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Old 07-21-2022, 09:01 PM   #61
Axly Suregrip
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

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Originally Posted by Shostak View Post
Another reason not to allow staves as booby traps is to preserve the utility of investing in learning Blast Trap or purchasing scrolls for it.
Each wizard may only have 1 staff, but many blast traps. Of course, each only last a day. And blast traps can be much harder to discover. Set it on a door knob for some real fun. Anything, not just thing that are shaped like staves, up to 20 lbs may be a blast trap. Makes for a much better trap.
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Old 07-22-2022, 01:24 PM   #62
Helborn
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

If you enchant the wand with a 10 point Missile Spell, you can cast all 10 points at once. You're not limited to 3 points. cf ITL163.



Also, Axly, you can use a Pole Weapon as a Staff, in addition to your 6 forms. I do limit them to Javelins and Spears in my games, but that is a personal limitation.
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Old 07-22-2022, 05:27 PM   #63
jason taylor
 
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

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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.)
The social factors are some of the most important ones. But there is no reason a wand can't have innate magic and no reason it cannot be some other object.
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Old 07-22-2022, 06:37 PM   #64
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

A concealable bombardment rod would be nice (and a wand exclusive), if it wasn't so dang expensive. Wouldn't you rather have a ST 99 powerstone than a 10 die wizard's wraith rod wand?
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Old 09-02-2022, 05:48 PM   #65
David L Pulver
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

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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.)

I think it's mostly a social factor plus cost and convenience. If you want something you can carry all the time without getting in your way while using books or carrying a load of papers or doing other work, it really comes down to a wand or a dagger. A silver dagger is slightly expensive for a young wizard, and if you're training a bunch of young wizards, giving them wands is safer than giving them things that they might stab each other, or the teacher, with when they get frustrated. T'reo faculty encourages wand use for this reason, and as the manuscript states, it became a fashion/status thing to show up with a cool wand with lots of nifty decorations. Given that students at T'reo and perhaps other academies are required to wear uniforms, customizing your wand is sort of like adding decals and what not to your school bag.

The other reason is that a dagger uses up two talents slots to use properly (and if you can't use it it's stupid to carry it) and a wand does not. The same is true of a club, but while some wizards will carry a cudgel or staff or cane about, it's not as convenient as a wand to carry every single day.
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Old 09-03-2022, 04:32 AM   #66
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

HTH is the obvious tactic to use against any wizard, because all of their defenses collapse into that single defense roll and unless they are holding a blade or stick in hand even a roll of 6 won't do them much good.
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Old 09-10-2022, 08:51 PM   #67
David L Pulver
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

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Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
HTH is the obvious tactic to use against any wizard, because all of their defenses collapse into that single defense roll and unless they are holding a blade or stick in hand even a roll of 6 won't do them much good.
I suppose that keeps them in Shock Shield spells.
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Old 09-11-2022, 04:32 AM   #68
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Default Re: Why would wizards want wands?

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I suppose that keeps them in Shock Shield spells.
Once they are in HTH they are at -4 DX to cast as per Hex#9, pg 3. This not only lowers their changes of success it also gives their foe's physical attack a chance to strike first.
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