Defensive Staff Wizard vs. Deadly Orb Wizard

[Mistwell]

No, but simply because I don't have them.

I started with Ray of Frost but the Slow Effect was seldom useful and so I traded it in for a Scorching Burst. Clouds of Dagger might be superior to my Magic Missile, but I am really happy with MM because I often got to use the increased range and I plan to get the bracers that increase the basic attacks. The last one that I have is Thunderwave and this is certainly the most useful at-will that I have. So I know that it is stupid that I didn't take on of your mentioned powers but I'm too happy about my current selection to swap any of these.

Anyway the extending duration feature should be quite good because I have an "Orb of Inevitable Continuance" that let me extend any power once per day and I used it to great effect with my Icy Rays (Immobilizing a strong melee monster out of range for two rounds rock!).

Ah, well, no wonder you feel the orb is not very useful, given you cannot use half its powers!

 

[Ibixat]

All Quarterstaves have the staff trait. (Look on the weapon table. Weapon types can also be implement types, thanks to Swordmages.) All staff implments can be used as Quarterstaves.

Logically: All A are B. All B are A.

All Quarterstaves are staffs, all staffs are Quarterstaffs.

So, yes, you CAN do these tricks. You just can't use a staff implement to perform Weapon attacks without two hands.

WOAH, Draco usually you don't make these mistakes but I'm sorry, your logic is wrong here.

All A are B does NOT mean All B are A

All Humans (A) are Mammals (B).. does not mean All Mammals (B) are Humans (A)

So while all Quaterstaves are staves, not all staves are quaterstaves, even if all current staves are.

 

[DracoSuave]

Perhaps, but as it stands, the Set of All Staves and the Set of All Quarterstaves contain the same members, and thusly, if A is the Set of All Staves, and B is the Set of All Quarterstaves, then A does, in fact, equal B.

If a new element of either set comes along to challenge this equality, then it would be judged at that time.

So A does equal B.
A may, or may not, equal B in the future.

 

[Ibixat]

Perhaps, but as it stands, the Set of All Staves and the Set of All Quarterstaves contain the same members, and thusly, if A is the Set of All Staves, and B is the Set of All Quarterstaves, then A does, in fact, equal B.

If a new element of either set comes along to challenge this equality, then it would be judged at that time.

So A does equal B.
A may, or may not, equal B in the future.

Only with this given dataset, but there is no logic argument to support the general statement was all I was saying.

Either way, as of this time it's true, and a pain for my cousin's wizard, not that he swings his staff often but he's got a + 1 wand of enfeeblement and the + 1 defensive staff. feels weird holding both at once.

 

[Mal Malenkirk]

I swear by the staff wizard. So much fun.

As a human wizard, I took the staff, leather proficiency and toughness. With these I started with AC 17 and 31 hp.

I routinely stood side by side with the fighter for part of the fight. It made using burning hand much fun. 5x5 area? Yes sir. As long as you are at the front, you need not worry about the fighter's position. The fighter is a dragonborn with extended breath so we can go back to back with these close blast 5. That's a lot of damage spread on the battle field in a short time. Minions don't last long.

With the staff properties and the shield utility I can negate 2 hits or more by fight. In big encounters, the cleric's shield of faith isn't wasted on the wizard either, let me tell you! When I'm standing next to the fighter, his marking abilities become very handy because the marked monster now has a difficult choice. Does he attack me? Good. with the -2 my AC is effectively the same as the fighter but they'd get an immediate interrupt for their trouble. What of the umarked monsters who want to attack me? Good, take some of the pressure of the fighter. Swarm me. My AC ain't bad after all. And on my turn, the cleric divine glow in our direction, catching many of the swarming enemies and giving me +2 for the upcoming fire shroud. (absolutely love that power with my combat wizard style). Seeing three monsters swarm me, most missing as I activate shield and then getting hit hard multiple time by our divine glow / fire shroud combo is priceless! Also, my location at the front makes it easier for the rogue to get a flanking CA since he has more options.

Soon I will purchase a defensive staff. The extra +1 AC is impressive when you already have a solid AC. At level four he became a devotee of Erathis so now he also has a healing word to use on himself every fight and effectively has 25% +1d6 more HP for as long as he got surges.

And when things get a little hairy, I can always sink back a bit from the front and use more conventional powers. The fighter has covering attack (great level 1 encounter) for just that purpose (well, me and the rigue split its benefit). So far, my wizard has never been dropped to 0 and the DM sure has targeted me whenever I was at the front. Yet he has been the damage king. Nobody comes close to dishing the total amount of damage I do in a fight because I target so mamny monsters on my attacks.

Long live the combat mage!

 

[Drakhar]

You mentioned becoming a devotee of Erathis and having a healing word to use every fight? That's not true, a MC Cleric can only Healing Word once per day.

 

[SabreCat]

Logically: All A are B. All B are A.

All squirrels are mammals. All mammals are squirrels!

Doesn't work, though it'd be entertaining if it did.