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View Full Version : Wand Channeling -- Feat or Spell



Dalebert
2013-11-27, 11:38 AM
Is there anything along these lines already? If not, what do you think of it? Is it too much?

Something like a feat that allows you to channel your own magical power through a wand to boost its effects. You sacrifice one of your own prepared spells or a spell slot for spontaneous casters that must be the same level or higher than the spell in the wand. This allows you to use your own caster level instead of the wand's. It still expends a charge from the wand.

The spell version would be Enhance Wand I, Enhance Wand II, etc., possibly up to IV. It would be a spell specifically cast in conjunction with a use of a wand (possibly raising activation time?) that would have the same effect. Version I would only work on wands of 1st level spells, version II on 1st or 2nd, etc.

Naomi Li
2013-11-27, 02:10 PM
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/archetypes/paizo---wizard-archetypes/arcane-discoveries/staff-like-wand This feat (though a fair bit heavy on the prerequisites) accomplishes what you have written there and cheaper. So, your version probably isn't overpowered.

Dalebert
2013-11-27, 02:55 PM
Wow, that's awesome. I would so totally take that if I were playing a wizard.

So I'm thinking this makes more sense as a feat for spontaneous casters, the idea being their magic is not shaped yet, so it's more easily channeled. Here's a stab.

Device Channeling (Suggestions for a better name?)
Prerequisites:
Able to cast 1st level spells spontaneously.
Any craft magical item feat OR 4 ranks of Use Magic Device.

You have learned to channel your own magic while using magical items to amplify the effect. When using any magical item that simulates a specific spell effect, like any spell trigger item and also some wondrous items, you can use your own caster level in place of the items' as well as use your own primary casting stat and relevant feats to adjust the DC for saves against the effect as if you had cast the spell yourself. You must sacrifice one unused spell slot from your spontaneous castings equivalent or higher to the level of the spell effect of the device. If the spell is on your spell list, you use the level appropriate for your casting class. If not, you use the highest spell level listed in the spell description. You still expend any charges from the item that are necessary to activate it.

This feat does not grant you the ability to activate an item that you would not otherwise be able to use. If you attempt a Use Magic Device check along with this ability, the spell slot is expended regardless of the result.

Naomi Li
2013-11-27, 03:03 PM
Name suggestion? Hn... perhaps Spell Item Augmentation?

As for what it can be used for, perhaps consider changing it to "spell-trigger items, spell-completion items, and use-activated items that emulate a specific spell" or something along those lines.

Is this a 3.5 feat or a Pathfinder feat? The skill rank requirement you have there makes me think 3.5, but maybe you've just made it take longer on the skill route because skill points are much cheaper than feats.

(I would note that this version may well be rather overpowered, given its much lighter prerequisites and broader focus)

Dalebert
2013-11-27, 11:23 PM
Is this a 3.5 feat or a Pathfinder feat? The skill rank requirement you have there makes me think 3.5, but maybe you've just made it take longer on the skill route because skill points are much cheaper than feats.

It's still kind of in the brainstorming stage. FWIW, I'm about to start playing in a PF game and the DM has approved this if I want to take it with three changes:

Only wands.
Prereq would be Craft Wands specifically.
He would allow any casters to take it; not just spontaneous. I think it's a little more appealing to a spontaneous caster with a more limited spells known, but it can certainly be handy for a prepared caster as well with a limited number of spell slots to prepare.

Naomi Li
2013-11-27, 11:55 PM
I think the "wizard only" version that exists now is a bit annoying (not that I actually want to use wands; staves all the way!), so I fully approve of it being a feat open to all spellcasters. It being more appealing for some of them just means that they're more likely to grab it.

Dalebert
2013-11-28, 01:46 PM
I think the "wizard only" version that exists now is a bit annoying (not that I actually want to use wands; staves all the way!), so I fully approve of it being a feat open to all spellcasters. It being more appealing for some of them just means that they're more likely to grab it.

My DM brought up a good point though. That's not a feat. That's a special class feature of wizards that they can substitute for a feat. Feats are not supposed to be as good as those, apparently.

I think my version was probably a little too broad and easy to qualify for but the changes my DM wanted to apply gimp it far too much. Requiring Create Wand for a sorcerer is just cruel since their item creation is inherently very limited AND this feat would be useless for any wands they could actually create. This feat is specifically for wands of spells they don't know.

I suggested a compromise. Make the prereq 8 ranks of Use Magic Device, which means they have to be 5th level, and limit it to just wands. If they want to do this with other items, that could require another similar feat. This feat is going to be useful primarily to spontaneous casters and with wands that they find or buy; not make.

Naomi Li
2013-11-28, 02:17 PM
I thought your DM/GM was going to be playing a PF game? If so, you would want 5 skill ranks for it to be available at 5th level, not 8 skill ranks. As for "useless for any wands they could actually create", I REALLY don't see why. Any wands they create would also have minimum CL (unless they want to spend a LOT more on crafting it), ability score, no affecting feats, etc inside of them, so the feat would still work wonders for them.

And it's true that, without assistance, a sorcerer cannot create a wide range of spells. However, they CAN get that assistance. Hire a prepared spellcaster to prepare the spell for however many days the crafting takes (hint: add +5 to the crafting DC to work twice as fast) and you have every spell in existence available.

I think that requiring "craft wands" is a perfectly reasonable prerequisite, really, and not a huge handicap for a sorcerer or oracle. (Though I would never take it, as I am not fond of high-expense disposable items the adventuring lifestyle encourages)

Dalebert
2013-11-28, 11:46 PM
I thought your DM/GM was going to be playing a PF game? If so, you would want 5 skill ranks for it to be available at 5th level, not 8 skill ranks. As for "useless for any wands they could actually create", I REALLY don't see why. Any wands they create would also have minimum CL (unless they want to spend a LOT more on crafting it), ability score, no affecting feats, etc inside of them, so the feat would still work wonders for them.

No. Remember that it requires them to use one of their spell slots of the same level. If they know the spell, they can just cast it without using the wand and blowing a charge.


And it's true that, without assistance, a sorcerer cannot create a wide range of spells. However, they CAN get that assistance. Hire a prepared spellcaster to prepare the spell for however many days the crafting takes (hint: add +5 to the crafting DC to work twice as fast) and you have every spell in existence available.

Eesh. That sounds expensive and impractical. You have to track down someone who knows the spell and is available for hire for however many days in a row.


I think that requiring "craft wands" is a perfectly reasonable prerequisite, really, and not a huge handicap for a sorcerer or oracle. (Though I would never take it, as I am not fond of high-expense disposable items the adventuring lifestyle encourages)

Neither would I; not for a sorcerer. They have a lot of spells per day already and they're just not that great at making wands if they always need to hire help. Maybe take it for one level and then retrain it the next level after making a couple wands. *shrug*

Naomi Li
2013-11-29, 01:54 AM
Oh, right, your version is notably weaker than "Staff-like wand". Sorry, forgot about that.

As for "expensive and impractical" I believe that you should easily be able to find people selling their spellcasting abilities in any city, easily up to 5th level, unless the GM is running a game with lower magic availability than the default.
The price is a fairly notable amount, though, spell level * caster level * 10 gp, which I think is utterly ridiculous and really needing to be dropped at least 90%. At that price there just cannot be sufficient demand to meet the supply, and unless almost all spellcasters are involved in price fixing...

Honestly, I would skip the entire issue and just get staves. They're actually cheaper than wands of the same caster level (though staves have that 8 caster level minimum), are rechargeable with spellslots, and you get to apply your full ability score, caster level, feats, etc to the spell cast. There are the disadvantages of requiring a caster level 11 character to make at all and only being able to store 10 charges at a time, but I think they're one of the most awesome tools ever. Especially if it's also your primary weapon. (Darkwood quarterstaff/club/whatever, anyone?)


Actually, given how limited your feat is, you might want to consider replacing it with a few of these magical items. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/m-p/page-of-spell-knowledge

Dalebert
2013-11-29, 03:55 PM
Well, none of this is really for me particularly. I'm playing a witch and have no plans to play a sorcerer at this time.