12-17-2020, 07:50 AM | #11 | |
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Re: Wizards without Staves
Quote:
In combat the staff isn't that great. It's nice to know you can Defend if you must, and you might occasionally help to finish off a helpless victim by thwacking it. I don't find the occult zap very useful, there's just usually more useful things to do with a spare fatigue point. One downside of a combat (i.e. club) staff is that you look like a wizard even before you cast, which simplifies enemy threat assessment and tactics and can turn you into a first turn missile magnet. I normally take a staff, it's probably a good idea, but I wouldn't call it a must have. |
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12-17-2020, 08:07 AM | #12 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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Re: Wizards without Staves
Big downside of going into combat with a big stick is that you become the top target for HTH attacks. If you carry a silver dagger instead then you shall be sniped. (Carrying a brand in the off-hand keeps animals from jumping on top of your wizard.)
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12-17-2020, 08:56 AM | #13 |
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Re: Wizards without Staves
Technically this only applies to "ordinary animals", an undefined but presumably narrower category than animals generally. How much narrower varies between campaigns. But in my experience most parties get over fighting ordinary wolves and their ilk pretty fast, and have more combats against humanoids, fantasticals, etc.
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12-17-2020, 10:09 AM | #14 | |
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
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Re: Wizards without Staves
Quote:
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12-19-2020, 08:53 PM | #15 |
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Durham, NC
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Re: Wizards without Staves
Exactly. With the new staff rules there are both reasons to have or skip getting the staff.
- Biggest reasons to have a staff: magical attack and eventually mana - Biggest reason to skip it: attacks cost 1 ST. And wizards are best avoiding combat, so anything that can be used to defend with is good enough. |
12-20-2020, 06:19 AM | #16 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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Re: Wizards without Staves
Quote:
So the possible reasons to not have a staff are:
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-HJC |
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12-28-2020, 09:24 AM | #17 |
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Re: Wizards without Staves
Other important factors:
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12-28-2020, 09:49 AM | #18 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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Re: Wizards without Staves
Take a torch but instead of setting it on fire, cast Staff and Light on it to make it "glow like a torch". Then use your "torch" staff to defend with without having it interfere with your spellcasting.
__________________
-HJC |
12-28-2020, 03:42 PM | #19 |
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
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Re: Wizards without Staves
That's a cute idea, really it is. But I don't think "glow like a torch" means "looks like a torch at a glance."
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12-29-2020, 02:00 AM | #20 |
Join Date: Jun 2019
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Re: Wizards without Staves
And people might look at you funny when you show up at a fine dinner party carrying a torch.
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"I'm not arguing. I'm just explaining why I'm right." |
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