Cube of Force...

[Dwarmaj]

Is it a standard action or "non/free" action to activate a Cube of Force?

The item say: "The possessor presses one face of the cube to activate a particular type of screen or to deactivate the device."

Use Activated Items:
Unless stated otherwise, activating a use-activated magic item is either a standard action or not an action at all and does not provoke attacks of opportunity, unless the use involves performing an action that provokes an attack of opportunity in itself. If the use of the item takes time before a magical effect occurs, then use activation is a standard action. If the item’s activation is subsumed in its use and takes no extra time use activation is not an action at all.

Can multiple sides be activated at the same time?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Is it a standard action or "non/free" action to activate a Cube of Force?

The item say: "The possessor presses one face of the cube to activate a particular type of screen or to deactivate the device."

I wouldn't call that "use-activated", to be honest.

The "subsumed in its use" provision is for things like a Flaming Burst sword, or Eyes of the Eagle. If you look at something through the Eyes, you get a bonus. If you hit something with the sword, it Bursts. You don't need to actually do anything to make that happen - it happens as a part of what you were doing anyway.

As opposed to the Cube, where you have to consciously decide to press a face.

I would have no hesitation in saying "standard action to press a face".

As for more than one face at a time... while it's not explicitly stated, to me it looks like only one. You don't press an active face a second time to deactivate it - there's a separate button. So it seems that the cube has six states, one of which is "off".

If you were allowed multiple active faces, it would seem that you should be able to go from 1&2 to 1, by deactivating 2. But the only way to deactivate a face is to hit face 6... which would deactivate all faces.

So I'd be inclined to say "only one at a time".

-Hyp.

 

[the Jester]

Absolutely a standard action imo (and imc ).

In fact, I think our lil blue friend up there summed it up nicely- that's how I've always ruled it.

 

[Dwarmaj]

Wondrous items are either command word activated or use activated. Pressing a side of the cube doesn't seem to be command word activated (not to different than swinging a sword, you press a side and it works), so I figured it would be use activated. It's similar to Boots of Speed, where you must click your heels together for them to activate (non-action).

Use activated items can use a standard action (if there's a delay associated with the effect taking place) or a "non-action" (if there's no delay).

 

[Hypersmurf]

Wondrous items are either command word activated or use activated. Pressing a side of the cube doesn't seem to be command word activated (not to different than swinging a sword, you press a side and it works), so I figured it would be use activated. It's similar to Boots of Speed, where you must click your heels together for them to activate (non-action).

If I were going to try to categorise it, I'd actually consider it closest to Command Word activation, with the difference being that it's a button instead of a word.

It seems to work much more like a Command Word item than a Use-Activated item, despite the fact that there's no actual word involved.

-Hyp.

 

[James McMurray]

Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the item description indicates otherwise.

The item description does not indicate otherwise, thus it is a standard action.