Does a wand charged with a swift action casting time spell take a swift action to activate?

Question

There are different rules related to the action required to activate a wand:

The wand section from magic items states (emphasis mine):

Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so 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 standard action, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.)

Further, from the spell trigger section from the magic item section:

Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

And finally, checking the Rules Compendium, the Spell trigger section states (emphasis mine)

Activating a spell trigger item takes the same amount of time as the casting time of the spell that the item stores, but activating the item doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.

From these rules together I am having trouble understanding how a wand with a swift action spell would activate. Which action would be required for such a wand?

Answer 1

Ask the DM

If the DM's campaign accepts as the primary source for magic items the Dungeon Master's Guide, spell trigger magic items (like wands) have an activation time of at least 1 standard action. If the DM's campaign allows the Rules Compendium to change the Dungeon Master's Guide, then the spells in spell trigger magic items have the casting times of the spells. (See here for more on the controversy surrounding the Rules Compendium; see here for another magic item type impacted by its changes.)

Personal Experience

I've run campaigns that have used both rules and, ultimately, I've come to prefer the Dungeon Master's Guide's rules. Using this change wrought by the Rules Compendium left me with option paralysis when designing NPCs for high-level challenges. (High-level NPCs have a lot of gp and limited screen time, and them being able to buy their ways in to swift-action spells made high-level play even more complicated.) However, at low and middle levels, I've found the Rules Compendium change reasonable and functional. If not planning for high-level play—or if you're a more decisive and organized DM than I—, the Rules Compendium's changes should be fine for your campaign. Also note that players tend to prefer the Rules Compendium's change as it expands options, especially those who play rogues and other classes reliant on sneak attack.