Do wands destroy the 3.x adventure paradigm?

[Psion]

Also, remember the DCs on wands are really low.

Whoohoo! A 5d6 fireball with a Reflex save DC of 14. Not too impressive.

Wands are best reserved for low level spells cast frequently. Lesser Vigor, Cure Light Wounds, Truestrike, Enlarge Person, and so on are all good candidates. Maybe Magic Missile. Attack spells generally make poor wand-spells due to the lower DCs and damage.

Buff spells, too.

That said, I'm thinking my current character will be a wand builder shooting for Residual Magic feat just for this reason.

 

[Li Shenron]

Buff spells, too.

And yet I have 3000 reasons to prefer 3.0, and counting

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I absolutely hate how wands have become "healing sticks." Everyone and their brother carries one around for their cleric to use.

 

[shilsen]

I absolutely hate how wands have become "healing sticks." Everyone and their brother carries one around for their cleric to use.

Why is that a bad thing? It lets people use their spell slots for more interesting spells, which is a good thing, IMNSHO (as both DM and player).

The only downside is that it becomes harder for DMs to endanger PCs' lives through attrition of hit pts, but considering how many ways I can endanger a PC's life, losing that one little option is hardly a problem for me.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Why is that a bad thing?

Because it reduces healing to the equivalent of a pack of Band-aids and, IMO, makes magic too accessible and convenient. But hey, that's just me.

 

[Crothian]

Because it reduces healing to the equivalent of a pack of Band-aids and, IMO, makes magic too accessible and convenient. But hey, that's just me.

I like it better then the band aid being the cleric. With wands that heal at least clerics can now do other things with their spells.

 

[Bad Paper]

I like it better then the band aid being the cleric. With wands that heal at least clerics can now do other things with their spells.

QFT

 

[frankthedm]

With wands that heal at least clerics can now do other things with their spells.

Uhm, that was WHY clerics were given so much power in 3E. The party was supposed to be siphoning off thier spell power due to need of healing. In higher level combat waiting to heal someone after combat with a wand signs their death warrent, as it should. 1d8+1 won't be worth the action it takes to use the wand.

 

[shilsen]

Uhm, that was WHY clerics were given so much power in 3E. The party was supposed to be siphoning off thier spell power due to need of healing.

Damn - I never got that memo from WotC! Do you have a copy? I hate when people are "suppposed to be" doing something and we forget to.

In higher level combat waiting to heal someone after combat with a wand signs their death warrent, as it should. 1d8+1 won't be worth the action it takes to use the wand.

No, it may sign their death warrant, as it should only in a particular type of game. I'm running a 10th lvl game where out of combat healing is still mainly achieved with wands of Lesser Vigor at 1 hp/rd. Not a problem, since the PCs usually only have a fight or two at most in a given day. Doesn't seem to cause the least problem to my ability to challenge them.

 

[Crothian]

In higher level combat waiting to heal someone after combat with a wand signs their death warrent, as it should. 1d8+1 won't be worth the action it takes to use the wand.

No it doesn't. The cleric can still heal those that need it right now, but with wands the ones that are just hurt but not near death can wait till the combat is over. Getting injuried in high levels game is not the same as dying. And there are wands that cure more then that per charge.