Wands and Staffs: Impliment or Spell Containers

[GX.Sigma]

...Wands in 4e are spell containers (and implements).

Wands
A wand is a slender, tapered piece of wood, enchanted to channel arcane energy. If you are a member of a class that can use a wand as an implement, you can apply the enhancement bonus of a wand to the attack rolls and the damage rolls of any of your powers from that class that have the implement keyword, and you can use a wand’s properties and powers. Members of other classes gain no benefit from wielding a wand.

Using a wand’s power works like using the power normally. To do so, you need to be able to use at least one power from the same power source as the wand. For example, a rogue who has picked up at least one wizard power through multiclassing feats could use a wizard power in a wand, since each knows one power that uses the arcane power source. Several wands appear below, but you can also design your own.

A wand can contain an encounter power of any class capable of using wands. When you craft a wand, you can choose any encounter power that you know or that is available to your class. You can’t choose anything other than a class power (you can’t choose a paragon path power, for instance).

Some wands in the PHB include Wand of ray of enfeeblement +1, Wand of shield +3, and Wand of (power level 13 or lower) +4. They contain an encounter spell, and you can use it once per day.

 

[Leatherhead]

Is 5e going to use spell attack rolls?
I don't know at this point.

I would rather see more all-class-use expendable magic items. Let fighters cast from scrolls, heck let them use a wand to pew pew cantrips if they feel like it.

 

[Aeolius]

I don't know 4e from Adam's house cat but wands as more of an extension of the wizard, rather than a scroll-on-a-stick, sounds more wizardy to me. For that matter, I like spell components, spell books, and alchemical wonders galore. Bring on the bezoars, infusions, and mummified entrails!

 

[Dragonblade]

Wands and staves as implements, no question. Or have both if some OSR fans are really passionate about having charged wands.

I don't mind themed wands either, like a wand of fire that is better at casting fire magic (but could still be used for other types of magic except maybe cold).

But the idea of a wand or staff being the magic equivalent of a pre-loaded debit card doesn't really match any fantasy fiction I know except fantasy fiction rooted in prior edition D&D. And sometimes not even then.

 

[BobTheNob]

Spell containers was a lame idea in the first place.

One of the things I give 4e points for is trying to get wands e.t.c. as implements. I never liked how a fighters got all sorts of gear to do what he did better, yet caster got gear to do it more often...

That said, I dont want spells and martial capabilities on a common mechanic as 4e did, but I would like to see some way for implements to increase casting capability. They did it in DDO for a 3e base (not wands, but sceptre's and staffs did).

(p.s. personally, as long as they can enhance base casting, I have no problem with them storing a couple of spells as well)

 

[Janaxstrus]

I want no part of required implements.

Much prefer the Basic, 1e, 2e, 3e way of doing it, wands have charges and hold spells.

 

[the Jester]

Polls like this almost always fail, because they really ought to be multiple choice.

Magic item forms shouldn't be locked into specific categories of effects. There ought to be wands +1, wands of burning hands and wands of flame extinguishing.

 

[SLOTHmaster]

I'm a 3e player who dislikes most things 4e did, but even I have to admit they took a step in the right direction with wands. I still do think we need to move away from wand/sword/spoon +1 though.

 

[Lwaxy]

Prefer both as an option, with a focus on implement.

 

[KidSnide]

Wands - These are traditionally tied to a single spell. Wand of fireball/cure light wounds/magic missile.

There is nothing "traditional" about a Wand of Cure Light Wounds. That is purely an artifact of 3e, and it's not an artifact I'd like to see in D&DN. The rule that you can put any ole' spell into a wand is a great example of the law of unintended consequences.

-KS