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12-13-2020, 07:11 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Oct 2020
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Wizards without Staves
Has anyone here every played (or GM'd for) an effective wizard who didn't know the staff spell using the legacy edition? If so what was that wizards play style and spell list like?
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12-13-2020, 07:42 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
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Re: Wizards without Staves
Calen, Elf wizard, age 20
ST 6, DX 12, IQ 14, MA 12 Talents include: Literacy, Unarmed Combat III Spells include: Acid Touch, Drain Strength, 3-Hex Fire, 4-Hex Illusion Languages: Common, Elvish Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d-1), Kick (2d-4, -1 DX) Armor: UC III stops 2 hits and is -2 to be hit. She shall learn Staff II or higher, once she has the spare XP for Mana. She is already maxed out on plausible advancement in unarmed combat other than building up DX to improve shield rush and aimed shots.
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-HJC |
12-13-2020, 09:44 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: North Texas
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Re: Wizards without Staves
That's the problem, though... why would any player forego the new STAFF spells? They are simply too good to pass up. A wizard w/o a staff (or more specifically, the mana they provide) is at a distinct disadvantage under the Legacy rules.
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“No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.” -Vladimir Taltos |
12-13-2020, 09:48 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Oct 2020
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Re: Wizards without Staves
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That is why I was asking. I do plan on making a full discussion post about solutions to the topic in the House-Rules board. |
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12-14-2020, 10:05 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Portland, Maine
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Re: Wizards without Staves
If you envision your wizard character to be a wizard that doesn't use a staff, then they don't use a staff, even if it seems too good to pass up or not. Simple really.
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- Hail Melee Fantasy Chess: A chess game with combat. Don't just take the square, Fight for it! https://www.shadowhex.com Last edited by JohnPaulB; 12-15-2020 at 09:10 PM. |
12-17-2020, 07:50 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Re: Wizards without Staves
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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 | #7 |
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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-HJC |
12-17-2020, 08:56 AM | #8 |
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 | #9 | |
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
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Re: Wizards without Staves
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12-19-2020, 08:53 PM | #10 |
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. |
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