New Design: Wizards...

[Frostmarrow]

I love it! They are using Gleemax to pick my brain. I like how they imply the setting first and make rules on top of it.

It seems weird to me to have a wizard hold a book out and get power out of it, or read it in combat.

I think it makes perfect sense. Even today people use books in the face of the enemy. -At least in picket lines and riots.

 

[FireLance]

The only one I don't like is the tome. It seems weird to me to have a wizard hold a book out and get power out of it, or read it in combat.

What do you think of the idea of scrolls or cards as alternate manifestations of the "tome" implement, then?

 

[breschau]

Or each one is a class ability, talent, feat, etc. You start with two and perhaps can gain the others later.

I'm thinking something like parts of a talent tree for either schools or possibly implements. Something like specializing in staves, but only being focused in orbs. The other schools/implements you can use normally, you just get a bonus from the talent/feat you spend specializing.

 

[Beckett]

Now that I've had a little time to think about it, I could see this working to lessen magic items, even if a wizard wants a +X staff, tome, orb, and wand. Right now, wands, scrolls, and for higher level characters, staves, give a wizard access to more spells so he isn't limited to just his memorized spells. I know when I play a wizard, I tend to load up on scrolls when I can, grab any wands I can find, and I'm in heaven if I can grab a staff so that my abilities are used. After a while, they start to add up and take up a lot of paperwork as I keep track of charges and spells cast.

So with 4E, I'd go from all these magical widgets for casting additional spells to just four foci. And I'll still have access to at least as many spells, thanks to per/encounter and at/will abilities.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

The only one I don't like is the tome. It seems weird to me to have a wizard hold a book out and get power out of it, or read it in combat.

It's rather iconic actually. Tomes of magic tended to be more than what was written in them. The books themselves were often a focus for the magic.

 

[Celebrim]

Now that I've had a little time to think about it, I could see this working to lessen magic items, even if a wizard wants a +X staff, tome, orb, and wand. Right now, wands, scrolls, and for higher level characters, staves, give a wizard access to more spells so he isn't limited to just his memorized spells. I know when I play a wizard, I tend to load up on scrolls when I can, grab any wands I can find, and I'm in heaven if I can grab a staff so that my abilities are used. After a while, they start to add up and take up a lot of paperwork as I keep track of charges and spells cast.

So with 4E, I'd go from all these magical widgets for casting additional spells to just four foci. And I'll still have access to at least as many spells, thanks to per/encounter and at/will abilities.

So, are you suggesting that you think scrolls will go away completely?

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Now that I've had a little time to think about it, I could see this working to lessen magic items

*off topic*
I think people are misinterpreting the comment on "less magic items". At least one designer has said that the magic level is going UP across all classes.

They've just said that you don't NEED magic items to do well. It means that, if you are level 20 and attack an enemy with a non magic sword, the enemy's AC is low it enough to still hit it, and you can do enough damage with just your class abilities to be useful. However, I'm fairly certain you'll still see a lot of magic items all over the place. It'll just be that you had a 50 percent chance of hitting the enemy without your +5 sword and a 75% with it. It's useful, but not required.

 

[Flobby]

I think its great. Before the wizard was basically a "tome" wizard right? They needed their spell book to do anything. Now the wizard is much more variable-- allowing for the creation of characters from novels and movies. Just think about some iconic characters; some famous "wizards" needed a staff (Lord of the Rings), others an orb (can't think of anything...), and others a wand (Harry Poter...okay bad example but I'm sure there are others.)

 

[Droogie]

I suspect that clerics will get a similar rules treatment with their holy symbols? Hmmm. Pretty neat.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

I suspect that clerics will get a similar rules treatment with their holy symbols? Hmmm. Pretty neat.

From the earlier Design and Devlopment article about PC Roles:

...a cleric who wants to mix it up in melee or fight from the back rank with holy words and holy symbol attacks won’t constantly be forced to put aside their damage-dealing intentions.

So it looks like you might be right.