Use Any Item is a high-level class ability available to thieves and bards.
Required for: Scribe Scrolls.
Baldur's Gate I & II: Enhanced Editions
This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games. May situationally encompass Siege of Dragonspear and The Black Pits I & II content as well.: Patches after EE v1.2.2030 prevent the uses of companion specific items such as Jansen AdventureWear or Chaos Blade
Effects[]
| “ | Rogues take pride in their ability to adapt and make clever use of whatever is at hand. This ability is an extension of that basic skill. Once learned, the effect is permanent. The ability allows the rogue to use any item, even items that are typically restricted to one class. This allows the rogue to use everything from wands and scrolls to mighty weapons that none but a warrior could otherwise use. | ” |
Gameplay[]
As its name implies, this ability allows rogues to use any item, wield any weapon, and wear any armor, with the exception of companion-specific equipment in the Enhanced Editions. It overrides restrictions on class, alignment, and race.
UAI does not override restrictions on ability scores. The rogue must still have 9 intelligence to use scrolls, 16 intelligence to use the Golem Manual, 18 strength to use composite longbows, etc.
UAI does not override normal ability equipment restrictions; the rogue still may not use thieving abilities while wearing heavy armor, may not cast wizard spells while wearing any armor aside from Robes and Elven Chain Mail, and may not backstab with weapons outside of the normal single-class thief pool.
In the Enhanced Editions, UAI does not circumvent use of items that are only for a specific companion. This is achieved using Opcode 319 which is added to the item. Some examples include Keldorn's Firecam Full-Plate Armor, Jan's Jansen AdventureWear, Cernd's Cloak of the High Forest and others.
A Specialist mage gains the ability to cast scrolls from their opposition school, but still may not scribe them.
While this allows the Thief to use any spell scrolls, those will have a significantly lower caster level (10) than if a Mage / Sorcerer would cast the spell.
UAI is a passive effect HLA that can only be selected once. Unlike other class abilities, it remains active even if the character dual-classes at this stage.
For multi-classes, it will override their weapon restrictions so for example a Cleric / Thief is no longer restricted to cleric weapons. However, UAI still does not allow to spend any proficiency points in weapon types that their class is not normally proficient in. So, a Thief who uses UAI to wield a two-handed sword would get a +3 THAC0 penalty because they're not proficient.
UAI is especially useful for dual-classed Wizard Slayer and Kensai characters, as it mitigates some of their primary item use restriction drawbacks.