Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Upsetting the WIZARD applecart,... maybe?

Skarg · 03-03-2018, 01:59 PM

I actually don't think Conan the Wizard is the main problem, even though it gets mentioned a lot. With apprentices and/or ST Batteries, putting a bunch of points in ST is not, I think, often a good idea, unless you really want/need to be able to cast certain spells without using apprentices or ST Batteries. I think in general most wizards with high ST would be more formidable with more DX and/or IQ. Certainly there are several Thrown spells which will take down another wizard, and having superior Thrown spell range (and/or better spells) tends to be better than having a few more ST (and it certainly is if you can hire some apprentices to cast Aid on you).

Which is not to say that I don't think it would be an improvement if there were some way for wizards to improve their available intrinsic fatigue pool for spells other that raising ST - I do.

But again, if you just simply make IQ do everything for wizards, you tank the balance heroes and other wizard designs as the best 32-point picks start to become things like ST 8 DX 8 IQ 16 Summon 7-Hex Dragon etc and ST 8 DX 10(13) IQ 14 Missile Weapons Lightning, and any wizard without IQ below about 12 starts to be considered annoyingly flubby, etc.

03-03-2018, 01:59 PM	#6
Skarg Join Date: May 2015	Re: Upsetting the WIZARD applecart,... maybe? I actually don't think Conan the Wizard is the main problem, even though it gets mentioned a lot. With apprentices and/or ST Batteries, putting a bunch of points in ST is not, I think, often a good idea, unless you really want/need to be able to cast certain spells without using apprentices or ST Batteries. I think in general most wizards with high ST would be more formidable with more DX and/or IQ. Certainly there are several Thrown spells which will take down another wizard, and having superior Thrown spell range (and/or better spells) tends to be better than having a few more ST (and it certainly is if you can hire some apprentices to cast Aid on you). Which is not to say that I don't think it would be an improvement if there were some way for wizards to improve their available intrinsic fatigue pool for spells other that raising ST - I do. But again, if you just simply make IQ do everything for wizards, you tank the balance heroes and other wizard designs as the best 32-point picks start to become things like ST 8 DX 8 IQ 16 Summon 7-Hex Dragon etc and ST 8 DX 10(13) IQ 14 Missile Weapons Lightning, and any wizard without IQ below about 12 starts to be considered annoyingly flubby, etc.