pathfinder/3.5 Best Wand for the Money?

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

Pretty self explanatory. What is in your opinion, the best spell on a wand for the money?

For those who dont care to look it up, I believe the equation is spell level x caster level x 750gp. Only forth level or lower spells can be put in a wand.

thanks in advance!

[sonofzeal]

Wand of Lesser Vigor. Never enter combat at half health again!

Wand of Entangle, and Wand of Enlarge/Reduce Person, are all very useful as well.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I am AFB right now so I may be misremembering.

Zeal I have to disagree with you on lesser vigo, IIRC the spell last rounds per level, so a wand made at minimum CL would heal 2 HP, not worth it.

And I think Alter self is a good candidate, even at minimum CL you have half an hour of being another thing altogether.

[GoatBoy]

Zeal I have to disagree with you on lesser vigo, IIRC the spell last rounds per level, so a wand made at minimum CL would heal 2 HP, not worth it.


10 rounds, plus 1 round/lvl.

[MrRigger]

Lesser Vigor gives fast healing 1 for 10+CL (max 5). So a first level wand of lesser vigor heals 11 HP. Definitely better than a Cure Light Wounds for the same amount of money that gives you a max of 9 (1d8+1), and likely won't give that. Definitely worth it.

MrRigger

[Thurbane]

I'm a big fan of Benign Transposition...it can be a really good utility/defensive spell, and doesn't have much in the way of CL dependant variables.

[Dusk Eclipse]

10 rounds, plus 1 round/lvl.


Lesser Vigor gives fast healing 1 for 10+CL (max 5). So a first level wand of lesser vigor heals 11 HP. Definitely better than a Cure Light Wounds for the same amount of money that gives you a max of 9 (1d8+1), and likely won't give that. Definitely worth it.

MrRigger

I stand corrected then.

Also, wand of nerveskitter... so worth it.

[HunterOfJello]

I always keep 2 wand sheathes full in both hands for a total of 10 wands that can be accessed with a swift action. Here are a list of my favorites:

~

Swift Invisbility is a 1st level bard spell and excellent on a wand. You can keep yourself invisible for all the important fights by giving up your swift actions.

Lesser Vigor requires no explanation.

Faith Healing is better than Lesser Vigor in combat, if you want to be cheap and have your entire group worship the same deity.

Omen of Peril when you feel like the DM is about to spring enemies on you.

Benign Transposition is highly useful in combat. One of the best 1st level combat wands.

Sign for Clerics to boost initiative.

Nerveskitter for Wizards and Sorcerers to boost initiative. Nerveskitter is a bit better, but comes at the cost of your 1st turn's swift action.


~

Also, for a Ranger:

Guided Shot to ignore distance, cover and concealment.

Hunter's Mercy to auto-crit an enemy.

Aspect of the Wolf to turn into a wolf for 10 minutes. A low cost for Low-Light Vision, 50ft land speed, Scent, and an auto-trip if you happen to get into a fight.

Towering Oak for +10 to Intimidate.

Lay of the Land to quickly look yourself up on Google Maps.


~
Now that I've listed about 1/4th of my favorite wands list off, I should probably say my favorite. From personal use in actual play, Swift Invisbility is my favorite spell on a 1st level wand.

By using it several times in a row, you create a sort of Blink effect that will usually be enough to avoid attacks from enemies. The spell is also Verbal only, which comes in handy.

*edit*

double fixed this post based on new information.

[SamsDisciple]

After seeing a touch attack specialist I have to say wand of seeking ray is my favorite. It is the best with double wand wield and metamagic wand grips to burn through charges and twin spell it

[Incanur]

Do swift/immediate action wands work? I remember controversy over that. Of course, nerveskitter doesn't do anything by the RAW anyway unless you have a surprise round or foresight.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Nerveskitter specifically mentions it can be used even when flat-footed.

[GoatBoy]

RAW says that using a spell trigger item, like a wand, is always a standard action, regardless of the casting time of the triggered spell.

Does anyone rule otherwise?

[Incanur]

Nerveskitter specifically mentions it can be used even when flat-footed.

The Spell Compendium version does no such thing, though you can interpret the first line that way. Flat-footed appears nowhere in the text.

[ericgrau]

RAW says that using a spell trigger item, like a wand, is always a standard action, regardless of the casting time of the triggered spell.

Does anyone rule otherwise?
Actually the wand rules say a standard action or the normal casting time of the spell, whichever is greater. Either way swift/immediate casting times are out. The do work on scrolls, staffs and certain other magic items though.

[HunterOfJello]

RAW says that using a spell trigger item, like a wand, is always a standard action, regardless of the casting time of the triggered spell.

Does anyone rule otherwise?

Wow, I didn't know that. I've ruled otherwise in the games I've run, since I didn't know that rule. Also, I fixed my earlier post based on the new info.

Nevermind, again!

[The Shadowmind]

Actually the wand rules say a standard action or the normal casting time of the spell, whichever is greater. Either way swift/immediate casting times are out. The do work on scrolls, staffs and certain other magic items though.

Rules Compendium changed to to the same time as the spell, whether greater or less. Swift/Immediate actions weren't made till after core, so rules for them didn't exist yet.

[HunterOfJello]

Rules Compendium changed to to the same time as the spell, whether greater or less. Swift/Immediate actions weren't made till after core, so rules for them didn't exist yet.

Ah, this makes sense finally. My kobold bard remains in your debt for allowing him to keep is ever-useful Wand of Swift Invisibility.

[tyckspoon]

The Spell Compendium version does no such thing, though you can interpret the first line that way. Flat-footed appears nowhere in the text.

Errata'd back in to the text explicitly. Rules updates, people, check them!

[Sir Swindle89]

For the MONEY?

Wand of Summon Monster I

You can get a lantern archon that can cast eternal flame at will. open up your everburning torch shop and the wand pays for its self and more.

[Kansaschaser]

If you want to use your wand to make money...

Eternal Wand of Identify (charge the normal 125gp fee to identify)

Eternal Wand of Unseen Crafter (Have them make a craft check per day.)

Eternal Wand of Water to Acid (to make hundreds of acid flasks for sale for 5gp a piece.)

Regular Wand of Wall of Salt (The spell is instantaneous. It creates seven 5ft squares of salt. That is 78,750lbs of solid salt. Salt is a trade good. You can then have your Useen Crafters pulverize the salt into normal salt. Each pound of salt can be sold for 5gp. That is 393,750 gold worth of salt.)

[Kansaschaser]

I did some calculations and it looks like the Eternal Wand of Water to Acid create 320lbs (5 cubic feet of water) of acid per casting.

If the glass flask you place the acid in costs 1gp, then you can make a total of 2,560 gold per day.

[Chilingsworth]

For the MONEY?

Wand of Summon Monster I

You can get a lantern archon that can cast eternal flame at will. open up your everburning torch shop and the wand pays for its self and more.

You need summon monster IV to summon a lantern archon. Still might work, though.

[Sir Swindle89]

You need summon monster IV to summon a lantern archon. Still might work, though.

My bad i forgot i didn't play a level1 summoner in that game. Poisonous snakes and frogs are on the SM1 list. I wonder how much those would sell for if you milked them?

[Chilingsworth]

Actually, if you're trying to make money with any of the spells listed, it seems to me you'd be better off just casting them yourself.

[Kansaschaser]

Actually, if you're trying to make money with any of the spells listed, it seems to me you'd be better off just casting them yourself.

Unless you are a Rogue and you want to use the wand with Use Magic Device. Or, if you are a Warlock and you don't have access to the same spell list as a Wizard/Sorcer or Cleric.

If you are indeed playing a Rogue, one of the best spells to have in an Eternal Wand is Shrink Item.

It allows you to sneak into someone's house/store/shop and steal very large items.

EXAMPLE:
DM: With your appraise check, you determine the most expensive objects in the room are the the Grand Piano and the Bronze Statue of Hector.

PC: I use my Eternal Wand of Shrink Item to shrink both the Piano and the Statue. Then I pocket the cloth items and sneak out.

[Stegyre]

Actually, if you're trying to make money with any of the spells listed, it seems to me you'd be better off just casting them yourself.
Actually, if you're trying to make money off of spell casting, by wand or otherwise, your GM should revisit the economy: it's not like your character is the only one who would do such a thing.

As long as the price of a commodity (or service) that could be produced by a spell is greater than the price of the spell itself, "producers" (casters of that spell) will gravitate to producing the commodity or service through their spells, rather than selling their spell services directly. Very quickly, either the cost of spell casting will go up or the sale price of those commodities will go down to reach an equilibrium.

In any extant society, that should already be the case, unless someone's come up with a new spell.

[tyckspoon]

My bad i forgot i didn't play a level1 summoner in that game. Poisonous snakes and frogs are on the SM1 list. I wonder how much those would sell for if you milked them?

Goods and effects taken from or created by a Summoned creature go away along with the creature when the spell ends, specifically so you can't do this sort of thing.

[Kansaschaser]

Actually, if you're trying to make money off of spell casting, by wand or otherwise, your GM should revisit the economy: it's not like your character is the only one who would do such a thing.

As long as the price of a commodity (or service) that could be produced by a spell is greater than the price of the spell itself, "producers" (casters of that spell) will gravitate to producing the commodity or service through their spells, rather than selling their spell services directly. Very quickly, either the cost of spell casting will go up or the sale price of those commodities will go down to reach an equilibrium.

In any extant society, that should already be the case, unless someone's come up with a new spell.

Very true.

However, the following spells to help you make money are not listed in the Player's Handbook. So most DM's say the spell is not readily available.

Even if there were spellcasters available to cast these spells, they may not be smart enough to realize what the spell is capable of doing.

Most people see Water to Acid as an attack spell and Wall of Salt as a defensive spell.

Unseen Crafter
Water to Acid
Wall of Salt

If I were a DM and a player tried to use these spells to make money, I would let them, but once they flooded the market with 100,000 acid flasks or 10 tons of salt, I would greatly reduce the ammount of money they could get after that. They would need to travel to another Metropolis and start over.

Unseen Crafter is only really good before you get Fabricate. Once you get Fabricate, that is your money maker. But that's a 5th level spell, so I didn't include it with the list of good wands to use.

[Chilingsworth]

what book is water to acid in?

[Kansaschaser]

what book is water to acid in?

Water to Acid = Stormwrack
Wall of Salt = Sandstorm
Unseen Crafter = Races of Eberron

[ericgrau]

Rules Compendium changed to to the same time as the spell, whether greater or less. Swift/Immediate actions weren't made till after core, so rules for them didn't exist yet.
They still had quickened spells and even epic staffs that use them. You sure the rules compendium clarification wasn't for scrolls only? In core scrolls had contradicting rules stating it both ways.

[Thurbane]

Rules Compendium p. 85

Activating a scroll takes the same amount of time as the casting time of the spell stored on the scroll and provokes attacks of opportunity as spellcasting does.

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.
SRD

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 action, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.)
...the SRD makes no mention of spells with less than a standard action casting time, only those with greater.

Likewise, the SRD section on scrolls makes no mention of what action type it is, other than in the actions in combat table, which lists it as a standard action.

[Starbuck_II]

For Rogues, Vanish in a wand (caster 2 or 3) is a good choice. Vanish is a 1st level invisibility but 1 rd/lv.
So cheap invisibility (useful for sneak attack).

[Shade Kerrin]

I heard good things about a wand of Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer.

Wand of any 3rd or lower spell you could possibly want to cast, at your disposal

[Stegyre]

I heard good things about a wand of Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer.

Wand of any 3rd or lower spell you could possibly want to cast, at your disposal
Not quite, it seems:

Casting this spell allows you to prepare additional spells or retain spells recently cast. Pick one of these two versions when the spell is cast.

Prepare
You prepare up to three additional levels of spells. . . . You prepare and cast these spells normally.

Retain
You retain any spell of 3rd level or lower that you had cast up to 1 round before you started casting the mnemonic enhancer. This restores the previously cast spell to your mind.

In either event, the spell or spells prepared or retained fade after 24 hours (if not cast).
So if using the "retain" option, you can only retrieve a spell that you already prepared and just cast.

If using the "prepare" option, you may prepare three additional spell levels. That's useful, but you still have to do the preparation (a 15 minute minimum delay) and you must have the replacement spell(s) in your spell book, or whatever you use for preparation, because this is preparing spells just like normal. The spells you want don't come to you out of thin air.

Still, you are able to use a 4th level wand to essentially moot the need for scrolls of low-level utility spells (provided you've already got those spells in your spell book, which you probably do, if you're packing scrolls of them).

[kakes]

If I were a DM and a player tried to use these spells to make money, I would let them, but once they flooded the market with 100,000 acid flasks or 10 tons of salt, I would greatly reduce the ammount of money they could get after that. They would need to travel to another Metropolis and start over.

Moving the product in a realistic world setting really is the problem.
The math checks out on the cost of the wands versus the weight of the salt produced, even accounting for a certain amount of it selling for nothing due to getting dirty on the ground.

But if you made, say, five five-foot-cubes of salt, and pulverized it, you've got around 47,500lbs of salt. These days, a proper diet consists of about 1.6 pounds of salt per person per year. Assuming you're selling your entire stock to an entire population of about 23,000 people you'd be able to clear out one casting of Wall of Salt in a year (punches in to about 625GP a day considering "dirty salt" losses).

That's if you can move it, though. Even if you're cornering the salt market, you'll be attacked with problems. Considering the somewhat lucrative prospect of pulling in 625GP a day for the rest of the year for eight hours of work that you didn't even have to do, it's all but a guarantee that your salt business would be the target of theft, competition, and even downright sabotage.

Sure, you can take steps to counteract these drawbacks but it's a hard balance to strike between security and business management on a 625GP/day budget. Not to mention you run the risk of untrustworthy employees.

It sounds like fun, I'd love to try it, but it sounds like it could get complex FAST.

[rel]

wand of lesser vigor. Because removing hp from the resource management equation makes for a more interesting game.

[Thurbane]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, Longstrider isn't bad... +10 enhancement bonus to your speed for an hour.

[Crasical]

Wand of Create Water.

[Zaq]

Wraithstrike fits in a wand, no? Excellent for a blender Rogue . . . or any melee character with Magical Training and a wand chamber in their weapon of choice.

[Ketiara]

yes and golemstrike then, I just never realised that it was possible to use a wand as a swift action... this opens up so many new and fun uses for wands.

What book (and page) do I find the wand sheath and wand chamber?

[molten_dragon]

I had a sorcerer with an imp familiar in a recent game, who I gave an eternal wand of resurgence to. He would fly around invisible, and use it anytime anyone failed a will or fortitude save.

[Tvtyrant]

Ray of Stupidity. It immediately wipes animals, which you aren't going to see everyday but you are going to see fairly often (especially at low levels).

[Thurbane]

What book (and page) do I find the wand sheath and wand chamber?
Wand chamber in Dungeonscape, p.34.
Wand Sheath (Warforged component) is in the Eberron Campaign Setting, p69; unless you meant Wand Bracer, which is dungeonscape, p.33.

[Ashtagon]

Rules Compendium changed to to the same time as the spell, whether greater or less. Swift/Immediate actions weren't made till after core, so rules for them didn't exist yet.

Pretty sure some spells were effectively just that even from the PHB. Feather fall, for example.

[Thurbane]

Nope, Feather Fall was a free action, and was retrospectively updated to an immediate action after they were introduced in the Miniatures Handbook. You can see it in this (http://dndsrd.net/spellsFtoG.html#feather-fall) SRD, which hasn't updated it from the first 3.5 SRD release, whereas this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/featherFall.htm) one has updated it.

[Cyan Wisp]

I do like a nice wand of ray of enfeeblement (d6+1 STR damage)

Bless weapon is good situationally and literally. Better if you have forewarning.

I am also fond of unseen servant in a wand. Lasts an hour and means you have limited telekinesis, in effect.


EDIT: Ray of enfeeblement CL 1 would actually only be d6 STR. Still might be ok!