk finishing move - +2 untyped bonus
 * Moment of Clarity - Monk finishing move - +5 Insight bonus