Charges for wands, staves, etc.

[Strangedays]

Does the 3.5 rules set recognize any difference between a charge from a first level spell wand and a 5th level spell wand? Sure, the creation costs of the wands/staves/rods themselves are different, but is the charge itself any different?

For example, suppose you had a wand of burning hands with 10 charges and a wand of Meteor Swarm with 5 charges. Furthermore, suppose you had the ability to transfer the charges from one wand to another. Would the 10 charges from the wand of burning hands still be 10 charges if transferred to the wand of meteor swarm?

Thanks for the help, folks!

[Big Fau]

Wands don't allow spells higher than 4th...


I assume you mean staves, right? Because that's the only way your post makes sense.



There's no hard formula for the charges used. But there's no method of "transferring" charges between two items. An Artificer could use a class feature to destroy both items and then rebuild one of them with full charges, or use an Infusion to recharge one of those items by 1 charge/infusion, but there's simply no way to transfer the charges (barring Wish or some such).

[Zaq]

Well, RAW, wands only go to 4th. If you want higher, you need staves, scepters (LEoF), or dorjes (for psionic powers).

Also by RAW, there's no way I know of to "transfer" charges like you're talking about, so there's no real answer to your question. It seems absurd that you would consider them to be the same, though. The spell Wand Modulation (CS) comes close to doing something like this, but not THAT close.

[tyckspoon]

If there were such an ability, it would most likely go by spell levels, the way spell-absorption items do. So if you broke down a fully-charged 1st level wand, you'd get 50 spell levels worth of charges that you could use to fully charge another 1st level wand, put 25 charges in a 2nd level item, 16 in a 3rd, and so on. Staffs would need as many spell levels as the highest-level spell in them.

But as mentioned by the previous posters, no RAW ability exists that does that, so you're in the realm of homebrew and you'd have to hash it out with your DM. I'm just extrapolating from the next-closest things; everything I know of that involves transferring, absorbing, or repurposing magical energy does it by counting spell levels.

[Strangedays]

Wands don't allow spells higher than 4th...


I assume you mean staves, right? Because that's the only way your post makes sense.

Sorry yes, of course you are correct, my apologies.



Also by RAW, there's no way I know of to "transfer" charges like you're talking about, so there's no real answer to your question.

I understand there is no way, per book rules, it was hypothetical.

[hewhosaysfish]

I understand there is no way, per book rules, it was hypothetical.

Well, in that case the question is not...


Would the 10 charges from the wand of burning hands still be 10 charges if transferred to the wand of meteor swarm?


..but...


SHOULD the 10 charges from the wand of burning hands still be 10 charges if transferred to the wand of meteor swarm?


Should people be able to buy a 375gp wand of Detect Magic and kick out fifty 9th level spells with it? 7.5gp per spell?
Why would you want to allow that? WHY?!

[Fouredged Sword]

IF it was doable by a house rule I made, I would make the system conform to the VALUE of the chargres. Wand total value / 50 = 1 charge.

A wand of a level 0 CL 1 spell would take considerable number of charges to recharge a 4th level CL 20 wand, likely not even being able to match one single charge with the whole wand.

This would allow a character to increase teh flexablility of wands and would increase thier usefullness in the game considerably, as a character could just get a bunch of useful wands and then just use all of his adventureing cash to craft more wands to keep them all full, greatly expanding thier spell list acesss.

[Strangedays]

Why would you want to allow that? WHY?!

I never said I was allowing it as I am not the DM. Just an idea for a magic item I had and I was looking for opinions on it, that's all.


This would allow a character to increase teh flexablility of wands and would increase thier usefullness in the game considerably, as a character could just get a bunch of useful wands and then just use all of his adventureing cash to craft more wands to keep them all full, greatly expanding thier spell list acesss.

This is sorta the route I was taking with my idea, it just seems that the system doesn't take charge value into account. Although with wand surge and unfettered heroism, its seems almost like the Charge value doesn't make (Yes, yes, I know: and action point isn't a charge, but its going along similar lines.)