Bringing Wands of Fireball/Lightning Bolt in check

[CapnZapp]

Ah, but there is already precedence for this. That is, there are two different versions of the wand of magic missile in D&D 5e.

There is the DMG version, which lets you potentially use up all of its 7 charges in one go.

Then there is the Starter Set version, which only lets you use up to 3 charges at a time.

You could call the latter a "lesser" wand, if you want. Why not do something similar with a wand of lightning bolts? Just say you can't ever use more than 1 charge at a time. Or go with the Starter Set precedent and only let them beef up to a 5th level version of the spell.

Wow thanks!

Are there more differences between DMG and Basic that I don't know of? (This must be discussed somewhere already, so perhaps a link would suffice)

(I think I recall the Staff of Defense from Lost Mines aren't present in that very-juicy shape in the core books, but that's all)

 

[pukunui]

That's the only one that I'm aware of.

 

[Shiroiken]

Use the optional rule of Wands that don't recharge. I use that rule for wands as a whole, but you can use it for specific wands. Give them a Wand of Lightning Bolts with 20 charges, and no more than 3 charges (10d6 damage) per use. Because it doesn't recharge, they will use it only when needed (once per day or less, probably), rather than going nova or flinging bolts willy-nilly.

 

[Uchawi]

Since there is not magic item creation rules in 5E by intent, that allows you to gauge power, then you have to accept that the power of any given item will be all over the place.

A quick fix may be to introduce a modified charge rule to any wand, where initially the item may be powerful dependent on the level of the caster (high level caster), but the damage may go down depending on who recharges it (lower level caster).

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Your view amazes me Aaron.

Handing out a regular Wand of Lightning Bolt at levels 4-5* seems crazily mind-staggeringly overpowered to me.

And to me it seems less powerful than handing out just about any on Table G to the same level of characters, adamantine armor, a weapon +2, or a ring of free action, as examples.

"lightning bolt is not the answer to every problem"... no, but when you are lost in the Underdark, it is the answer to very many problems indeed.

Not if you are lost in my Underdark. The good news there is that your Underdark can also be one in which only a few problems are answered by lightning bolt, if you want to.

"when it is the answer there is nothing wrong with the party being able to provide said answer" said he, completely ignoring the fact it isn't the "party" that is providing said answer, it is always one and the same party member. Aaron, when I speak of balance and overpoweredness, I am always thinking of intra-party balance; the combat balance between party members. If I wanted to just kill off the party I can easily do so, even if they all sport Wand of Meteor Swarm.

The way to assure intra-party balance is to provide every member of the party an opportunity to do "their thing" for the party's benefit. Trying to prevent things that cost not just actions but also limited resources from having bigger numbers attached to them than things which only cost actions, or cost resources but not as many, doesn't factor into it, and is really a waste of time because it is fighting the very design of the system.

So create situation where something besides that one character blasting something with lightning bolt is what is needed, and everything will be fine.

*) I hope you remember this is what we're talking about. I want to give them Lightning Bolt at, or slightly before, the level they would otherwise get it themselves. Why: because this is where you get excited about them Bolts! So the DMG percentages really don't apply: I don't want an item where it is appropriate almost no level 5 parties would ever get it! That's the entire reason for this thread, to tone down the DMG item to be useable for a party of the indicated level

If you want to give it to them, then do it, it is "useable for a party of the indicated level" right out of the book.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

I for one find it deliciously ironic that someone named CapnZapp would want to nerf the Wand of Lightning Bolts.

 

[CapnZapp]

Can I ask you why you are posting in this thread Aaron?

You are contesting me on every point, absolutely refusing to discuss something from somebody else's viewpoint than your own and you are studiously avoiding the premise of the thread subject.

You come across as trying hard to derail the subject. I find your posts profoundly unhelpful.

Why are you still here?

 

[CapnZapp]

Since there is not magic item creation rules in 5E by intent, that allows you to gauge power, then you have to accept that the power of any given item will be all over the place.

A quick fix may be to introduce a modified charge rule to any wand, where initially the item may be powerful dependent on the level of the caster (high level caster), but the damage may go down depending on who recharges it (lower level caster).

Okay, so...

...what do you think of the concrete ideas I've posted? ☺

 

[CapnZapp]

Use the optional rule of Wands that don't recharge. I use that rule for wands as a whole, but you can use it for specific wands. Give them a Wand of Lightning Bolts with 20 charges, and no more than 3 charges (10d6 damage) per use. Because it doesn't recharge, they will use it only when needed (once per day or less, probably), rather than going nova or flinging bolts willy-nilly.

Thanks.

I didn't know the rule on non rechargeable items also discussed capping charges per use.

I'll look it up - it sounds super useful!

 

[CapnZapp]

That's the only one that I'm aware of.

Okay.

A bit weird dontcha think? If there would be one (1) item differing between basic and core.

"Zero" or "many" are numbers that would make more sense - to me, at least... ☺