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Thread: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
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2007-07-19, 10:10 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2007
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Wands, Wands, and more Wands
Ok so heres my thought, as a low Level wiz/caster, what should be the first magic item you get, more specificly what wand should you first buy, spell wise.
charm person
cause fear
magic missle
etc...
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2007-07-19, 10:14 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2007
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- where dreams are made
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
magic missile I'd would say so you don't have to waste a spell slot on it
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2007-07-19, 10:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2006
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- Manila, PH
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
as wands will have minimum caster level and minimum prime requisite ability score modifier when you purchase them, it is always useful to craft your own for save or die or save or lose spells so ca set caster level and dc's. generic wands are best for damage spells, save or partial spells, and generic utility spells that you do not want to memorize but need everyday, like rope trick, alarm and stuff.
cause fear and charm person are both save or suck/lose, magic missile is a sucky first level spell(w00t 2d4 damage!!!). good choices from phb include glitterdust, rope trick, silent image.My mother says: those on fire should roll.
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2007-07-19, 10:44 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2007
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
ok, i think ill go with glitter dust, blind/reveal invis is very promising.
unless i can get rope trick at CL 9 but that would be expensive.
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2007-07-19, 10:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2007
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- Sydney, Australia
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
Mage Armour
Even at caster level 1st it's still 1 hour duration. Saves you a spell slot every day for spells that are influenced by CL and DCs.
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2007-07-19, 11:41 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2005
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- IPR Violation
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
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2007-07-20, 02:52 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2006
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- Utah
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
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2007-07-20, 03:18 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2004
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- UK
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2007-07-20, 05:38 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2007
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- Portsmouth, UK
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
Detect magic and read magic and then mage armour
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2007-07-20, 06:04 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
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- London, England.
Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
Pretty much anything with a saving throw is a waste of time. By the time you can buy a 1st level wand without noticing the hit in your budget (say 4th-level and up) the monsters are not going to be impressed by a DC 11 saving throw. I guess you could get a wand of Sleep or Colour Spray and just keep spamming it until they fail their save, but as soon as the monsters hit 5 HD even that won't work.
Cause Fear might be useful, just because it does something on a failed save, but the wand's going to become deadweight as soon as you start running up against opponents of 6 HD or higher. Charm Person in a wand is almost useless except in very specialised situations.
More effective options for minimum-CL wands:
- Detect Magic - Cheap and very useful. Unless you have a Warlock or similar character in your party, this is the first wand you should buy.
- Grease - My favourite choice for a wand. Sure, they'll probably pass the Reflex save, but they might not be so lucky with the Balance check, and they're flat-footed in the meantime.
- Protection from Evil - +2 AC and +2 to saves is big at low levels, and this can be a life-saver if someone gets charmed or dominated.
- Shield - If you're dungeon-crawling, this can be another life-saver. Use a charge from it just before you walk into any dangerous area.
- Mage Armour - This one is iffy. You'll usually have a spare slot to just cast the spell. But it lets you free up your main slots for attack spells, which can make it worth it. I think it's better to just buy a Pearl of Power, though.
- Summon Monster I - Instant trap-detector. "Okay, little doggie, now run down the corridor." *BANG!* *yelp!* *poof!* "Yup, it's trapped."
- Saph
PS - Don't get a CL 9 wand of Rope Trick. Really, it's pointless. It costs 13,500 gold! By the time you can afford that you'll be about level 9 anyway, and why would you want to spend a third of your character's wealth to free up one second-level spell slot? I'll never understand why TLN recommended this one.I'm the author of the Alex Verus series of urban fantasy novels. Fated is the first, and the final book in the series, Risen, is out as of December 2021. For updates, check my blog!
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2007-07-20, 06:14 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2006
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- In my own little world
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
I'm surprised people are suggesting wands of 0th level spells - I don't think I've ever run out of those. It's not like you need to cast Detect Magic every other round.
I like Magic Missile - that way you're always going to be doing something useful in every round of combat, which can otherwise be a bit tricky for low level wizards. Grease can always be fun. Mage Armour is a good suggestion, as you're unlikely to be going for more than an hour anyway. Charm Person would be good if you're going to be meeting lots of people you don't want to immediately kill - that way, you will always have it on hand if needed. Though I imagine the temptation to start charming every barman and shopkeeper will become difficult to resist. Or maybe that's just me?Look at me - I'm Robespierre!
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2007-07-20, 06:19 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
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- London, England.
Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
If you're in a dungeon with magic traps, then being able to cast Detect Magic every time you run up against something suspicious-looking is very, very useful, trust me. It's also handy to be able to quickly scan a room to find out if anything has a magic aura. Plus the wand costs only 375 gold, halved if you make it yourself. Worth the money.
- SaphI'm the author of the Alex Verus series of urban fantasy novels. Fated is the first, and the final book in the series, Risen, is out as of December 2021. For updates, check my blog!
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2007-07-20, 02:08 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2006
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- Seattle, WA
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
I'd disagree with a wand of glitterdust. That spell is soooo useful, I'd have one memorized at all times at lower levels, 2 at 6th level and above. Plus, since it's save dependant, and a 2nd level spell, its gonna have a DC of 13, not so hot.
Ray of Enfeeblement would be a good wand. Handing out between -1 and -4 to attack and damage (-2 to -7 str) to everything you come across will save your cleric a lot of healing time. Ray of Stupidity is another good one. Keep blasting the enemy wizard/archivist until he's reduced to a commoner with good will saves or auto-disable animals at the flick of a wrist.
See Invisibility or Invisibility Purge would be good utility on a wand. Automatic, no save, no real level dependant effects, and really a life saver when you need it.
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2007-07-20, 02:17 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
- Wand of Enlarge Person
- Wand of Haste
- Wand of Cure Critical Wound
any good refular buffs is good to have in a wand.
One nasty is Wand of Enervation. Nasty nasty nasty..Last edited by SolkaTruesilver; 2007-07-20 at 02:18 PM.
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2007-07-20, 02:22 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
Five prorated wands with 10 charges or 10 prorated wands with 5 charges are generally better than a single fully charged wand in most circumstances and can be situationally useful at at most levels depending on the spells chosen particularly with a Heward's Handy Haversack.
Color spray and sleep are nice at low levels (1-4) but scrolls you can generally make yourself are cheaper since you normally have the scribe scroll feat at level 1 and can make level one scrolls for half market cost (12.5 GP).Last edited by CASTLEMIKE; 2007-07-20 at 02:27 PM.
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2007-07-20, 02:22 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2006
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- In front of my computer
Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
True strike. No save involved, duration is not CL dependant (always 1 round), and not always worth preparing but good to have around. It's like it was designed to be a wand.
I like having a mirror image wand, too. True, it isn't quite as good as casting it yourself, but it frees up a 2nd level slot for other things. On that note, invisibility makes for a nice wand, as well.Last edited by Dark_Wind; 2007-07-20 at 02:23 PM.
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2007-07-20, 02:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
I prefer keeping myself a 4-th level slot for Greater Mirror Image. as an immediate casting, you don't have to care about pre-casting it.
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2007-07-21, 07:55 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2007
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- good ol' USA
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
Wands? i find wands to be very non-threatening, staffs are much cooler.
the "You shall not pass" thing in lord of the rings could not have been done with a wand.
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2007-07-21, 07:57 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2007
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- good ol' USA
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
wait, Pixie in the playground? how the hell did that happen?!?
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2007-07-21, 08:04 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2006
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- DC area
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
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2007-07-21, 08:21 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2005
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Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
IMO, wands work best holding buff spells like Invisibility, Bull's Strength, etc.
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2007-07-21, 08:27 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2005
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- Flawse Fell, Geordieland
Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
Best low-level wand spell? Probably wand of web, or ditto of grease (the duct-tape and WD40 of the D&D world). AFAIR neither is level-dependent in their effects. Both are so tasty I can't decide which I'd rather have.
Create as minimum caster level items and own the battlefield.
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2007-07-21, 09:34 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2006
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- Sunnydale
Re: Wands, Wands, and more Wands
That isn't the reason to craft your own wands. The reason to use higher caster levels is for spell power (strength, duration) dependent on that caster level.
Magic items produce spells or spell-like effects. For a saving throw against a spell or spell-like effect from a magic item, the DC is 10 + the level of the spell or effect + the ability modifier of the minimum ability score needed to cast that level of spell.
Staffs are an exception to the rule. Treat the saving throw as if the wielder cast the spell, including caster level and all modifiers to save DC.