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Old 07-14-2022, 09:10 AM   #1
hcobb
 
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Default Why would wizards want wands?

Other than social factors, why would a wandering wizard wield a wand?
Can she even take a defend option with it?
Isn't a dagger (with five conceals) just as well hidden?
If the wand doesn't even have mana then why hold it at all? (Other than to zap Brown Slimes and such.)
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Old 07-14-2022, 09:51 AM   #2
Bill_in_IN
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Other than social factors, why would a wandering wizard wield a wand?
Can she even take a defend option with it?
Isn't a dagger (with five conceals) just as well hidden?
If the wand doesn't even have mana then why hold it at all? (Other than to zap Brown Slimes and such.)
From a completely logical perspective, that's a great question/criticism.

Some PCs aren't logical.

Some NPCs may be designed to be unpredictable due to some lack of normal logical reasoning.

In short, who knows and to each their own.
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Old 07-14-2022, 09:54 AM   #3
Axly Suregrip
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

I can think of only two reasons for a Wand Staff over a Dagger Staff (other than socially):

1) less weight. I would assume a wand staff would weigh 0.1 lbs, or even 0.0 as it may be so little it would round down to zero. But really, this is hardly a big advantage.

2) smaller and lighter, it should be easier to conceal. A hidden weapon on a wizardly thief can come in handy. A dagger is already something that can be easily hidden, but a wand should be slightly better.
EDIT: May even be small/light enough to be kept in your belt pouch instead of its own light item belt slot. Thus letting your wizard have more belt slots for potions or whatever.

The net is, unless your wizard has a specific need to conceal a staff the wand staff is only a disadvantage.

Last edited by Axly Suregrip; 07-14-2022 at 10:01 AM.
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Old 07-14-2022, 09:57 AM   #4
Axly Suregrip
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

May come in handy for the wizard that moonlights as the local orchestra conductor. ;-)

Socially may be allowed in places where weapons are forbidden... but only if it is not noticed (concealed) since everyone should know a wand staff is still a weapon.
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Old 07-14-2022, 10:19 AM   #5
Axly Suregrip
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

<Tangent warning>

BTW, I see 6 legitimate staff forms:

- wand staff (as discussed above)
- dagger staff (as discussed many times before... I have come around to accepting these)
- sword staff (a way to get a sword into a wizard's hand; best if the wizard has the skill)
- 1 handed club staff
- 2 handed club staff (most common)
- quarterstaff staff (basically a 2 handed club for the wizard that wants the extra weapon skill)

I find the 2 handed club variant most useful. The dagger staff being a good choice if you expect your wizard will end up in HTH. But I find the occurrence of red slimes and melee combat (2 handed clubs will do more damage than a dagger in melee) a lot more common for a wizard instead of HTH.

<Tongue-in-cheek warning>

Why not allow a specially crafted 2 handed wooden club with inlaid silver. That is, an "arquebus staff". Since about half of the weigh will be silver instead of steel, the cost should be $2,750. But worth every cent! Order one now! Limited supply as the Mechanician's Guild has caught on that it was the Wizard's Guild that was ordering these. Get yours before they are all gone!
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Old 07-14-2022, 10:22 AM   #6
phiwum
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Other than social factors, why would a wandering wizard wield a wand?
Can she even take a defend option with it?
Isn't a dagger (with five conceals) just as well hidden?
If the wand doesn't even have mana then why hold it at all? (Other than to zap Brown Slimes and such.)
Your point about the dagger is a bit silly. Does literally every wizard who knows Staff also know Reveal/Conceal?

But I think a GM who doesn't make somewhat idiosyncratic NPCs is kinda failing. I can agree that most PCs wouldn't opt for a wand, especially if dagger staff is allowed (as RAW does). In fact, I think dagger staffs are so useful that it's hard to understand why anyone would use a hunk of wood.
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Old 07-14-2022, 10:48 AM   #7
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

Walk over to the local guild and hire somebody to cast Conceal-1 through 5 for only $3 + $62 = $65 (Should the Guild casting costs at ITL 60 add in the big pile of apprentices this will take to provide 62 points of fatigue? And then their hours of resting time on the clock afterwards? Remember that the guild charges 1$ per fatigue they pay $50 for 25 fatigue * 5 (or 6) days. I.e. 3 to 4 coppers per fatigue point.)

As nobody but the dagger-staff owner is going to be hiding that dagger anywhere they won't need to roll to find it hidden on themselves.

Also very very few wizards will cast Conceal-5 from their own Mana reserves.
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Old 07-14-2022, 10:57 AM   #8
Shostak
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

There is an important NPC wizard in one of my campaigns whose "staff" is a rosewood hairpin. Due to its similarity in size and heft, if could reasonably be thought of as a wand. She can appear completely nonthreatening while enjoying the benefits of having a tool from which she can store and draw mana, use as a weapon dealing out occult zaps, and transform into a serpent acting on her bidding.

If she is arrested (as sometimes happens to this professional thief) and relieved of her dagger, she still has her far more useful tool at her disposal.

So there is an example of why a wizard might prefer a wand to a walking stick or quarterstaff, or the "typical" ultra-concealed, very fine silver dagger.
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Old 07-14-2022, 11:00 AM   #9
Bill_in_IN
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

Quote:
Originally Posted by phiwum View Post
Your point about the dagger is a bit silly. Does literally every wizard who knows Staff also know Reveal/Conceal?

But I think a GM who doesn't make somewhat idiosyncratic NPCs is kinda failing. I can agree that most PCs wouldn't opt for a wand, especially if dagger staff is allowed (as RAW does). In fact, I think dagger staffs are so useful that it's hard to understand why anyone would use a hunk of wood.
So, the dagger staff is not a pole weapon like the bladestaff or naginata? So, to wield it, the wizard would need Staff Spell 1 and Knife Talent (at a cost of 2 IQ points)?
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Old 07-14-2022, 11:04 AM   #10
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

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Originally Posted by Bill_in_IN View Post
So, the dagger staff is not a pole weapon like the bladestaff or naginata? So, to wield it, the wizard would need Staff Spell 1 and Knife Talent at a cost of 2 IQ points?
There is one published adventure where a wizard has an untalented dagger-staff. This is still more useful to her than a wand of course.
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