Help me thwart my DM and save our life! Wand usage...

[dcollins]

I'll chime in and quote that "casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action... (exceptions that make activation longer)", DMG p. 206. That's a spell from a wand -- one single spell per standard action. Whatever this item is, it's not really a wand by the rules.

That having been said, I can't imagine this information will help your situation in any way whatsoever. If your DM is going to make an item that quite blatantly violates the spirit of the magic item rules, I can't imagine anyone's going to persuade him to suddenly change his outlook.

 

[Trine]

Sounds like your DM needs a swift kick to the head. If he's going to go against the spirit of the rules like he's doing (well, he's really just breaking them, but that could be debated) he should give you a chance to defend yourself. This includes: availability of shield spells, magical items like the brooch of shielding (assuming a 9th level caster on each of those "wands" in the set... the brooch would protect against about 60% of a volley), potions of shield etc... But he's not giving you much of a hope here.

175 damage on average, from a standard action, with no save, is just wrong.

Hmm. Can you give us a better idea of what type of items your characters have access to? What levels are you? What spells do you have access to? About the only hope you have is to beat his initiative and either a) silence him, or put some sort of darkness around yourselves to prevent targeting.

Bleah. The whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth though, just because of the severe abuse of magical item creation rules.

 

[karateka]

I agree with GMVictory. Stop metaknowledge and try to beat it. Apart from what GMVictory offered, you could use minor globe.

 

[Tsyr]

I agree with GMVictory. Stop metaknowledge and try to beat it. Apart from what GMVictory offered, you could use minor globe.

As I've said, beating him just isn't going to work. We're given to understand this guy is a fair bit above us, CR wise, to boot, and like I said, it's always on his terms... Including, for example, in the middle of a trapped room. Metagaming thinking is the only way I can beat this thing.

And I'll be frank. The guy just *doesn't* know the rules all that well. If you can prove him wrong, he normaly goes with the correct way... but unless you can prove him wrong, he wont. So I'm trying to prove him wrong as conclusivly as I can.

 

[0-hr]

From the SRD:

the casting time of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in an item, whether its a scroll, a wand, or a pair of boots, unless the item description specifically states otherwise

The casting time of Magic Missile is (again from the SRD):

Magic Missile

Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to five creatures, no two of which can be more than
15 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Therefore, to activate 5 magic missile wands would take 5 standard actions.

On a more "common sense" level, the command word has to be accompanied by a focusing of will and purposeful concentration. Otherwise speaking a command word would be a free action, and magic items would go off on accident whenever the bearer happened to use the command word in everyday speech!

 

[Hypersmurf]

1. Get one of your PCs killed off.
2. Replace him with a 7th-level Wizard with the Craft Wand feat.
3. Craft half a dozen wands of Enervation - all with the same command word - and cellotape them together.
4. Make sure one of your other PCs has at least one level of Sorcerer or Wizard.
5. Next time you meet the BBEG, Wizard casts Haste on himself and the backup wizard.
6. Each combat round: Wizard uses Haste Partial to activate all 6 wands. Wizard uses Standard action to activate all 6 wands. Wizard drops wands as a free action, and takes a 5' step out of the square. Backup wizard takes a 5' step into the square and uses an MEA to pick up wands. Backup wizard uses standard action to activate all 6 wands. Backup wizard uses Haste Partial to activate all 6 wands.

Alternate each round.

That's 24 ranged touch attacks, each dealing 1d4 negative levels, no save, each round.

Sure, it's 126k worth of wands, but sacrifices must be made

-Hyp.

 

[shilsen]

And I'll be frank. The guy just *doesn't* know the rules all that well. If you can prove him wrong, he normaly goes with the correct way... but unless you can prove him wrong, he wont. So I'm trying to prove him wrong as conclusivly as I can.

Since beating him with a stick is apparently not an option, try to get him to frequent ENWorld and esp. this board. It's the individual best way I can think of to get caught up on rules really fast.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Okay, I'll take a shot at a reasoned argument, if he's not willing to just take the rules at face value.

There is more to activating a wand than 'just' saying the word. Otherwise the wizard could tell the fighter the word that activates his Wand of Lightning Bolt, or (worse) his Wand of Shield.

There is more to activating a wand than just having the spell on your caster list and saying the word. Otherwise wizards could activate their enemy's wands from across the room by shouting the right word out.

Activating a wand requires a/ having the spell on your list, b/ speaking the command word, and c/ some act of will to direct the spell from the wand you have in your hand.

Now, we know that even though the somatic and verbal components are identical, a wizard cannot cast all six Magic Missile spells he has memorised simultaneously. He has to repeat the words and gestures - using a standard action each time - for each individual spell.

In the same fashion, he has to trigger each wand individually, even though the command words are identical.

Hope it helps.

-Hyp.

 

[GMVictory]

If he's beyond your characters ability to handle, it doesn't matter if he has the "chain gun," I mean combo-wand. The NPC can still take the group out.

Your DM has created a hammer to beat your group. Is the npc showing up and wasting PCs willy-nilly or is he threatening you with the chain gun to get your group to do what he wants?

If the npc wants you to do something then think of it this way, your group is being coerced by a more powerful person. Unfortunately, you've got to obey until you can figure a way to turn the tables, escape, or kill him.

If his grasp of the rules aren't that good is he the only one with a rulebook? If not, you could do your own research, which not only helps him, but helps you know the rules better too.

However, I still feel that if the DM throws a curveball, the group should figure a way to deal with it in game. The group may not like its choices, but it has them nonetheless.

I have one last suggestion but I'd like to see the response to my questions first.

 

[kreynolds]

Ok, our DM pulled something evil on us... he had a character that made a Multi-Wand of magic missle... Basicly, 10 Wands of Magic Missle slaved together to the same activation word.

How many missiles were launched per activation and what level is your party?