Do wands destroy the 3.x adventure paradigm?

[Grog]

In 3.x D&D, having an encounter of an EL equal to the party's level is supposed to deplete 20% of the party's resources. Therefore, the expected way that adventures will proceed is that the party will have to rest after every four encounters. Now, this works fine for the first few levels, but let's take a hypothetical case where the party reaches 6th level and the wizard or sorcerer takes the Craft Wand feat.

Just like that, the party can craft a couple of wands - one of Fireball and one of Cure Serious Wounds. With those two wands, the entire 3.x encounter paradigm is tossed out the window. The party wizard/sorcerer can now cast his most powerful attack spell 50 times without resting, and the party cleric can now cast his most powerful healing spell 50 times without resting.

With the wands, the party could probably run through an entire dungeon without ever having to rest. Now, whether that's a good or bad thing depends on your playstyle, but it unquestionably goes against the "four encounters per day" paradigm of 3.x D&D.

And also, the wizard being able to throw his most powerful spell in every single round of every single fight might make the fighters feel pretty weak by compassion.

What do you think? Are wands a problem in 3.x, or not?

 

[Crothian]

No, I don't think they are a problem. Even with plenty of wands I never had a group go through an entire dungeon without resting.

 

[javcs]

If the wizard is making all these wands, he's gonna wind up behind on XP - and therefore levels. Being a Wizard and one or two levels behind the rest of the party hurts a lot with d4 hit die and bad Fort and Ref saves.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I haven't found it to be the case at all.

The exponential cost increases of wands means, really, the only wands worth the money to buy are 1st level and the only ones worth building are 1st and 2nd level. FINDING a 3rd level wand is okay.

At middle-levels, where 3rd and 4th level spells are the top level spells you can cast, you can't afford to build one of those wands that well, especially not buy one.

I mean, I'm a big fan of playing Wizards with Craft feats, and I tended to strap up with 1st and 2nd level spells ... that Y x Z x 25 means costs skyrocket.

--fje

 

[Grog]

If the wizard is making all these wands, he's gonna wind up behind on XP - and therefore levels. Being a Wizard and one or two levels behind the rest of the party hurts a lot with d4 hit die and bad Fort and Ref saves.

Two wands isn't going to cripple the wizard XP-wise. 50 charges will last a long time, considering it only takes 14 encounters to go up a level.

And if they want to, the wizard and the cleric can both take the feat and split the cost.

 

[Klaus]

The 20% rule isn't that the party HAS to stop after it. That's just a yardstick to measure if an encounter is balanced to the party's level. And that takes into account wand charges too.

 

[Crothian]

Two wands isn't going to cripple the wizard XP-wise. 50 charges will last a long time, considering it only takes 14 encounters to go up a level.

And if they want to, the wizard and the cleric can both take the feat and split the cost.

It really depends on what those wands are. Cureing wands people can go through really fast and the same with magic missile.

 

[Graf]

Are wands a problem in 3.x, or not?

Yes.
The thousands upon thousands of DnD games played over the past decade in 3.x have all been irreperably harmed by the existence of wands.
If only someone could stop this monstrosity.

 

[Grog]

The 20% rule isn't that the party HAS to stop after it. That's just a yardstick to measure if an encounter is balanced to the party's level. And that takes into account wand charges too.

How? Some parties will have wands and some won't. The CRs in the Monster Manual are supposed to be balanced for all parties (and yes, I know they're only a guideline).

 

[Grog]

It really depends on what those wands are. Cureing wands people can go through really fast and the same with magic missile.

If they're going through the wand's charges fast, that means they would have run out of cure spells long ago without the wand. So that just proves my point - wands shift the adventure paradigm.