Archmage, with a crossbow slung across his back

[caudor]

I guess it depends on what you mean by 'use'.

My wizard totes a staff around and it comes in useful for a variety of things....probing dark areas or water, stirring the stew pot, walking stick, taps it on the floor to get attention, taps it on head to really get attention, etc. etc.

What's a wizard without his staff?

 

[Drowbane]

Weapons on arcanists seem to just be window dressing... it perhaps make them appear more threatening.

 

[Hussar]

Gandalf was a druid.

And hey, an honest to goodness contradition in the current FAQ. Gotta dig up that thread again.

 

[Templetroll]

I had a wizard with a lousy Con, who died due to failing a save versus baby dragon breath.

I rolled up a dwarf wizard to maximize the opportunity for hit points. The only thing I didn't do, to keep the DM from hitting me, was take Toughness. the Wizard had a toad familiar, which gave a Con bonus at first, then Toughness as a more reasonable option.

That party had a magic staff, -1 to hit, +5 damage. It was that way due to the density of the material which made it unweildy but strong. They happily gave it to the dwarf. The dwarf took 2 weapon fighting, ambidexterity and weapon focus just to be dangerous with the thing.

The other strong point of the character was Concentration. The DM told me I didn't need to put anymore skill points in that once it got to 20 ranks. The DM also suggested that I take a level of fighter; later he got a nice dwarven waraxe. I, and the dwarf, like the staff better.

 

[Herobizkit]

Darts.

1e wizard with 3 attacks/round and high Dex... with darts. 1d3/1d2 (vs. Large) per dart. And poison, if you were k00l.

No matter how many spells you could throw, you never wastred them on mooks, so... DARTS!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What's a wizard without his staff?

A person very busy answering phone calls, stuffing envelopes, and cleaning up after the day is over...

Personally, I have always made a habit of my spellcasters using their weapons.

A snap shot with a crossbow or a thrown dagger gives me a round or so to evaluate precisely what spell should be my first.

 

[Whisper72]

I voted sometimes. There's always those events where magic doesn't work or where magic would be a waste of time. Also, the crossbow is useful to shoot grappling hooks, as a decoy, and sometimes the mage 'dresses up' as though he is more of a rogue, so the enemy is unaware we have magical support....